WandaVision: The One Thing Elizabeth Olsen Thought People Wouldn't Like

Elizabeth Olsen reveals she was concerned viewers wouldn't like it when WandaVision transitioned out of its sitcom world. Marvel Studios kicked off Phase 4 with its first Disney+ series starring the star-crossed Avenger lovers. Created by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman, the show saw Wanda and Vision moving to Westview to live the ideal suburbia life, until it was all revealed to be a fantasy created by Wanda.

At nine episodes, WandaVision is the longest Marvel Studios series thus far, with both The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki only getting six episodes each. It's arguably also the most unique Disney+ show and Marvel Cinematic Universe offering in general as it fully embraced its sitcom inspiration, particularly in the first few episodes. Changing the decades each week and paying homage to classic TV comedies was a great trip down memory lane for many. But since it's part of the franchise, WandaVision eventually became more traditional Marvel Studios fare. This transition was a cause of concern for Olsen.

Speaking with Vanity Fair's Little Gold Men podcast, Olsen admitted she was very nervous leading up to the release of WandaVision simply because it opened up brand new territory for the MCU in more ways than one. One thing Olsen was particularly concerned about was viewers losing interest when the show moved to the real world and revealed the secret behind its sitcom setting. Olsen explained:

I was mortified when this show was coming out. I was having a lot of weird anxiety about it and felt pressure from the idea that Marvel hadn’t had something come out [like this] and it felt so different. And I was like, “They like the sitcom but they’re not going to like it when we get out of the sitcom.” I had strange, really strange experiences when I was working in England and it sounded like people were enjoying it and I just wasn’t believing it.

This particular moment happened in WandaVision episode 8, on the heels of Agnes revealing herself to be Agatha Harkness and the one behind the odd happenings in Westview. In the penultimate episode titled "Previously On," Agatha forced Wanda to confront each big tragedy that she faced in her life, dating back to the death of her parents in war-torn Sokovia to Vision's demise in Avengers: Infinity War. All of this was in the hopes of figuring out how Scarlet Witch was able to create the hex that engulfed Westview. Interestingly, this particular outing is arguably one of the best in the show; it also features Vision's iconic "what is grief, if not love persevering" line.

In hindsight, Olsen's presumed fears about WandaVision were actually the opposite of what many viewers experienced. There were doubts about the show when it first began given its slow pacing, as well as significantly different look and feel compared to usual MCU offerings. People had to get used to its extended storytelling — a new format for the franchise that had been focused on telling a complete narrative on the big screen. Overall, however, everything worked well as WandaVision properly set up Scarlet Witch's future as one of the Marvel universe's most powerful beings.

More: WandaVision Creates A Scarlet Witch Age Plot Hole In Civil War

Source: Vanity Fair