Marvel Studios presents WandaVision, a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) – two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives – begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems. The new series kicks off the MCU’s newest venture in presenting smaller stories that inevitably connect to the larger MCU. We got a chance to watch the first three episode of WandaVision so the following review will be based only on that alone.
WandaVision Trailer:
The Good:
The two biggest highlights so far come from Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda) and Paul Bettany (Vision). Their chemistry is stronger in WandaVision compared to what we’ve seen in the MCU films. One of the things I love about them is how well they compliment one another. The best moments are when they joke around with each other, and the audience is in on those inside jokes. I thought the funniest jokes were the ones that go against the grain of how many of the conservative TV sitcoms used to operate.
While it’s not a driving point in the show, I really appreciated the amount of diversity in the cast. It’s never really addressed in the show, but it’s definitely noticeable given how much diversity was lacking in the shows that are being replicated in WandaVision. It was just a little jarring to see African American characters in a black and white sitcom, and they actually had meaningful lines.
Outside of that, the format of the show seems pretty unique and cool. It’s almost like an episode within an episode both literally and figuratively speaking. WandaVision faithfully commits to the similar plots that would happen in a TV sitcom, and it’s not until a few brief moments we’re reminded that we’re still in the MCU.
The Bad:
Granted it’s much too early to really pick this series apart. However, my only issue is that some of the current setup of the show is wasted primarily due to the marketing of the show. The trailers have already informed us of one of the dynamics of the series, but the show itself tries to treat that dynamic as an unraveling, mysterious surprise. If only Disney would’ve featured just the sitcom-like aspect of the show, the other elements of WandaVision would’ve served as a much better surprise for viewers. Needless to say, this was just a lost opportunity to really capture audiences who prepare for the week to week viewing.
The only other minor issue is the episode length. They’re only about 30 minutes in length and that leaves much to be desired if we’re going to be on a weekly viewing period with the show. There’s a chance some of the other episodes will be a little longer, but that will depend on the story getting deeper and giving us much more to chew on in between the weeks. Marvel more than likely will have some great surprises in store, but as it stands right now with only 3 episodes, Marvel will really have to turn it up a notch.
The Verdict:
WandaVision is the quirky and fun cog in the big MCU wheel that is sure to add something fresh to the MCU. As it stands right now, it almost seems a bit too filler-ish because the plot isn’t really moving with just three episodes in. Obviously, it’s much too early to call. I’m hopeful that by the time the season finale comes around, WandaVision will deliver something major that will help push the narrative of the larger MCU. I’m also hopeful that we’ll be able to dig even deeper into the characters of both Wanda and Vision. Either way, fans should have a pretty good time with the debut of WandaVision. The first two episodes release Friday, Jan 15, 2020 and then the remaining 7 episodes will release every Friday after that. Be sure to check out WandaVision on Disney+.
The Rating:
7.5/10 (For now)
Director: Matt Shakman
Writer: Jac Schaeffer, Roy Thomas
Stars: Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Kat Dennings, Kathryn Hahn, Randall Park
WandaVision will be available on Disney+ January 15, 2020. Be sure to follow E-Man’s Movie Reviews on Facebook, Subscribe on YouTube, or follow me on Twitter/IG @EmansReviews for even more movie news and reviews!
