‘WandaVision’: Elizabeth Olsen Says Marvel Series Will Have a Nod to Mary-Kate and Ashley’s ‘Full House’
For fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), tie-ins and Easter eggs are nothing new. After all, the sprawling franchise — now entering its ambitious Phase 4 plan — has woven together characters that originated in comic books and placed them into television shows and films across multiple platforms.
As the upcoming and much-anticipated MCU mini-series WandaVision will be premiering soon, eagle-eyed fans can expect to see some subtle nods to other characters and situations from the franchise. What they might not be expecting, however, is a small homage to Full House.
What is ‘WandaVision’ about?
For a heavily anticipated release, there’s surprisingly little known about WandaVision. The IMDb description for the show says, somewhat cryptically, that it “[b]lends the style of classic sitcoms with the MCU in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision-two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives-begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.”
Marvel has been careful to avoid spoilers, and the trailers for the upcoming series are thrilling without revealing any real details about what’s going to take place.
Fans have been consumed with theories about the series, and they’ve also been waiting a long time to see them come to fruition. Because of the pandemic, several of the MCU’s projects have been delayed and pushed out of order.
WandaVision was one of the projects closest to completion when shutdowns began, and it will finally be airing on Disney+ beginning January 15.
‘WandaVision’ will tie into other MCU films and shows
Kevin Feige promises that the series will deliver on multiple fronts and appease both hardcore MCU fans and those who have never seen another piece of the franchise.
“If you haven’t seen any of them and just want to step into this weird thing because you love The Dick Van Dyke Show, it’s going to work,” Feige says. “But if you’ve been tracking the 23 movies we’ve made and following along the stories into Phase 4, there’ll be a wealth of rewards waiting for you as it all unfolds.”
Just what those “wealth of rewards” are remains to be seen, but fans are convinced that WandaVision will have significant tie-ins with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the sequel to Doctor Strange (2016) that’s anticipated in spring 2022. Wanda is slated to appear in the film, so the series will likely provide a backdrop for that connection.
As for what other characters will live, die, or have an extended presence in another project, fans are left with their speculations and hopes.
A connection to ‘Full House’ is waiting in ‘WandaVision’
One thing we do know about the mysterious show is that it will have an unexpected nod to the beloved sitcom Full House. Since the series is using classic sitcoms as a way to deliver its content, this is perhaps not all that unusual.
The actors even had to watch several hours of classic sitcoms to help prepare for their roles. Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, and Modern Family were among the shows used for inspiration. The Full House reference, however, is extra sweet because of a family connection.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen famously portrayed Michelle on the classic family sitcom, and their little sister Elizabeth Olsen will have a starring role as Wanda. As Us Weekly reports, Elizabeth Olsen has confirmed that her sisters and the role that made them famous will get a little “wink” on her new series.
The episode in which the nod comes up is mostly inspired by Family Ties, but they couldn’t resist a little nudge toward Full House as well. “[W]e do wink a bit. You can’t not — it was a very big show!” Olsen explained.
