The release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 6, 2022, helped some fans get the closure they needed from WandaVision's ending by addressing some of its unanswered questions, making the series retroactively even more satisfying. From the moment that it started streaming on Disney+, WandaVision demonstrated that it was unlike almost anything else in the MCU. Focusing on the character of Wanda as she contended with the depths of her grief over losing Vision, the series as a whole became something of a meditation on loss and trauma.
However, despite its complexity, there have been a number of creative memes on the internet that, through the peculiar alchemy associated with this particular form, have managed to perfectly distill the entire show’s essence into a single image.
Updated on October 30th, 2022 by Meagan Bojarski: Kevin Feige recently hinted that Wanda's ending in Multiverse of Madness was less than final, which confirmed fans' theories that she survived the destruction of the temple. The possibility of her returning in future projects has led many fans to rewatch WandaVision, looking for more clues to the character's future in the MCU. With each rewatch, new memes arise that capture more of the unique magic that came from the sitcom-parodying sci-fi grief journey that was WandaVision.
The Theories
When WandaVision first aired, there was an explosion of theories about each detail in the show. Which townspeople were secretly evil? When would Mephisto show up? How did Evan Peters's Quicksilver fit into things? Fans took each detail and pulled them together, thinking they had figured out where the show was going.
Sadly, many of those theories ended up being completely rejected by the end of the show. Some even felt like a distinct snub to the fans, because the idea that Evan Peters's casting was just a dirty joke was ridiculous. However, just because a reference didn't come true within the show doesn't mean it won't matter later on in the MCU.
Wanda And Vision's Relationship
As the title suggested, the core element of WandaVision was the relationship between Wanda and Vision. He recognized her grief when nobody else did, and she saw the man behind the machine. Vision had seen the worst of the world and decided to respond with kindness, especially with her.
While their relationship is incredibly sweet and thus gut-wrenching given the depth of Wanda's loss, it's also kind of silly. He's a robot and she's a witch. This meme captures that silliness, with Wanda ignoring a sign telling people not to "bang the machines." As unique as their sex life surely must be, the show does confirm that they have one, making it hilarious to think about Wanda explicitly ignoring the prohibition.
Be Kind, Rewind
Throughout WandaVision, it gradually becomes clear that Wanda is indeed one of the most powerful entities in the MCU. With her ability to control all of her own reality, she repeatedly shows that she is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her reality insulated from the outside world, even if that means “rewinding” it so that she can control events.
As this meme makes clear, doing so has some darker implications, since Wanda is undoing people's free will. In addition, she is forcing Vision to fall in line and stop asking questions. Thus, though the series is often light in tone – like the meme – this conceals a far more sinister interior.
Monica's Persistence
Monica Rambeau was an excellent addition to WandaVision, as her grief for her mother mirrored Wanda's. In one moment, she had her mother, and in the next, she had lost her along with five years of her life. Because of their similarities, Monica was determined to help Wanda. This WandaVision meme does a great job showing that persistence.
Using a format from The Simpsons, this meme shows Wanda ejecting 'Geraldine' just for Monica to sneak her way back into the Hex. Monica risked her own health and stability re-entering the Hex, but she believed that it was important for her to protect the people of Westview and help Wanda through her grief, whatever the personal cost.
Side Character Appreciation
There have been many great characters in the MCU, and several make a notable appearance in WandaVision. Indeed, part of the narrative complexity of this series, and part of what makes it one of the best TV entries in the MCU, is its ability to focus on Wanda on the one hand and the various characters who are trying to help her on the other.
Darcy was a great character in the Thor movies, but Jane honestly didn't treat her as well as she deserved. Jimmy Woo, on the other hand, seems to click with her immediately. They both seem to value what the other had to offer, which made this minor character team-up so exciting. As the meme shows, the side characters from earlier films finally seem to get their due and find partners that support them.
Ouch
Wanda has endured many trials as a character, but arguably one of the most difficult was having to see her 'brother' brought back, though looking very different than the last time she saw him. There is, as this meme suggests, something painful about the idea of this beloved character being forced to relive yet another loss, this one a bereavement that nearly destroyed her sanity.
