Warning — This article contains some spoilers for WandaVision.
WandaVision is digging even deeper into the world of classic sitcoms than many initially expected. And this genre-bending stuff isn’t just for aesthetics, it’s going to tie in with the overall theme and arc of the story in multiple ways.
One of these ways is going to be commercials within the episodes , and now some more light has been shed on this aspect of the show.
NEWS
During an interview with Collider , head of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige was asked about the significance of the content in the commercials, and whether they point to anything bigger in the story down the line. Feige responded by explaining what the goal of the commercials was, and spoke about one reference to Tony Stark that will likely appeal to longtime fans of the MCU:
“Well, I think it's intriguing, in my opinion, and I hope everybody has varying opinions and theories, but it is a nice combination of both. It fits into the genre and the tone of the period of television that we're playing with. In a way, it also has some textual meanings, some of which are clearer than others. A device with the Stark Industries logo and a beeping red button may mean more to people who know Wanda's past from the MCU among other things. But yes, they all, I hope, are a joyful combo of both those things.”
WHAT THIS MEANS
One of the MCU’s signature trademarks is its frequent inclusion of Easter eggs designed to do everything from nod to things only longtime comic book readers will notice to plant seeds for future storylines in the franchise. So, it only makes sense that the commercials would be used as an opportunity to get some of these references into WandaVision .
Now that the MCU has grown so vast, the studio is continuing to throw in more past movie references to “reward” longtime viewers. Marvel needs to make sure their new projects appeal to fans both old and new, and this kind of wink to the past is a way for them to cater to the former crowd without confusing or alienating the latter.
The Stark Industries device with the beeping red button being present in one of the commercials may provide some insight into Wanda’s feelings on her past, as well as hint at the overall theme and purpose of these ads in the series. Wanda Maximoff showed disdain for Tony Stark right from her movie debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron , and this resentment only grew in Captain America: Civil War when Stark tried to confine her to Avengers Tower due to the public’s fear of her after an accidental incident on a mission.
While Wanda did attend Stark’s funeral in Avengers: Endgame (and kneeled out of respect with the other heroes after his death in a deleted scene from the film), it’s not surprising that her feelings towards him and Stark Industries as a whole would be complicated at best. It’s possible that the device represents her unease about Stark and/or his company, and this could point to the commercials as a whole containing nods to traumatic moments from her past , and possibly her fears about the future.
We’ll find out more about what the commercials in WandaVision mean when the series launches on Disney+ on January 15, 2021.
