WandaVision, the first Disney+ original Marvel TV show, has been streaming for just over a month now and is taking the world by storm.  With the first two episodes released on January 15, there are only 6 episodes of WandaVision currently available for streaming, but fans and critics alike already have plenty of good things to say about the miniseries.  Produced by Kevin Feige and Jac Schaffer, WandaVision is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and focuses on Marvel Comics characters Wanda Maximoff, a woman who has magical abilities such as telekinesis and telepathy (also known as Scarlet Witch), and her husband, Vision, an android with a human-like body.  The show takes place after Avengers: Endgame and shares continuity with the films of the franchise.  Therefore, if fans want to understand what is happening in future Marvel films, they’ll have to watch WandaVision.  To give a brief synopsis of the plot: the show depicts Wanda and Vision living their ideal suburban lives in the town of Westview, NJ.  As the only super-powered beings in town, they must conceal their abilities to fit in with the townspeople; a feat that usually requires lots of comical excuses and lies. Every few episodes, Wanda and Vision are in a new decade. The show kicked off with them living in the 1950s, episode two took place in the 1960s, episode three in the 1970s, and so on. However, by the end of episode three it became evident to fans that Wanda and Vision’s ideal surban live is not exactly as it seems. It appears that Wanda and Vision are living in an altered reality that keeps everyone inside of Westview in and everyone outside of the town out and completely unaware of the town’s existence. There is no explanation yet as to why or how this altered reality exists, so fans are eager for more episodes to be released.   

Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany respectively reprise their roles as Wanda and Vision; both characters have been featured as supporting characters in previous MCU films, but do not have their own solo films. Olsen first appeared as Wanda during the mid-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014. Her first full film length introduction was in the 2015 MCU film Avengers: Age of Ultron. Bettany also made his first full length appearance as Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but his character was killed in the 2018 film Avengers: Infinity War. So how is Vision the main character of a show that takes place after his death? He’s not a ghost or a figment of Wanda’s imagination, but he’s certainly not alive either; several fan theories have been circulating the internet as to how this is possible, but the show is not yet providing any conclusive evidence or clear explanation as to how this is happening.  

Rotten Tomatoes gave WandaVision a 93% rating overall.  Top critics gave the show a 90% rating and the average audience score was an 80%.  The Rotten Tomatoes critic consensus says that, “WandaVision is a wonderfully weird and strikingly bold step into the small screen for the MCU.”  So overall, the show is receiving high levels of praise from fans and critics alike!  Personally, I agree with the fans and critics; WandaVision is a bold step into phase 4 of the MCU.  The show combines elements of suspense and humor to create a wonderfully entertaining viewing experience. Each episode provides you with just enough answers to be satisfied, but reveals so many more mysteries to keep you coming back each Friday for the new episode. I’m very excited to see how the plot continues to unfold and how WandaVision will affect future MCU films.