Marvel fans, myself included, have been impatiently waiting for any kind of content we can get our hands on, and Marvel finally repaid us for our dedication. A trailer for the much-anticipated WandaVision aired last night during the 2020 Emmys. Whether you were happy or disappointed with who won during the ceremony, it was hard not to see the Internet buzzing about the Disney+ series from Marvel Studios.
Marvel confirms that WandaVision will be the first series to drop on the streaming platform, despite previous plans for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to fill that slot. Though it is unfortunate that we will have to wait that much longer to see Sam Wilson as Captain America and Bucky Barnes get more than three lines a film, I can’t hide my excitement about WandaVision any longer. Not that I’ve been doing a great job at hiding it up till now anyway.
It feels like it’s been a decade since Kevin Feige announced WandaVision in Hall H at SDCC in 2019. The fact that we have a trailer and a sort of confirmed premiere date feels surreal. Both Marvel and Disney+ confirmed that WandaVision will premiere in 2020. This likely means it’s sticking with that December date. This tracks with The Mandalorian’s premiere on October 30th. It’s unlikely that Disney+ will drop both series close together.
Wanda Maximoff is one of my favorite comic book characters and she’s one of my favorite characters from the MCU. Elizabeth Olsen’s performance brings so much to the character. Olsen’s dedication to the character helped so many connect with Wanda over the years. Wanda is easily one of the strongest Avengers, which makes the sad truth that she’s one of the most underrated Avengers even more disappointing.
We can’t forget when Wanda single-handedly held back Thanos while she was forced to destroy the Mind Stone and Vision along with it during Avengers: Infinity War. Hopefully WandaVision leads the respect she deserves.
There is a trailer breakdown to come, trust me, but this piece is a place to geek out about the mere existence of this show. WandaVision is likely the strangest thing Marvel has ever pulled off. It looks incredibly ambitious in its scale in both production and story. There’s a million and one details to discuss, and I will. But there are a couple of things I can’t stop thinking about that I want to discuss first.
Even casual fans of the MCU will notice the immense tragedy Wanda faces over the years. She lost her brother and the love of her life. She lost her home when Sokovia was destroyed. She’s been through the wringer. Wanda defied odds and expectations and came back from all of those things, because she is a survivor. However, that doesn’t mean that Wanda is immune to the lasting effects of trauma. It looks like WandaVision will finally prioritize Wanda, her journey and her mental health.
Funnily enough, I talked to a friend about why I love Wanda Maximoff and WandaVision, even though I haven’t seen it yet, earlier this week. Wanda’s so powerful that she can create alternate realities. That’s astounding. Sure, Wanda creates this false reality to see the man she loves again, but it’s so much more than that. So many tragedies have happened to Wanda, so it makes sense that she wants some agency and control. It only makes sense that Wanda uses her powers to get a grip on her life, and it just so happens to manifest itself as a utopia. Who are we to fault her for that? Wanda Maximoff deserves peace, even if it is temporary.
As for the other title character, I can’t wait to see what Paul Bettany does with Vision with all this extra time and space. Literally. The trailer gives so many peaks into how and why Vision exists in this new reality. It also sees Vision and Wanda suit up in retro, comic-accurate costumes for a Halloween episode. Then there’s Wanda and Vision with their twins, known as Wiccan and Speed in the comics.
The MCU movies didn’t have time to develop Vision as much as he deserves. A lot of Vision’s growth happens off camera, unfortunately. There’s a really great scene from Captain America: Civil War where Tony Stark and Vision discuss Vision’s feelings for Wanda. They question how it’s even possible for Vision to experience such a sensation. Then there’s when we see Wanda and Vision again in Edinburgh during Avengers: Infinity War.
Vision’s character growth is seen on-screen through Bettany’s often subtle and compelling performance — and his brilliant chemistry with Elizabeth Olsen. The possibilities are endless for WandaVision because so much was conveyed through so little screen time in the past.
There’s so much to look forward to on WandaVision. Thankfully, we’ll get to enjoy the series before the end of the year. Until then, we’ll have to keep rewatching the trailer and catching all the little details.
What did you think of the WandaVision trailer? Let us know in the comments below!
Watch the WandaVision official trailer below!