The first two episodes of WandaVision have finally released - and here are all the major MCU Easter eggs. Viewers have waited quite some time for fresh MCU content, with even Marvel Studios forced to reschedule releases as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, at last, Phase 4 has officially begun - although not quite in the way everybody was expecting. WandaVision is the first TV series produced by Marvel Studios, streaming exclusively on Disney+.
Starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as Scarlet Witch and Vision, WandaVision is unlike anything seen in the MCU to date. It's a homage to classic sitcoms such as The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bewitched and I Love Lucy, set in a strange world where nothing is as it seems. The first two episodes rejoice in that weirdness, going to great lengths to avoid dropping any major clues. Still, for all that's the case, attentive viewers will notice a number of major Easter eggs - and some of them point to a plot in which Wanda Maximoff's mind has fractured even as her powers expand.
Here are all the major MCU Easter eggs in WandaVision episodes 1 and 2 - including subtle references to some major comic book characters and arcs. The Devil is in the details in this constructed reality - perhaps literally so.
A "Bewitched" Opening
The opening of WandaVision episode 1 is a homage to Bewitched, as is the way Scarlet Witch uses her powers in the MCU TV show - with telekinesis in particular used to look after the house. It's a fun development, but odd to see Wanda operating with this degree of precision. Still, at the episode continues it becomes clear she doesn't have full control over her powers just yet, with dinner with the Harts almost going catastrophically wrong.
Vision Has An "Indestructible Head"
WandaVision episode 1 reveals Vision apparently has an "indestructible head," a slightly wince-worthy revelation given that certainly wasn't true in the MCU - where Thanos crushed Vision's head in order to tear out the Mind Stone. The reality Scarlet Witch is living in is one where everyone lives happily ever after, and consequently Vision has been reborn with that particular vulnerability removed. Vision's other powers largely correspond with the MCU, although apparently he has "night vision," which is an odd addition.
A Subtle Nod To Avengers #238
The calendar in WandaVision episode 1 shows the story is taking place on August 23. Avengers #238 is an important issue, in that it sees Vision reactivated after an earlier adventure in which he was deactivated after passing through a magical energy field. This may well be a subtle warning that everything taking place in WandaVision exists within a similar reality bubble, and that Vision should not attempt to pass out of it by any means.
Vision's Tie Bears A Distinctive Pattern
Vision's tie has an interesting pattern on it, and it seems to be a subtle reference to one he wore in Tom King's celebrated Vision run, where he attempted to start a family and fit in with human society. While the pattern is similar to the one he wore in that story, though, it's been subtly changed - and most likely deliberately so. It's reasonable to assume this pattern will turn out to have some greater significance going forward.
The Stark Toaster Is A Sinister Callback
WandaVision is like an old sitcom, complete with trailers. The first one is pretty obvious, in that it's an advertisement for a revolutionary new toaster made by Stark Industries. This may seem like a fairly harmless, amusing Easter egg, but it's important to remember Stark Industries is associated with significant trauma in Wanda's life. Sokovia was locked in civil war throughout Wanda's life, and when Wanda was just 10 years old her apartment building was struck by mortar fire. She and her brother Pietro were trapped in the rubble for two days, staring all the time at an unexploded bomb that lay just three feet from them, fearful that any movement could set it off. The mortar shell was emblazoned with the logo of Stark Industries, and it led Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver to initially view the Avengers with disdain due to their association with Stark.
The "Traditional Sokovian Greeting"
The "traditional Sokovian greeting" may seem like an amusing gag, but it's actually more than a little disturbing. It's evocative of Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Scarlet Witch attacked the Avengers by placing her hands around their heads and manipulating their minds. Notice that, in WandaVision episode 1, Wanda places her hands over Mr. Hart's eyes - perhaps signifying this time she is blinding people to the true nature of reality itself.
