Skip to main content

WandaVision recently concluded its nine-episode run on Disney+. The show has set up the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe after it told its own standalone story. But some fans were left disappointed by the show for a number of reasons.

Others were able to appreciate it for what it was. Let’s take a closer look at how the fans who went in without high expectations may have ended up loving it the most. 

What happened on ‘WandaVision?’ 

Matt Shakman and Jac Schaeffer, Kevin Feige, and Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen
Matt Shakman and Jac Schaeffer, Kevin Feige, and Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen | Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

WandaVision began as a trippy fever-dream and eventually revealed itself to be a nightmare for the titular characters. The series opens up as a recreation of a 50s sitcom starring Wanda and Vision. Viewers last saw Vision perish in Avengers: Infinity War, while they last saw Wanda return from Thanos’ snap to help defeat him in Avengers: Endgame. 

Neither seems to understand why they’re there. Each episode resembles a different decade of sitcoms. Eventually, the viewer comes to find out that the show represents a new reality created by Wanda, taking an entire town hostage as she cycles through sitcom premises with Vision and her two new sons. Her brother Pietro returns, seemingly from the dead. It’s revealed that Wanda’s neighbor Agnes is actually a witch named Agatha Harkness who’s also controlling the events inside this bubble. Vision and the couple’s children aren’t real, but creations of Wanda’s. 

Agents from SWORD attempt to break into Wanda’s contained area, continually coming up short. They are able to bring Vision back to life, though he’s in a much different (and more sinister) form. Wanda defeats them and Agatha, says goodbye to Vision and her children, and moves on. 

Why did some fans have such high expectations for ‘WandaVision?’

One of the most fun aspects of the MCU is how the various properties are all interconnected. That means that theoretically, any character from the MCU can show up in any other character’s film or TV show. This creates an aura of unpredictability around each film or show. If you never know who might show up, it makes you watch out for anyone and anything to pop up. 

This also creates a problem. Sometimes, fans can create dream scenarios in their heads involving other characters that aren’t going to happen. In the case of WandaVision, fan theories proliferated online at a rapid clip. Some fans thought Dr. Strange would appear. Others thought that Wanda’s father in the comics, Magneto, would show up to usher in the X-Men to the MCU. Some also felt that Captain Marvel may have a cameo due to her connection with Monica Rambeau. 

In the end, there were no major cameos. Evan Peters played Quicksilver, but he wasn’t playing a multiverse version of the character, only a regular person brainwashed by Agatha. 

Fans with low expectations for ‘WandaVision’ ended up loving it the most

Related

‘WandaVision’: Kathryn Hahn Said Agatha Harkness Needed That Ending; She Might Actually Prefer It

MCU fans took to Reddit to discuss the show and how they felt about it. While opinions varied, one viewer had an interesting perspective on the series as a whole: 

“If I’m being honest I didn’t have high hopes for WandaVison but after watching it. I really enjoyed it start to finish.”

Anyone who went into the show looking for multiple Avengers to show up was likely disappointed. But as this fan said, having low expectations may have been just the recipe for fans looking to enjoy it. The show may not have tapped into other majorly popular characters like Dr. Strange or Captain Marvel. But it told a compelling story involving Wanda and Vision, the characters the show was named after. It also had a compelling take on how a person processes their grief. 

If you watched WandaVision with low expectations, chances are good you ended up enjoying it for what it was. 

Best in Entertainment