WandaVision introduces viewers to a fake reality created around the small town of Westview - but who constructed this place, and is Scarlet Witch trapped within it? At last, the MCU's Phase 4 has officially begun. It has done so in a brand new form, with the launch of the Disney+ TV series WandaVision. Marvel Studios has always been known for taking an experimental approach, blending superhero action with other genres, and in this case they've produced a surprising series that is a loving homage to the history of American sitcoms. The first couple of episodes are packed with Easter eggs referencing everything from The Dick Van Dyke show to I Love Lucy.
WandaVision introduces viewers to the fictional town of Westview, a small community that has become home to an unusual power couple. Scarlet Witch and Vision have attempted to settle in there and build a family together - an arc that both have attempted many times in the comics, and one that has never gone particularly well. But it's immediately clear the strangeness in Westview is not restricted to Wanda and Vision, but rather affects the entire town. The second episode shows several attempted incursions into Westview, with representatives of SWORD - the "Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division," an organization dedicated to monitoring superhumans - attempting to break in. "Who's doing this to you, Wanda," the voice of Jimmy Woo asks on a radio transmission that manages to break through the reality bubble.
So what's really going on in Westview? Is Scarlet Witch responsible for this strange artificial reality, or has she fallen thrall to another force? And is she there of her own free will - or is she actually a victim instead?
WandaVision's New World: Westview Explained
At first glance, Westview appears to be an idyllic rural community. But it's immediately clear something is terribly wrong with the whole town, for it all seems to have been shaped in accordance with Wanda's deepest wish - her dream of a Happily Ever After with Vision, the synthezoid she loved who was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. Every other person fulfils a slightly cliched role, of the kind you'd expect in a classic American sitcom. But every now and again, there are cracks in the illusion, and people's true natures begin to emerge. In one scene in WandaVision episode 1, Vision's boss Mr. Hart explosively demands to know who this new married couple are. "Honestly, why did you come here," he asks, "Why? Why? Dammit, why? Why did you--" It's just what you'd expect a victim to ask when they were faced with the person they deemed response. In WandaVision episode 2, there's a scene in which Dottie attempts to confront Wanda. "I assure you, I don't mean anyone any harm," Wanda insists. "I don't believe you," Dottie responds.
This fake reality appears to be protecting itself. In WandaVision episode 2, Scarlet Witch and Vision are disturbed in the night, sensing something is wrong. The next day, Wanda discovers a toy SWORD helicopter that was presumably once a real 'chopper, one attempting to scout Westview. That episode introduces viewers to a character called Charlotte, played by Teyonah Parris. This is actually SWORD agent Monica Rambeau, who was probably on the 'chopper but has now been absorbed into Westview's reality. Meanwhile, when Mr. Hart expresses his fury and outrage to Wanda, he gets food stuck in his throat and chokes - and, once he has been saved by Vision, he immediately realizes it's time to go and assures Vision he's about to get a promotion. It is as though Mr. Hart has just bowed to the power that now rules his life.
Every Hint To Who Made WandaVision's World (Was It Scarlet Witch?)
Disturbingly, the first two episodes of WandaVision subtly suggest Scarlet Witch is herself the one responsible for creating this fake reality around Westview. It's true Wanda's powers haven't traditionally involved reality manipulation in the MCU, but that is actually her precise powerset in the comics. In one famous comic book story, House of M, Scarlet Witch created a fake reality where her every dream of happiness was granted. WandaVision contains several nods to House of M, including in the credits, which featured a pixelated effect lifted straight from that arc. The most interesting of these House of M references is in a bottle of wine served at dinner with the Harts, a bottle labeled "Maison du Mépris." This translates to "House of Misery," and it suggests Wanda has broken under the weight of sorrow and tragedy.
Certainly Scarlet Witch appears to be the one in control of this reality. This is subtly suggested in WandaVision episode 2, where Wanda and Vision call themselves "glamour" and "illusion." The word "glamour" comes from the Scottish word gramarye, and it refers to a spell a witch places upon herself to make herself appear beautiful or enthralling. In this case, of course, Wanda has instead used her powers to try to create a world where she can fit in, where she can seem to be normal. Vision, however, is an "illusion" - there is nothing of substance or reality to him at all, he is simply something conjured up by her.
Wanda's interactions with the townspeople of Westview support this. Mr. Hart begins to choke when he is confronting Wanda, and his wife seems to be restrained, just yelling, "Stop it!" Vision only intervenes when Wanda tells him to do so. Later, when another SWORD agent breaks through the reality bubble via the sewers, Wanda interprets him as a beekeeper - probably meaning he was wearing a Hazmat suit - and then reverses time to erase him from her story. It is impossible to say what has happened to the poor SWORD agent; has he been ejected out of Westview, or has he been erased?
This does not, however, mean Scarlet Witch is in perfect control of her environment. WandaVision episodes 1 and 2 contain references to two comic book characters who could conceivably be involved in this. The first is Mephisto, Marvel's version of the Devil, who is name-dropped with the comment "The Devil's in the details." In the comics, Scarlet Witch's madness during House of M was indeed driven by demonic involvement, and Mephisto has been teased to appear in Loki, so he certainly can't be ruled out. Another possibility is Kathryn Hahn's Agnes, the nosy neighbor who many have theorized is Agatha Harkness, a witch who served as a mentor to Wanda in the comics but whose morality has always been questionable. The animated introduction to WandaVision episode 2 included an Easter egg to "Aunty A's Kitty Litter," and that's a clear nod to Agatha - she was referred to as "Aunty Agatha" by Franklin Richards, son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, and she's known for having a black cat with her at all times.
Is Scarlet Witch Trapped In WandaVision's World?
All this raises the intriguing question whether or not Scarlet Witch is herself trapped in the Westview reality, like a spider caught in a web - whether it is a web formed by someone else, or by the breakdown of her own mind. At this stage, it's difficult to say; certainly Wanda is quietly aware something is wrong, and is fighting against that rejection, likely because this reality is constructed around her deepest desire of married bliss with Vision. In the comics, most reality manipulators struggle to deal with the real world, because they are used to the laws of nature bending to their will. "Can you understand the delicate mindset of a woman, a person, who has control over reality," Doctor Strange asked Captain America and his allies in Avengers #503, discussing Scarlet Witch. "It means reality controls her. Imagination becomes the enemy. Structure disappears."
But the real world cannot be kept out forever. WandaVision trailers have shown Westview is covered by a sort of "reality bubble," and SWORD has surrounded the town, attempting to get in. So far, the magic that has captured Westview has rejected them, but they aren't going to stop. That means, ultimately, Scarlet Witch's fake reality is going to be confronted with the world she is attempting to deny. Her "Happily Ever After" will be ruined by the real world, one in which Vision is dead, and it remains to be seen what will happen to Westview when that happens. WandaVision is, sadly, destined to end not in triumph - but in tragedy.