House of M Wine Bottle
WandaVision episode 1 sees Scarlet Witch serve up glasses of wine, and it's actually a pretty smart Easter egg. The bottle is branded "Maison du Mépris," and it has a distinctive "M" logo; comic book readers will recognize this as an allusion to House of M, a major Marvel Comics event in which Scarlet Witch's mind fractured and she rewrote reality itself. "Maison du Mépris" literally means "House of Misery," perhaps suggesting in the MCU Wanda has snapped because she has endured too much suffering. In the comics, Doctor Strange suggested Scarlet Witch's ability to manipulate reality would ultimately mean she was unable to deal with the real world at all. "Can you understand the delicate mindset of a woman, a person, who has control over reality," he asked the Avengers in Avengers #503. "It means reality controls her. Imagination becomes the enemy. Structure disappears." That could well be what is happening in Westview in WandaVision.
Scarlet Witch And Vision Are Being Monitored By Sword
WandaVision episode 1 ends with a scene confirming Westview is being carefully monitored - and it gives a glimpse of the SWORD logo. In Marvel Comics, SWORD is an organization who monitor Earth to protect the planet from extraterrestrial threats. A recent WandaVision poster confirmed they've been redesigned a little for the MCU, given a new acronym - they are now the "Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division." In other words, they are responsible for monitoring and policing superhumans. The MCU's SWORD is seemingly the next evolution of the Sokovia Accords, viewing superhumans as "Sentient Weapons," not as people, and no doubt they'd be particularly concerned about Wanda given her role in Captain America: Civil War. It's possible the names on the screen are SWORD members, because Abe Brown was a graduate of Midtown High in Spider-Man: Homecoming. He survived the snap, and graduated in Avengers: Endgame's five-year time jump. Given his connection to Peter Parker, it would make sense for SWORD to recruit him.
The Pixel Effect In The Credits Is Significant
The credits feature a cool pixel effect, and comic book readers will recognize it; it's associated with Scarlet Witch's restructuring of reality in House of M. Note the pixels swirl through a number of different forms, coming together to build the house Wanda and Vision are living at - and, ultimately, their wedding rings. This points to the idea everything Wanda is experiencing in Westview has been created by her own magic.
Separate Beds Evokes The Censorship Of I Love Lucy
Younger viewers may be somewhat bemused at the fact Vision and Wanda have separate beds at the beginning of WandaVision episode 2. This is actually a smart reference to censorship in the early days of television, when the British Board of Film Classification insisted there should be no portrayals of "men and women in bed together." The BBFC's rules caught on in the US, with the Production Code stating "the treatment of bedrooms must be governed by good taste and delicacy." The implied sex scene resulting from Wanda's moving the two beds together would never have been approved by censors, however tame it may be by modern standards.
The Animated Opening To Episode 2 Is Jam-Packed With Easter Eggs
The animated opening to WandaVision episode 2 is essentially one big Easter egg. References include:
- An intro sequence that evokes images of Galactus
- A love-heart forming in the sky, in the same kind of way the Human Torch traditionally creates a "4" logo for the Fantastic Four
- Some blink-and-you'll-miss-them Easter eggs to Tom King's Vision run around the 03:27 mark, only visible if you pause at exactly the right moment as Vision phases through the floor. In that series, Vision attempted to live a normal human life. He constructed a synthezoid dog (hence the bones), wore slippers (also seen for a fraction of a second), and was challenged by a villain called the Grim Reaper - whose helmet is seen there as well.
References To Bova & Agatha Harkness
Two particularly interesting Easter eggs are visible in an animated scene where Wanda is shopping in a local store. There's a reference to Bova Milk; in the comics, Bova was Wanda's nursemaid; she's actually a mutated cow, transformed by an insane scientist named the High Evolutionary. The most important Easter egg here, however, is a reference to "Aunty A's Kitty Litter." There's been intense speculation Agnes is actually Agatha Harkness, a powerful sorceress who has played a major role in Scarlet Witch's life in the comics. She is indeed often referred to as "Aunty Agatha" - notably by Franklin Richards, son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, who she helped bring up. What's more, Agatha is well known for her black cat, Ebony.
