WandaVision Director Addresses 'Surprise' Cameo Teased By Paul Bettany

WandaVision director Matt Shakman seemingly avoided the question about Paul Bettany’s “big cameo” tease for the show.

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Posted:
Paul Bettany as Vision, White Vision, WandaVision

WandaVision is now set to end its impressive run on Disney+, but it's no secret that the show has a lot of unanswered questions on the horizon. Serving as a showcase for the life and trauma of Wanda Maximoff, the hit MCU series has delivered intriguing reveals in mind-blowing fashion, and this was further amplified by the intricate details hidden throughout the sitcom world of Westview. 

The Easter egg hunting for viewers ultimately served as an integral part of the experience when it comes to watching WandaVision. As a result, theories to what is going on and who's who has been the central topic of discussion among fans, and this includes the likes of finding out the real villain of the show and what exactly are the true intentions of S.W.O.R.D. 

As the show races to its finish line, the well-kept secrets of the project have been unraveled, and one of those is the introduction of a newly-formed White Vision. Created by S.W.O.R.D., this latest version of the Android is expected to challenge Wanda and Vision inside the Westview anomaly, but the character's inclusion also raised the question of whether or not this is actually the cameo that Paul Bettany has been teasing in the past weeks

Now, to help fans in decoding the tease, a new interview has emerged. 

WANDAVISION DIRECTOR DISCUSSES SHOW'S BIG CAMEO

WandaVision director Matt Shakman recently spoke with Huffpost to address the show's much-talked-about cameo that was heavily teased by Paul Bettany

While not going into specifics, Shakman said that he will just let Bettany answer that question, pointing out that the actor "dug himself this hole:"

“I'm gonna let Paul Bettany answer that question. He dug himself this hole. He can get out of it."

When the interviewer continued asking Shakman if the MCU veteran was just joking and White Vision is the cameo, the director insisted that he doesn't know and again advised to let Bettany answer the question. 

Meanwhile, Shakman admitted that he is "blown away by the fan response” towards WandaVision while also being thankful that there is "this passionate, inspired audience out there:"

“I am blown away by the fan response. We never could have expected this kind of response. We didn't as we were making it, and the idea that there is this passionate, inspired audience out there that will go out and create these wonderful memes and TikTok videos, it's really inspiring to all of us. We pass them around among the cast and the writers, so know your work is being appreciated.”

THE SECRECY SURROUNDING WANDAVISION 

Marvel Studios is known for its secrecy, and the cast and crew are well aware of this. Shakman's answer presents two possibilities. For starters, the director could be directly avoiding answering the question to preserve spoilers, or it could only be his way of shifting the attention towards Bettany to seemingly suggest that the actor's tease was nothing concrete. 

The speculation surrounding Bettany's surprise guest star spread like wildfire in the past weeks, with some even theorizing that it could be another character from Fox's X-Men universe such as Michael Fassbender's Magneto and/or James McCavoy's Professor X. While fans were expecting that this huge cameo was Evan Peters' Quicksilver, Bettany claimed that it wasn't, and this effectively added more fuel to fan theories online. 

Given the White Vision reveal, many pointed out that the surprise cameo was indeed Bettany himself, but this has yet to be confirmed (as expected). While Shakman's "dug himself this hole" comment could serve as an indirect confirmation that there will be no more surprises in store for WandaVision, there's always a chance that this is just a misdirection, and an unexpected last-minute addition will be in the cards for the show. 

The same was true for The Mandalorian Season 2 finale. Back then, it was considered a long shot for Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker to be included in the show, but showrunners Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni defied expectations by adding the character in a mind-blowing sequence. 

Given that the MCU plays host to a lot of interesting characters, the possibilities are endless for WandaVision. 

Whether there is in fact a cameo or not, WandaVision has the potential to change the landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in many ways.

- In This Article: WandaVision
Release Date
January 15, 2021
Platform
- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.