For all its touted meta-elements celebrating different TV decades, WandaVision wrapped up its nine-episode run in classic Marvel fashion, with Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda and Paul Bettany's Vision valiantly defending their suburban nuclear family from the nefarious forces lined up against them. It was a satisfying, quite moving finale to this imaginative series. But fans expecting a surprise big-name cameo—Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange was a favorite of the pre-finale rumor mill—were disappointed.
(Some spoilers below; major reveals for finale below the gallery. We'll give you a heads up when we get there.)
Frankly, I was skeptical of the WandaVision concept when the studio offered a brief sneak peek during D23 Expo 2019, Disney's annual fan extravaganza. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige—a fan of classic sitcoms—envisioned the series as a love letter to the golden age of television, with each episode channeling a sitcom style from a particular decade. Head writer Jac Schaeffer (Captain Marvel, Black Widow) championed the concept from the start, despite a brief backlash against the perceived silliness of the title. Schaeffer thought viewers would change their minds once they actually saw the series, and she was right: WandaVision currently boasts a 92 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It even won over my skeptical soul.
WandaVision clearly draws on elements from the House of M limited series, in which a grief-stricken Wanda warps reality to create a pocket dimension where everyone's dreams are realized. There are also elements from The Vision and the Scarlet Witch series, as well as Avengers: Disassembled and the "Vision Quest" storyline from West Coast Avengers.
Set immediately after the events of Avengers: Endgame (but before Spider-Man: Far From Home), WandaVision opens with newlyweds Wanda and Vision starting their married life in the town of Westview, New Jersey, in an homage to 1950s sitcoms. Wacky hijinks ensue as the couple tries to lead a normal life while hiding their superpowers from their neighbors—especially the nosy Agnes (Kathryn Hahn). We move quickly through a 1960s-influenced episode, and a 1970s-centric episode, as Wanda and Vision welcome twins. But they notice more and more jarring elements—a full-color drone, a voice calling out to Wanda over the radio, neighbors briefly breaking character—hinting that this seemingly idyllic suburban existence might not be what it seems.