The Toy Helicopter Is Linked To SWORD
WandaVision episode 2 strongly suggests the real world is attempting to break into Westview's reality bubble. One key scene sees Wanda discover what looks like a futuristic toy helicopter in the hedge. The colors are reminiscent of Tony Stark's Iron Man, but the helicopter bears the logo of SWORD. It's interesting to speculate that this was a real helicopter that attempted to get into Westview - and that Scarlet Witch's magic rewrote it into a form she could just about handle in this reality. Vision appears to sense these intrusions as well, talking about "security patrols" around the town shortly after.
Jimmy Woo Calls For Wanda
Another intrusion takes place via radio, with a mysterious transmission penetrating Westview's reality bubble. "Wanda," a voice asks, "Who's doing this to you, Wanda?" This is actually Jimmy Woo's voice, calling from the outside world. Played by Randall Park in Ant-Man and the Wasp, Jimmy Woo was an FBI agent who now appears to be working for SWORD. The radio transmission is repeated just before the credits, in another glimpse of the SWORD monitoring facility.
Emma Caulfield & Bunnies
WandaVision episode 2 introduces Emma Caulfield as Dottie, who is essentially the local tyrant. The episode celebrates the casting by featuring bunny rabbits in a prominent role, a detail that will delight any fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There, Caulfield played Anya, a former Vengeance Demon who - among other things - hated bunnies with a passion. In the famous musical episode "Once More With Feeling," Anya suggested bunnies could be responsible for plunging Sunnydale into chaos. "Bunnies aren't just cute like everyone supposes," she rocked. "They got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses..."
"The Devil Is In The Details" - A Hint At Mephisto?
WandaVision episode 2 may well offer viewers a clue SWORD are unaware of, however. One line of dialogue tosses out the line, "The Devil's in the details." In the comics, Scarlet Witch's madness was eventually revealed to have been amplified by a powerful demon that sought to cause chaos on Earth. Meanwhile, the line also evokes Mephisto, Marvel's version of the Devil and the Lord of Hell. Disturbingly, Scarlet Witch accidentally repurposed pieces of Mephisto's broken soul when she rewrote reality to give herself children in the comics - which makes this Easter egg pretty dark, given episode 2 ends with Wanda pregnant. Mephisto has also been teased for Loki, so this could be a hint at that as well.
The Strucker Watch
WandaVision episode 2 features another advert, this time for a Strucker watch. Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker was the Hydra leader who experimented on Scarlet Witch and her brother Quicksilver with the Mind Stone, giving them their powers; the watch even has Hydra's logo emblazoned on it. This process was likely a painful one, because apparently Wanda and Pietro were the only ones to survive it. Thus, again, this trailer points to the one of the greatest times of suffering in Wanda's life. It's possible the advertisement in WandaVision season 3 will point to the next tragedy - her brother's death in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The Strucker watch is stuck at the time 2:42, which is significant. In Avengers #242, Vision's body was repaired after being deactivated - part of the same arc alluded to in the previous episode, with its reference to Avengers #238. The issue is also important because it features both Monica Rambeau and Scarlet Witch, with the latter rejoining the Avengers.
The Beekeeper Outfit
A surreal scene towards the end of WandaVision episode 2 sees a beekeeper emerge from the sewers. It's another incursion into Wanda's reality, and again it's likely he is being perceived through a filter in order to make him fit in as much as possible; he's probably wearing a Hazmat suit instead of a beekeeper outfit. Interestingly, in the comics that kind of look is traditionally associated with an organization called AIM, a group of super-scientists eager to take over the world and establish a technocracy. AIM appeared in Iron Man 3, but there have been hints they're still active; they've been referenced in trailers for Black Widow, with AIM scientists apparently experimenting upon Black Widow Yelena Belova.
The Reality Warp
WandaVision episode 2 ends with reality warping around Scarlet Witch and Vision, turning to full glorious technicolor. Notice the reality warp is preceded by the color red, however, which is the color usually associated with Wanda's own magic in the comics. It's another hint Scarlet Witch is herself the cause of the chaos taking place in Westview.