Indeed, it’s precisely the series’ engagement with the never-ending nature of grief that makes it one of the best television series of the 2020s.
Agatha All Along
When WandaVision first began, fans assumed that Wanda was a captive of the Hex. Then, they realized she was responsible for it. But episode 7 revealed that Agatha was actually responsible for much of what was happening. While fans had predicted that Agnes would be Agatha Harkness, the specific details of who had done what were uncertain until that moment.
This meme does a great job showcasing Wanda's own confusion from the reveal. She thought she had done it, even though she didn't know how. Learning that 'Agnes' had been manipulating her the whole time changed everything Wanda knew about herself and the Hex, and it may well have led to her descent into villainy.
Stealing The Show
Even though Wanda is the main character of this series, Kathryn Hahn, who plays the witch Agatha Harkness, threatens to steal the show. In fact, she quickly became regarded as one of Hahn’s best roles. As this meme makes clear, one of the major storylines in the series – arguably the most important one – is Agnes’ pursuit of Wanda and her attempt to subvert her for her own ends.
As this meme’s juxtaposition of them makes clear, the extraordinary relationship between Wanda and Agnes is one of the most fascinating in the series, as they have far more in common than either realizes.
Mastering The Sympathetic Villain Role
The brilliance of Wandavision is that it allows the viewer to feel both sympathy for and revulsion toward Wanda, particularly once it becomes clear that she had to seize control of the minds of an entire town in order to create her own personal utopia.
Audiences want to see Wanda happy with her husband and children, so ending the Hex was an undoubtedly tragic moment. However, it also marked the release of hundreds of people from the mental torture of being puppets in Wanda's dream world, so it's hard to be sad about it. The meme works for both WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as viewers struggle to know how to feel about Wanda.
The Climactic Battles
Marvel is famous for pitting heroes against villains with similar powers, and that was true in Wandavision as well, when Wanda faced off against Agatha and Vision took on White Vision. However, the two battles were very different from one another, as this meme shows.
Wanda may have outsmarted Agatha, but it was still a very physical battle, represented in the meme by Kim and Kourtney Kardashian fighting each other. Vision, on the other hand, beat his doppelgänger by suggesting they contemplate the Ship of Theseus, which was discussed by ancient philosopher Plutarch. Having such different battles created a lot of nuances in the show, making fans wonder if any future conflicts could be handled intellectually as well.
It’s Complicated
There are many reasons why the MCU has established itself as one of the most successful franchises in Hollywood, but one of those is its sheer narrative complexity. As with so many of the other entries in the saga, WandaVision looks simple on the surface but is actually quite nuanced, both in its themes and in its narrative.
This is precisely what makes this meme such a perfect distillation, as it nicely captures the difficulty of trying to explain to others just what is happening in the series and how it connects to other entries in this shared universe.
More Than The Marvel Standard
One of the things that sets WandaVision apart from other entries in the MCU is how skillfully it blends grief into an otherwise fun show. This Seinfeld meme quotes Wanda's description of Vision to explain how a Marvel show could be so devastating, despite the humor and action sequences Marvel fans are accustomed to.
On the surface, WandaVision isn't much different from any other Marvel project, with its blend of military interference, extraordinary abilities, and a final battle against an opponent with similar powers as the hero. However, the way Wanda manages her pain and love is what makes it stand out as one of the most sincere and painful Marvel projects yet.
It's All About Love And Loss
There are many important relationships in the MCU, but one of the most vital is that between Wanda and the children she has with Vision. Yet, by the end of the series, they were effectively dead. Over the course of the show, Wanda had to cope with their loss and Vision's, as well as the older trauma of losing her parents and her brother.
When there are losses that are difficult to accept, dark humor can be a way to process them. This meme is one such example, using the "The Girl You Like" meme format to show how utterly alone Wanda was. She may have had a glow-up when it came to her costume and powers, but she ended the show desperately alone, a factor that impacted all her future decisions.