'WandaVision' redeems the most boring Avengers
But will audiences go for a Marvel show with no punching?
A confession: Wanda and Vision have long been my least favorite Avengers.
Please keep in mind I’m talking solely about their roles in the Marvel movies, not in the comic books. I haven’t read anything involving them in print, so any of their cherished storylines or personality quirks that appear there haven’t been part of my experience. I know they have their fans in their original media, but on the big screen, I’ve found them to be a consistent bore.
Both characters made their first appearance in the MCU in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch, has abilities to levitate objects and was held captive with her brother Pietro (RIP) for several years. In Ultron, her character’s main arc is whether she’ll be a fury-filled vessel of vengeance or join the Avengers (guess which she chooses). Vision is the physical embodiment of Tony Stark’s A.I. programs, powered by one of the Infinity Stones. After Ultron, Vision and Wanda became second-tier team members, brought in whenever the story needs someone to levitate things or pass through walls. They ultimately struck up a relationship, which came to a tragic end when Wanda was forced to incinerate the Infinity Stone that kept Vision alive in Avengers: Infinity War — an ending that was even more tragic when Thanos reversed time, bringing Vision back to life only for him to die in front of Wanda again. Typing this out, I realize that a.) this is a really weird series of films and b.) if you haven’t been keeping up with the movies, you’ve likely got no idea what I’m talking about and have probably bailed by now. (Jump on down to Chrisicisms!)
I’m sure there are fans of the doomed romantic duo, and I know my theater roared with approval when Wanda finally got her revenge on Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. But I’ve always found the characters dreadfully dull. Wanda’s arc in most Avengers films is to mope, swoon over Vision, get angry, repeat. Vision, by nature, is a stoic being who easily gets lost in the snark-heavy, fast-moving Marvel saga. It’s a shame, because Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen are charismatic, talented actors, relegated to being the dopey love story lost among the planet-hopping battles and reality-warping twists.
But with WandaVision, the first MCU show for Disney+ — and, it should be noted, the first MCU-adjacent film to be produced by Kevin Fiege and run by the same team as the movies — Wanda and Vision are finally interesting, and Bettany and Olsen allowed to shine. It’s a strange pivot for the MCU, with nary a punch thrown or villain vanquished, and one of its most aesthetically playful ones yet.
The show, which can best be described as Be(Scarlet)witched, finds Vision and Wanda living in a pristine suburban community in the 1950s. Filmed in black and white, 4:3 screen ratio, they’re literally living in an old sitcom, trying to pass as normal folk and keeping their powers a secret. There’s a nosy neighbor (Kathryn Hahn), period-specific commercials complete with Marvel Easter eggs, and a laugh track. The plots concern Vision’s new boss coming over for dinner and the duo trying to win over their new neighbors at a talent show.
Right now, you’re probably wondering when I’ll mention the twist that brings in the larger Marvel world, a villain bent on world domination or a plot to destroy existence. While there are hints of something potentially sinister at the edges of the show, those mentions are quick and vague. So far, in the three episodes I’ve seen, the show is 98% metasitcom and 2% anything else, although I have to imagine that balance will shift as the show progresses.
I’m curious how that’s going to sit with Marvel diehards, who might be expecting the MCU’s answer to The Mandalorian. It’s been more than a year and a half since the last Marvel film (2019’s Spider-man: Far From Home), and I’m not sure how casual fans are going to respond to jumping from the stakes of the Infinity Saga to the small stories of WandaVision. The show, particularly in its earlier episodes, is quick and slight, with episodes wrapping up in 20 minutes and ending not with a post-credit scene but with Wanda and Vision cuddling on the sofa, having solved their latest minor dilemma. I’m sure in the weeks to come the show will reveal its true scope — it took The Mandalorian three episodes to settle into its episodic structure — but the hints at something bigger are so brief and the rest of the show so specific, I wonder if audiences will last that long, particularly teenagers who don’t know the show’s aesthetic touch points, which so far include I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched and The Brady Bunch.
Thankfully, that’s a problem for a Disney marketing team, not for me. I found WandaVision to be an energetic, fun and welcomely weird palate cleanser after the bombast of Endgame. It’s a reminder that these characters can be used in many different ways and fit a variety of tones, and sometimes it’s fun just to watch characters play around with superpowers without having to worry about the fate of the world.
Mostly, this is the first time I’ve found Wanda and Vision to be engaging, and I’m glad to see Bettany and Olsen having fun instead of moping about. They show comedic skills we haven’t really seen from them, at least in the MCU. Olsen shows a knack for timing and reaction shots, and Bettany, particularly in the second episode, reveals a gift for physical comedy that has not previously been evident. Kathryn Hahn is the MVP of most things she ends up in, and here she relishes every snarky retort she gets to deliver as the nosy neighbor. Teyona Parris, Fred Melamed and Debra Jo Rupp also show up in varying capacities, and the latter two in particular help lend some legitimacy to the show’s sitcom aesthetic.
