'WandaVision' marks MCU's first real step into the horror genre and it promises to be Marvel's strangest project ever
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done its fair share of experimentation with genres. The movies have told sci-fi, fantasy, and spy thriller stories, all while staying within a family-friendly framework that has allowed the MCU to create a solid fanbase. Now that the franchise is pretty much established, the MCU will be bringing out their scary side in Phase 4 with 'WandaVision'.
'WandaVision' hasn’t even dropped a trailer yet and it's already the most interesting show that was announced during the Marvel Studios SDCC 2019 panel.
We know that it will take place after 'Avengers: Endgame' but at the same time we've also been led to believe that the show will be set in the '50s. The timeline is not even the most confusing thing about the show, which Kevin Feige has described as "strange".
The last time we saw Vision, he had just been murdered by Thanos so the Mad Titan could take the Soul Stone from his forehead. When asked how he managed to return to the world of the living, actor Paul Bettany responded saying, "I have no idea. We're so excited to bring it to y'all so I hope you love it because it's gonna be surprising and weird."
The series will also feature a grown-up version of Maria Rambeau's daughter Monica (who was a child during the events of 'Captain Marvel') with Teyonah Parris playing the part. 'WandaVision' is expected to lead into the second Doctor Strange movie, 'Doctor Strange in the Madness of the Multiverse', which will also feature Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch.
"We're gonna make the first scary MCU film," Feige said about the upcoming movie. "It's gonna be PG-13 and you're gonna like it."
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Doctor Strange in the MCU, further teased the movie's horror vibe saying, "I'm really excited to be at the dawn of this project and I think it's vital to maintain the humor we had in the first one but with this twist of horror that will really have people gripped."
It's really surprising when you think about it that the MCU hasn't had any horror stories yet, considering the great wealth of content the comics have created over the years in the genre. Long before the MCU even existed, Wesley Snipes fought vampires as the hero Blade in his own trilogy of popular movies. Around the same time, Nicholas Cage starred in the 'Ghost Rider' movies, which were admittedly not that great with fans or the box office although a new version of the character did do very well on 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'.
With a new 'Blade' movie in the works starring Mahershala Ali, it would seem that the MCU is finally bringing in more horror elements and 'WandaVision' is shaping up to be the franchise's first major step in that direction.
Could Wanda be the villain of this show? Could the Vision's return have far-reaching consequences for the entire MCU? How does Monica Rambeau figure into this equation? There’s no end to the questions the show raises but fans will just have to wait till 'WandaVision' releases to get the answers.
'WandaVision' will air exclusively on Disney+ in the Spring of 2021.