On Sunday, January 10, 2021, Marvel Studios held a virtual press conference for their first Disney Plus series, WandaVision. The show, which was my most anticipated of all the upcoming Marvel shows debuting Disney Plus, stars Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) in their own tv sitcom that spans different generations.
I had the opportunity to screen the first three episodes of the series in preparation for the press conference, and be completely fair; I don’t feel confident enough to give an honest assessment of the show without seeing how it all plays out. I can say that I love how different the show feels from the rest of the MCU. It is refreshing that it is so out there. I applaud Matt Shakman, Jac Schaeffer, and Kevin Feige for not being afraid to take risks and try something that feels very much unlike anything they have done before. That being said, I don’t know if everything about the show works, but again, I need to see the whole thing before I make my final verdict.
As for the virtual press conference, a lot of great information was shared by Elizabeth Olsen (“Wanda Maximoff”), Paul Bettany (“Vision”), Teyonah Parris (“Monica Rambeau”), Kathryn Hahn (“Agnes”), Matt Shakman (Director), Jac Schaeffer (Head Writer), and Kevin Feige (Producer). Here are ten of the most interesting things that We Live Entertainment learned about WandaVision and Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- The first episode of WandaVision was shot in front of a live studio audience. Shooting it in front of a live audience was an extraordinary experience and a nerve-wracking one for Elizabeth Olsen. She had to feed off the energy of the audience, which was completely new to her. Olsen also mentioned that she modeled her character off of Mary Tyler Moore and Elizabeth Montgomery with a touch of Lucille Ball.
- Paul Bettany said his take on Vision for this show is slightly like Tony Stark but with Dick Van Dyke and Hugh Laurie mixed in.
- Teyonah Parris plays the grown-up Monica from Captain Marvel. She will appear in Captain Marvel 2.
- Matt Shakman says the show only gets crazier as it goes along. He wouldn’t share what decade the show ends in but thinks fans will love where it goes.
- When Jac Schaeffer was asked about the dialogue, she mentioned that she spent a lot of time getting it right. She had the most fun doing the 1950’s episodes because they were something she never did before.
- Kevin Feige thinks that WandaVision couldn’t work as a film, which is why it works best as a series.
- When asked about Phase 4 of the MCU, Kevin says he hopes Marvel fans are ready for the new. Falcon and the Winter Soldier was supposed to be the first show to premiere on Disney Plus, but due to the pandemic, WandaVision became the first. However, he says their premiere dates didn’t really matter and that he is beyond happy that this show got to premiere first.
- The television commercials that come on throughout the show tie back into the previous MCU films. They are purposely made not to be obvious, but hardcore fans of the Marvel films will be able to connect the dots.
- Teyonah Parris mentioned that Monica’s backstory would be developed throughout WandaVision. She thinks the mystery behind her character is a good thing.
- The television shows that WandaVision pays homage to are mainly shows that are considered family-friendly sitcoms. They knew that they couldn’t include all sitcoms, so there are references to shows like The Brady Bunch but not, Taxi.
WandaVision premieres exclusively on Disney Plus beginning January 15, 2020.