Whether the show’s jokes are supposed to be funny is up for discussion. Bettany and Olsen’s performances consist largely of familiar one-liners, pratfalls and reaction shots, with the emphasis less on being funny and more a celebration of sitcom tropes and formulas. Matt Shakman, who directed all nine episodes, goes to great lengths to capture the look and feel of sitcoms from years past, from living rooms that look straight out of a studio soundstage to the catchy theme songs that start each episode. The look and tone start to shift as the episodes continue, replicating the aesthetics of a variety of sitcoms from different eras. Young viewers likely will wonder what is going on and older viewers might appreciate the shout-out to favorite sitcoms but wonder why Marvel’s move to the small screen feels so slight.
That said, there are hints of melancholy and some sinister undertones that occasionally pop up. While I guess it’s not necessary to have seen Avengers: Endgame and the previous films (this could supposedly work as just a wacky sitcom), knowledge of that film and what happened to Wanda and Vision lends their domestic bliss a bittersweet feel. And there are brief moments in the middle of each episode where both characters begin to realize something is off in their suburban paradise; as the truth becomes more clear, it’s likely the stakes will rise, the action will kick in, and Wanda and Vision will have to recall where their relationship ended.
But three episodes in, that hasn’t happened yet. And it’s possible some Marvel fans might get frustrated and impatient watching a 20-minute ode to sitcoms instead of watching the kind of big, bombastic entertainment the MCU is synonymous with. But I hope they’ll stick with it; WandaVision still hasn’t revealed what it is, but it’s quick, light and fun entertainment, and I’m curious to see more.
The Digest
My online work this week
Just a note that I’ve stepped back from writing reviews at BHM Pop Culture for the time being. I’m rethinking the way I handle writing about film, and will likely be using this platform to write my thoughts for the next few weeks or so. I want to write about that in a coming newsletter. But for now, the Digest part of this will likely be a bit lighter on writing, heavier on my podcast work.
We’re Watching Here “News of the World, Wonder Woman 1984, and Tenet”: If you didn’t get enough of my views on Wonder Woman 1984 and Tenet in last week’s newsletter, you can listen to me talk about both films, plus Tom Hanks and Paul Greengrass’ latest collaboration, in the newest episode of We’re Watching Here. Perry and I kick off 2021 by talking about three releases from the end of last year, and as always it’s a great conversation. Available on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora and more.
Chrisicisms
What I’m loving online this week
The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne:A friend, knowing my struggles with current American Christianity, recommended Claiborne’s 2007 book to me a few weeks before the end of the year. A fan of Claiborne’s other books, including Jesus for President and Beating Guns, I immediately downloaded the 10th anniversary edition Claiborne put out a few years ago. It was an encouraging and challenging read, a call for Christians to re-examine what it looks like to live a radical faith in a nation of plenty. Claiborne writes with humor and passion, detailing both the time he spent with Mother Teresa and at the Willow Creek megachurch, and it’s refreshing to hear a Christian writer address radical love for the poor, pushing back against the death penalty, and living a life opposed to empire rule. It’s, sadly, a book that won’t be read by the people who really need it. But I found its refutation of the American Dream and call to sacrificial living to be convicting and inspiring, and I’m hoping to let it guide me this year.
God’s Economy: Redefining the Health and Wealth Gospel by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove: I’m going through Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals in my daily scripture reading and prayer time, and the focus on the month of January is shared economics. Wilson-Hartgrove’s book was recommended reading, so I quickly downloaded it. It’s a thoughtful, Scripture-filled look at a theology of abundance, but not the kind the Prosperity Gospel teaches. Rather, it reinforces the belief that God made this world with enough resources for us all, and it is another encouragement to sacrificial living and giving, and a call to sharing resources with those in need and advocating for economic fairness. A good, challenging read.
“A Hidden Life, Patriotism, and a Rightly Ordered Love for America” by K.B. Hoyle at Christ and Pop Culture: Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life was one of my favorite films of 2019, and it only gained new resonance last year. Reflecting on last week’s horrific events at the Capitol, Hoyle examines patriotism and Christianity in light of Malick’s film. I can’t sum up her thoughts better than she can, so I simply recommend you read her excellent piece.
The Holy Post podcast, “Was the Capitol Attack a Christian Insurrection?”: My 2020 BINGO card didn’t have “The Veggietales guy becoming the voice of reason” on it, but few people have as tactfully addressed politics and the current, horrifying state of American evangelicalism as Phil Vischer does on his YouTube channel and this podcast. It helps that he and his co-hosts are just as funny as they are insightful. This week’s episode addresses the Capitol attack, grappling with how much of it was carried out by people carrying crosses and claiming the name of Jesus, and asking the hard questions (sometimes without answers) about where we go next. Available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and most podcast apps.
Too Long, Didn’t Watch podcast: Rolling Stone TV critic Alan Sepinwall is bar-none one of the best TV critics out there (his collaboration with Matthew Zoller Seitz, TV: The Book, is essential reading). This week, Sepinwall launched a fun new podcast. Sitting with a different celebrity guest each week, he watches the pilot and series finale of a popular TV show that the guest has never seen and then talks a little about the show’s legacy with them. This week, he opened with two episodes, featuring Allison Brie talking Game of Thrones and Jon Hamm chatting about Gossip Girl, and both are breezy, funny listens.
That’s it! Have a great holiday weekend, everyone!