WandaVision is set to kick-off the ambitious Phase 4 of the MCU on January 15, 2021. So far, the inaugural Disney+ series from Marvel Studios looks promising, and this was mainly due to the sitcom-heavy influences of the show.
After the events of Avengers: Endgame, not much is known about the status of Wanda Maximoff, but WandaVision suggests that the Avenger is now living a quiet life in the suburban town of Westview. Of course, this new “life” of Wanda is too good to be true in the eyes of MCU fans, and it's clear that there are alternate reality shenanigans at play.
While fans wait to find out what's really going on in the core storyline of WandaVision, the marketing is primarily focused on how the show is greatly inspired by sitcoms from several decades of television. And now, an eagle-eyed fan uncovered an impressive callback to an iconic show from the 60s.
NEWS
Twitter user Alias pointed out that the latest promo for WandaVision directly references one of the clothes changing-scenes from the 1960s sitcom Bewitched.
A witch thing. #WandaVision #Bewitched pic.twitter.com/zEG9LIVu3l
— alias (@itsjustanx) December 18, 2020
The scene above was from the 15:28 mark of Bewitched's Season 4 episode entitled “Double Double Toil And Trouble.” This scene, however, is just one of many magic-caused clothes-changing scenes throughout the eight-season run of Bewitched.
WHAT THIS MEANS
The glaring similarity between WandaVision and Bewitched isn't surprising, since it's clear that the former is parodying the latter in terms of characters, tone, and setting at least during the first few episodes. Given that, it's clear that the clothes-changing scene is just one example in the long list of references that WandaVision will use to provide a sense of nostalgia to longtime sitcom fans.
To recap, the premise of the 1960s sitcom is all about a powerful witch named Samantha marrying a normal executive named Darrin Stephens. As it is, Bewitched appears to be the most obvious choice for WandaVision to take inspiration from, due to the similarities between the two shows.
If the narrative trajectory of Wanda and Vision's married life will follow the order of the different decades of television, it seems appropriate that the Bewitched-inspired episode is in the middle. This is due to the mid-season likely tackling the couple's struggles of adjusting not just in their newfound set-up, but also to the multiverse-based consequences that will slowly unfold as the season progresses.
Interestingly, the latest trailer of WandaVision from Disney Investor Day seems to have another direct callback to Bewitched. Around the 10-second mark of the teaser, Wanda told Kathryn Hahn's Agnes that she is married to a “human,” seemingly implying that the odd setup of the couple is being noticed by their “neighbors.”
Upon digging deeper, it's worth mentioning that the underlying conflict of Bewitched is centered on Samantha and Darrin's forbidden relationship, and there are outside forces that tried (and failed) to separate the two lovers. By connecting the dots, the overarching theme of WandaVision is eerily similar to that story element, due to the current state of things in the MCU.
In canon, Vision died during Avengers: Infinity War, and him being alive in WandaVision presents an enormous problem that may be tied to the multiverse. There's a strong chance that the outside forces who might be trying to stop the alternate-reality reunion of Wanda and Vision could end up being S.W.O.R.D. or even Doctor Strange himself.
On the flip side, it's also possible that Wanda is not aware of what's really happening, and an unknown villain is pulling the strings behind-the-scenes to control the powerful Avenger to fracture reality itself.
Whatever the case, all will be revealed when WandaVision premieres on Disney+ next year.
