The first two episodes of WandaVision left us with a lot of questions, and it's clear Marvel Studios wasn't exaggerating when they promised the Disney+ series would be unlike any we've seen before.
Now, in a new interview, star Paul Bettany has reflected on how the show was pitched to him, revealing the specific comic book storylines he was told would serve as a basis for WandaVision. However, the actor first recalled thinking he was about to be given the boot from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"I went in and [Marvel Studios Co-President] Louis D'Esposito and Kevin Feige were there and I didn't want anybody to feel uncomfortable so I lead with, 'Look, I totally get it. It's been great. I've had a great run, guys,'" he explains. "They were like, 'Wait, are you quitting?' And I went, 'No, aren't you firing me?' They said, 'No, we're going to pitch you a TV show.' So I went, 'Okay, I'm in!'"
"Then we talked about two comic book stories that I really love: House of M and The Visions [sic], which is a story about Vision trying to build a family in suburbia, and it was sort of a mash-up between them, and also with a sort of loving look at American sitcoms throughout the American century," Bettany continued, dropping a potentially noteworthy reveal. "I was like, 'I'm in!'"
In The Vision, the android builds a family and tries to live a normal suburban life, and that's clearly inspired the idyllic setting he and the Scarlet Witch find themselves calling home in WandaVision.
As for House of M, that story saw Wanda Maximoff create a new reality around herself after having a mental breakdown. Could the death of Vision in Avengers: Infinity War have caused something similar to happen? It would make sense that Wanda's pulling the strings in Westview, but we'll see how the story unfolds.
Click on the "Next" button below to check out 10
signs in WandaVision that all is not quite as it seems!
10. The Stark Industries Toaster
The first WandaVision commercial break reveals that Stark Industries is...in the business of making toasters? It's a weird one, and even stranger is how the light on the front of this device is flashing red in an episode which otherwise takes place entirely in black and white.
There's something strange about that light, and even the reaction of the man and woman in the commercial seems off (like they're trying their best to ignore it).
Could it be that this was mean to be sending a signal of some sort? That's one possibility, though the mention of Stark Industries is definitely intriguing; remember, Wanda and Pietro's home in Sokovia was bombed by Stark Industries weapons, while Vision's links to Tony Stark - he was once J.A.R.V.I.S., and Iron Man even helped create him - are equally noteworthy.
9. Mr. Hart Chokes
During Wanda and Vision's dinner party, Mr. Hart gets a little too forceful in questioning Wanda and Vision, and as the show's score goes from light and breezy to surprisingly ominous, something weird happens.
He starts choking, while his wife hysterically goes from chastising her husband to saying "stop it" it in an almost frantic manner at Wanda. She tells Vision to save Mr. Hart, and what does he pull from his boss's throat? The chocolate covered strawberry Wanda made for their date night.
That's definitely more than a little sinister, right?
8. Wanda And Vision Don't Remember Their Past Lives
Something that becomes clear quite quickly in this episode is that neither Wanda nor Vision remember their past lives. There's no mention of how the android is back among the living, while it doesn't even seem like the two heroes remember how they ended up in Westview in the first place.
Amnesia appears to be a recurring theme in the first two episodes of WandaVision, with hints that the town's residents remember something about who they really are, but can't quite manage to recall it.
There are definitely signs that Wanda might know what's going on (we'll get to that), and while that's not a guarantee she's the one pulling the strings here, she could be the one who has created this "happy" life.
7. S.W.O.R.D. Is Watching
The first episode of WandaVision ends with a huge tease as we see that a S.W.O.R.D. agent has been watching this sitcom right along with us. They're taking notes, and seeing Wanda and Vision's story play out on a monitor. Are they the ones doing this to the two Avengers? We don't think so.
Instead, it seems far more likely that they were the ones to send Wanda - and possibly a resurrected Vision - in to see what was going on in Westview, and she's just caught up in the whole thing.
