(Great spoilers for the Marvel series “WandaVision” at Disney + until the sixth episode)
Part of the fun of “WandaVision” is how the show used its sitcom-inspired storyline to be extremely meta. And one of the best meta-moments came in episode six, which used the premise of a Halloween episode to put Wanda, Vision and their family in a good approximation of their classic Marvel Comics costumes.
We had already seen a lot of promos from Wanda and Vision in those outfits, so we knew it was coming, but it wasn’t until now that we knew how fully the show would embrace those looks. It all started with Wanda, who spent the entire episode in his iconic red headdress, leotard and cape. For the curious, the explanation of the “WandaVision” universe was that she was dressed as a “Sokovian fortune teller” and there was even a useful flashback of her and Pietro as children to demonstrate.
Next was Vision, who wore his classic green / yellow spandex suit and gloves, complete with a diamond emblem on his chest and a slightly different emblem on his forehead (where the Stone of the Mind was placed in the MCU version). On the show, however, the costume was explained as Vision’s Halloween Luchador costume; although Vision also indicated that Wanda – or whatever is controlling Westview – magically left no other option but that fantasy.
Here is a side-by-side comparison for reference, cleverly demonstrating how things that work in comics often don’t translate into live action at all.
Read too: ‘WandaVision’: Let’s talk about the brief return of Wanda’s accent
Of course, Wanda and Vision are not the only citizens of Westview with comic book superheroes, and they also had their own live action recreations of their Marvel Comics costumes.
First was the strange new / old uncle Pietro, who offered to go trick or treating with Wanda and the children after the Vision claims he has neighborhood watch duties to fulfill. After Wanda notices that he doesn’t have a costume, Pietro runs off with Wanda’s son, Tommy, and quickly returns wearing a blue shirt with a white beam, and his hair spread out on wings on either side of his head. See how that cheesy improvised Halloween costume looks compared to the comic book original (which to be honest is also cheesy).
Not to be outdone, even Wanda’s kids join in the fun. Both costumes are the precise comics they end up wearing as part of the Young Avengers. Tommy, also known as Speed, is dressed in an outfit that is a mirror image of his uncle Speedster, while Billy, also known as Wiccan, is dressed in a red cape and a sash reminiscent of the powers he carries. (Telepathy and telekinesis, the same as your mother.)
And it wasn’t just Westview’s superheroes who got the chance to mock their characters through their costumes. When Vision finds Agnes standing on the outskirts of the city, she’s wearing it – what else? – a witch costume. Since Agnes has long been suspected / rumored to be Wanda’s witch mentor, Agatha Harkness, we have to ask ourselves if this is a harbinger here … or if “WandaVision” is just trolling fans.
Read too: ‘WandaVision’: Is this sweater from the Disney Store a great clue to what’s next for Monica Rambeau?
Even if these fantasies were just for fun, it’s still cool to see Marvel using its billion-dollar franchise to play with its own origins like this. When Wanda says to Vision “Thank you for pleasing me and wearing this ridiculous costume, dear”, it seems a not-so-subtle nod to the fact that, although superhero fantasies have always been exaggerated, the silver age of comics ( when all these characters were created), especially at Marvel, was another level.
Of course, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Widow, the Hulk and Black Panther, all were lucky with some timeless looks that still prevail today. But let’s shout out to the bizarre fantasies and, let’s be honest, with the hilarious looks of your colleagues, like Hawkeye, Falcon, Loki and, yes, Wanda and Vision – and to the costume designers who transformed them into cinema icons that we know and love.