Going back to the days of WandaVision, rumors were flying of a secret Episode 10 that would hit Disney+ after the ninth installment, "The Series Finale," and it seems those ideas may not have been as far-fetched as once thought.
Director Matt Shakman quickly shut down the WandaVision Episode 10 theories, leaving fans of the MCU's witchy world waiting for almost four years until Agatha All Along for the story to continue.
Why WandaVision Cuts Its 10th Episode
During an interview on The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, WandaVision creator Jac Schaeffer confirmed the 2021 Disney+ series originally had 10 episodes.
The Marvel Studios creative (who recently returned to lead Agatha All Along) explained Episode 10 was cut for "logistical, budget, and creative reasons," leading the last two chapters to merge:
"'WandaVision' was originally 10 [episodes], then, for logistical, budget, and creative reasons, we combined two episodes."
Speaking concerning Agatha All Along, Schaeffer added how she wanted the sequel series to have "the same surface area and real estate" as its processor, meaning it always had nine episodes:
"Then moving into the show I wanted it to have the same surface area and real estate as 'WandaVision,' so yeah it was always nine."
In an interview with Kevin Smith's FatMan Beyond podcast in March 2021 after WandaVision concluded, director Matt Shakman explained a 10th episode was cut to "make the rhythm feel a bit better:"
"Well, yeah, things were constantly changing and getting rebroken. The story was changing, especially a lot of the real-world stuff and the finale. There was a lot of experimentation going on and sort of trying different things out. We also at one point had 10 episodes planned and we ended up collapsing a couple, you know just to make the rhythm feel a little bit better."
How WandaVision's Cut Episode Changed the Finale
It is unclear exactly which episode of WandaVision was originally two installments that became one. The first seven follow a serialized format, each adapting a sitcom from a different era, so, it is unlikely to be any of them.
As such, the two episodes most probable to have been sliced up in the script change are Episode 8 (the flashback episode) and Episode 9 (the series finale which wraps up the many plot threads from across the season).
Of the two options, Episode 9, "The Series Finale," seems most likely to have once been two episodes, especially after it faced criticism for its pacing.
This theory is only furthered when one considers how much content has already been revealed to have been cut from the finale, including a cameo from Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange teasing his conflict with the Scarlet Witch.
Fans have also learned that Evans Peters' Quicksilver misdirect Ralph Bohner almost got a different ending involving Randall Park's Jimmy Woo that was left on the cutting room floor (the full scene of which has been released online).
Going even beyond that, Marvel Studios cut a hectic action scene from the finale that would have seen several characters encounter a demon, hiding in the body of Agatha Harkness' rabbit Señor Scratchy.
If WandaVision's finale was once planned to be two episodes, that would explain why so many elements never saw the light of day. While many argue the series' climax suffered from pacing issues, the reality-bending sitcom is still regarded as one of the MCU's strongest Disney+ ventures, so everything worked out in a way.
WandaVision and Agatha All Along are streaming now on Disney+.
