WandaVision it’s (so far!) a whimsical detour from Marvel’s big-screen shows. In its first two episodes, now broadcast by Disney +, the series perfectly emulates sitcoms from the 50s and 60s as I love Lucy and Bewitched.
Meticulous details were used to replicate the old school charm of these classic series, from the black-and-white filter to the use of a live studio audience (for Episode 1) – as was the custom at that time – to Elizabeth’s charms Olsen and Paul Bettany physical comedy similar to Lucille Ball and Dick Van Dyke.
The half-hour episodes also contained old commercials containing Easter eggs for Marvel fans with eagle eyes. An announcement of Toastmate 2000 from Stark Industries in the first episode, for example, welcomes Tony Stark’s father, Howard Stark. The Strucker Swiss watch that appears in the second episode is a clear reference to Wolfgang von Strucker of HYDRA. And Episode 3, which will be released next Friday, features a luxury bath powder with a very familiar name.
Because they are so prominent, the “commercials” raise an important question: how much should you read about them? Or are they just there to add authenticity to the retro aesthetic presented by the series so far?
According to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, it’s a combination of both.
Old TV ads “started out as a format,” he told TVLine. “He started by wanting to have fun with that idea and that format. But it quickly relates to another level with what is happening. Something whistling with the Stark Industries logo is mysterious and intriguing if you don’t know anything about it and where it takes you. If you know the world and the universe and the background story – of Wanda in particular – you can get an idea of what it is. “
WandaVision will be released on a week-to-week basis, with the duration of episodes varying as the story begins to move away from the sitcom format. And although Olsen’s reality-challenged character is set to appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – scheduled for launch in March 2022 – Feige says WandaVision it is not crucial to enjoy that next Marvel movie.
“’Mandatory reading’ is not fun when you want to turn on the TV or go to the cinema. We try to make all of our films, and now programs, alone and working together, ”he said previously to TVLine. (With reporting by Rebecca Iannucci)
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