WandaVision not only picks up the pieces after Avengers: Endgame, but also sets the scene for Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness and a more cohesive future between the MCU’s small and silver screen.
WandaVision’s first few episodes have proved the seemingly idyllic backdrop of Westview isn’t quite the all-American slice of pie Wanda Maximoff and Vision hoped for.
While we’ve seen Agent Jimmy Woo asking Wanda “who’s doing this to you?”, a devastating new theory pitches Wanda herself as the show’s big bad - turning her into a potentially Thanos-level threat moving forward.
Although fans have been throwing names like Galactus and Kang The Conqueror around as the next foe to cross paths with the Avengers, it turns out their biggest enemy could’ve been hiding in their ranks this entire time.
Viewers were already warned the most recent episode We Interrupt This Program would be a break from the norm (if you can call it that), which ditched its whistle-stop tour of TV history for a stint in the 'real' world Monica Rambeau and S.W.O.R.D. helm from.
The episode’s chilling climax picked up with Rambeau blowing her cover as 'Geraldine' and coming face to face with the Scarlet Witch.
Following last week’s cliffhanger, the episode closed with Rambeau’s stoic warning of, “it's Wanda, it’s all Wanda.” Many had already clocked the picture-perfect Westview was Wanda’s own doing, however, the bigger implication is what she’ll do to protect it.
Since the credits first rolled on WandaVision and she turned back time on the SW.O.R.D. beekeeper, the jury’s been out on whether Wanda is going to break bad and go full Scarlet Witch.
Of course, Wanda is no stranger to a villainous streak in both the movies and comics. It's important to remember Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were introduced as villains in Avengers: Age Of Ultron, following their reveal as HYDRA's secret weapon at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
For a look at where Wanda could go next, the bubbling of something sinister can be traced back to the Avengers West Coast series from the late ‘80s.
A pretty traumatic arc involved Wanda’s two sons being reabsorbed as fragments of the demonic Mephisto’s soul, her mentor Agatha Harkness erasing the boys from Wanda’s memory, and the Avenger suffering some severe PTSD.
After the truth came out, Wanda went on a rampage against the Avengers and killed Harkness for her part in the drama. There are already suggestions Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes is a cover for Agatha, teasing there’s more to the nosy neighbour.
Although Wanda eventually returned to the fold as a hero, Avengers West Coast put the pieces in place for the devastating House Of M miniseries from 2005.
It’s no secret that House Of M has been a major influence on WandaVision, with many expecting Elizabeth Olsen’s version to take a leaf out of the comics and rewrite reality as a way to get her boys back. Even if Wanda isn’t an outright villain in House Of M, she’s considered one as she tears reality to pieces.
Looking at the bigger picture of the MCU - and promises WandaVision will tie directly into Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness - it's increasingly likely that Wanda will play a part in creating the MCU multiverse.
The multiverse is all-but-confirmed with the several casting rumours surrounding Spider-Man 3. Although it looked like Captain America’s Infinity Stone screw-up would create these realities, an unhinged Wanda can bring the multiverse to our door.
Returning to WandaVision clues that Scarlet Witch is about to show her true colours, there was the ominous tease of her telling Vision, “I have everything under control.”
It was here that we got our first sense that Wanda is starting to understand reality is at her disposal.
Speaking of Vision, the latest episode delivered one of the MCU’s darkest moments when these suburban sitcoms broke back into reality and Wanda came face to face with the grey (and very much dead) Vision we left in Avengers: Infinity War.
The idea is that Wanda is puppeteering the deceased Vis as a warped way to live out her happy ending.
The latest WandaVision trailer has shown Vision stepping out of Westview with seemingly devastating results, suggesting he’s at the mercy of his wife’s magic keeping him alive.
There’s also the question about what makes Vision want to escape his happy existence. How much longer can Wanda keep up this facade if her hubby clicks that something’s wrong?
Added to this, there appears to be a scene of Wanda flying down on an unknown assailant and putting her powers to use. Zooming in a little closer, it looks like these scenes take place in the 'real' world, hinting that Wanda could launch an attack on the S.W.O.R.D. camp as a last-ditch attempt to protect her bubble.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywz0neBdJzI
There’s still the idea that Wanda’s villainous turn is a red herring, meaning Westview is the creation of Mephisto - we’re looking at either Dottie or Agnes’ MIA husband.
Then again, just like Vision seems to be an unknowing marionette to his darling wife, there’s every chance Mephisto or someone else is pulling Wanda’s strings from behind the curtain to set her up as the next Thanos.
Even though Olsen is signed on for Multiverse Of Madness, no one knows in what capacity that is. It’s easy to imagine a buddy movie where Strange and Scarlet try and stop a villain like Nightmare escaping from the Dream Dimension, however, isn’t it altogether more exciting to imagine the Sorcerer Supreme going up against Wanda for a supernatural stand-off.
The MCU has been littered with foes that don’t fit the stereotypical mould of trying to take over the world for their own nefarious reasons.
Phase Three was a showcase of more complex 'villains' such as Killmonger, Vulture and Ghost who were all driven by their own tragic backstories. There are even those that have argued Thanos was in the right.
There are whispers Hulk could become the de facto big bad of Phase Four by taking on the World War Hulk moniker, but given that franchise overseer Kevin Feige has ominously warned Scarlet Witch is the strongest Avenger, she’d be an altogether more dangerous choice to go rogue.
Even if WandaVision isn’t setting its leading lady up at the MCU’s next big bad, we’re expecting she’ll be straying into the shadows before we put down the remote on the show.
WandaVision airs every Friday exclusively on Disney+.Shop our range of Marvel merchandise here.
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