Director: Matt Shakman
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $6.99 (Disney+ Subscription)
Release Date: 3/5/21
Reviewer: Soycornholio
Aaaaannnddd it’s gone. It is crazy to believe that for the last two or so months, we have been captivated with the awesomeness that is (was?) Marvel’s WandaVision. It is bittersweet to think about this mini-series. Sadly, it is over. Up until WandaVision, I had forgotten what it was like to consistently wait until a new episode of a show was released (the last time I did this was American Horror Story: Coven). So, the frustration of having to wait (especially with very little to do at this point in 2021) was like being stuck in Limbo! But it also gave my Friday nights (and eventually my early Friday mornings) meaning again. With that being said, let’s take one final look into the world of Matt Shakman’s WandaVision.
Action Scenes:
In my humble opinion, the MCU has become the gold standard of cinematic action sequences. Scenes such as Black Widow taking out the security detail in Iron Man 2, Dr. Strange vs the Dread Dormammu in Dr. Strange, and of course Captain Marvel vs. the Old Lady in Captain Marvel, all stick out to me. They were perfectly choreographed to the point that it seemed like a Madonna concert. Hell, the visual effects in Dr. Strange could even rival the Battle of Hogwarts in the Deathly Hallows pt 2. The final battle between the Scarlet Witch (it feels SO good to be able to call her that) and Agatha Harkness was a high point. I loved being able to see the Scarlet Witch in her full get-up going head-to-head with a witch such as Agatha. The best part was seeing her (the Scarlet Witch) being to use magic. Intentionally use magic. Some of the visual effects did appear to look a bit CW cheesy, but maybe the budget was lower for MCU shows vs. the movies. Either way I was satisfied with the way it played out.
The Scarlet Witch:
Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch is such a complicated character (as most characters who derive from the X-Universe). She is so complicated, that I could write a dissertation on her for my Ph.D. If we rewind time a bit to 2014, we are first introduced to Wanda and her brother Pietro as volunteers in a Hydra Facility. 2014. 2014. 7 years ago! Marvel has sat on this golden egg for 7 years. The amount of character development that has taken place for Wanda is monumentous. She has gone from a test subject with a vaguely Eastern European accent, to a lovesick telepath/telekinetic, to a grieving mother and wife (see what I did there) to this mammoth of a powerhouse. And it’s still just beginning. Marvel finally brings on the Scarlet Witch in all of her full glory. I mean come one, that last scene of the Scarlet Witch in WandaVision was beyond epic.
Future:
As I said in my last review, we are now exploring the mystical/magical aspect of the Marvel Universe. We know that a few of the Phase 4 movies (mainly Dr. Strange and Spider-Man) will have mystical/magical elements in them. Since this is the case, WandaVision has been the perfect steppingstone to achieve this. Now, we can theorize about the Multiverse of Madness and how this may or may not embed Fox’s X-Men or combine all Marvel films into one long multiverse, but I am looking at this on a deeper level. Agatha stated that the Scarlet Witch (purely based upon whichever ancient tome she had been reading) is supposed to be more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme. Marvel has affectively changed the narrative of female superheroes in movies. No longer, are female heroes watered down and ultimately depowered in the big-screen universe. No longer will it just be an intense focus on how the men save the day. No, women heroes such as the Black Widow, Captain Marvel, and the Scarlet Witch are changing the status quo. As of now (until we are introduced to Jean Grey…I am calling it) the Scarlett Witch… a female…is the most powerful AND most important character in the MCU. I am beyond stoked to see powerful heroines properly portrayed on the big screen.
Final Thoughts:
Besides the numerous trolls from Marvel and the cast (i.e the Paul Bettany reveal and Ralph Bohner) WandaVision wrapped on a high note. Was I expecting more at the end? Yes. But that was my fault. Moving forward, no more deep dives on Reddit and YouTube to listen to and read all of the random fan theories. Marvel Studios knows what it is doing. We are on the cusp of a new era of Marvel Movies. This year alone, Black Widow (finally), Shang-Chi, the Eternals, and Spider-Man will be released. On the Disney+ side, we have The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (in what 2 weeks now?) and Loki. We are being spoiled in regard to comic movies and tv shows. In fact, we are in the golden age of it. Let’s sit back and enjoy what is to come. If you haven’t, now is the time to binge-watch WandaVision. It is worth it!