After a long year without any new Marvel movies, the superhero franchise has treated fans to a new experience: a television series, available exclusively on Disney+. Marvel’s “WandaVision” has been a success among both fans and critics, and both its story and success mark a new era for Marvel after “Avengers: Endgame.” 

“WandaVision” tells the story of Avengers Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) as they live life in a series of sitcoms from different decades, starting in the 1950s. After Vision’s death in “Avengers: Infinity War,” it seems as though Wanda has finally achieved her perfect life in the small town of Westview. However, life is not as pleasant for the couple as it seems. Things start to unravel in this new reality as characters in both the real world and Westview try to discover the truth behind the town and its origins.

“WandaVision” wholly encapsulates the viewer in the mystery of Westview while simultaneously creating a lighthearted theme in the form of the sitcom episodes. Each episode seamlessly switches from funny to dark moments, then right back to humor again, keeping viewers on their toes. The quick transitions between themes adds to the mystery and makes “WandaVision” stand out as its own unique category, not entirely a sitcom but markedly different from previous installations in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). 

“WandaVision” features numerous callbacks to previous Marvel films as well as the Marvel comic books. The series requires extensive background knowledge of previous movies and storylines, which makes the story exciting for hardcore fans but harder to follow for fans who follow the movies more loosely. While all the easter eggs and references are fun for fans who pay attention, “WandaVision” is largely inaccessible to people new to the Marvel movies. 

There is far less action in “WandaVision” than in any other Marvel production, a refreshing change for many viewers. The sitcom format of the show allows for characters’ identities and personalities to be explored more than if they were constantly fighting enemies or engaged in battle. While fans have predicted that the show will feel much more like a traditional Marvel production as the story moves forward, the character-focused style of “WandaVision” brings a fresh perspective to the Marvel Universe, which generally relies on action to drive the plot forward. 

As more twists and mysteries are uncovered as the season progresses, fans of “WandaVision” are eager to see what this series means both for the characters and for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. With Disney+ shows being the primary output of the Marvel franchise in 2021, it will be interesting to see how “WandaVision” and Marvel’s upcoming shows fit into the current phase of the MCU. Regardless of the future, “WandaVision” brings a fresh new look to Marvel and will undoubtedly remain a fan favorite for years to come.