Another possibility is that Vision is, in fact, being manipulated by Ultron, and he's the one creating this illusion. It's really hard to say, but the presence of S.W.O.R.D. factors even more heavily into episode two...
6. The Red Helicopter
Near the start of WandaVision's second episode, Wanda heads outside and finds a red helicopter in the bushes. Again, this is noteworthy because it's the only colour in the black and white scene.
The toy helicopter has the S.W.O.R.D. logo on the side, a possible sign that Wanda is at least trying to remember what she's doing in Westview...unless they sent it in there! After all, it may very well have been a drone which, upon hitting the "1960s," was transformed into a toy from that era.
Either way, this is definitely one of the show's most intriguing moments (well, so far, anyway).
5. "The Devil's In The Details"
When Wanda meets with the women organising the talent show, she encounters Geraldine (Teyonah Parris) and has a very interesting exchange with nosy neighbour, Agnes.
After Dottie says that "the devil's in the details" when it comes to putting the event together, Agnes turns to Wanda and says, "that's not the only place he is." That's kind of an odd comment to come out with, eh? If you're at all familiar with the Scarlet Witch's comic book story, then you'll know all about the history she has with Mephisto. This could very well be a nod to that.
Someone like Mephisto using Wanda to get his hands on her children makes sense, and he's certainly powerful enough to have created a reality like this one to manipulate the hero.
4. "For The Children"
What's made us jump to conclusions about Mephisto?
Well, there's something just a little off about the way people keep saying that what they're doing is "for the children." It quickly starts feeling like a creepy chant, so what if everyone in Westview is going through the motions of these sitcoms...for the children? The way the entire town joins in with that chanting during the talent show is also weird, and we get serious Hot Fuzz vibes.
By the end of the episode, Wanda is pregnant, so the plan worked (if it was one), and Mephisto might just be one step closer to getting his hands on the kids we know one day become Speed and Wiccan.
3. "Who's Doing This To You Wanda?"
Helping Dottie clean up after the aforementioned meeting, her and Wanda's conversation takes a dark turn when the woman starts questioning the Avenger. While the Scarlet Witch - who has been snapped out of her sitcom "trance" - calmly assures her friend that she means her now harm, Dottie makes it clear she doesn't believe her and soon starts questioning who she is.
With that, the radio stops playing music, and a voice starts emanating from it instead.
It sounds a lot like Agent Woo from Ant-Man and The Wasp, and he can be heard asking, "Wanda? Who's doing this to you Wanda?" That likely means S.W.O.R.D. isn't pulling the strings, and seemingly confirms that they're under the impression that these sitcoms are being inflicted on her.
2. Hail HYDRA
We've had a nod to Stark Industries in those commercials, so it only makes sense that HYDRA also gets a mention. In a commercial for Strucker watches, the villainous organisation's familiar logo can be seen on one of the time pieces. So, what's going on here?
Remember, it was HYDRA who unlocked the abilities within the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver with the Mind Stone. That links Wanda to them in a big way, but they can't be involved here too, surely?
This feels like a blatant red herring, and HYDRA looking to get their hands on Wanda again - and her children - would be somewhat underwhelming given the many other possibilities. Then again, Westview being made up of HYDRA operatives might be more logical an answer than the devil!
1. The Beekeeper/Time Rewind
This was the show's nuttiest moment in those first two episodes, and one we're definitely struggling to explain. As Vision and a now pregnant Wanda head outside the house, a man in a beekeeper suit emerges from the sewers. He's surrounded by bees, and the S.W.O.R.D. logo can be seen on his back.
Has he somehow breached the defences of Westview? If so, why would bees be protecting the town?
It's really freaking weird, but just as strange is Wanda's declaration of "no!" before time is literally rewound, and her conversation with Vision plays out without that interruption. After seeing that, we can't help but again wonder if it's Wanda who is in control - to some extent - of what's happening in this town.