What I’m about to say will alienate some of you from reading the rest of this article, while the rest of you will say, “Yes! Me too!”
For the past two months, my life has revolved around Friday.
Why? Because that’s the day Disney+ would drop its weekly episodes of “WandaVision,” the newest Marvel content we’ve had since “Spider-Man: Far From Home” was released in 2019.
The sitcom-esque show follows Wanda Maximoff, otherwise known as the Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” For those of you who haven’t seen it (first of all, why not?), spoilers lie ahead.
I won’t go in-depth on the plot of the show, because let’s be honest, that’s not why you’re here. If you want to know what happens, just watch it.
The show details Wanda and Vision carrying out idealized lives as if living in sitcoms. The episodes progress through different decades beginning in the 1950s until the 2000s, with silly plotlines within Wanda’s created world called the ‘Hex.’
Of course, the Hex isn’t real. It’s Wanda’s response to the grief and pain of losing her loved ones, particularly Vision. It’s her coping mechanism. Although it’s causing some issues outside her bubble, she doesn’t want to let it go.
So, why do I care to write about this? Why spend an entire article on this? Because WandaVision came into our lives near the peak of the pandemic, and it’s provided a much-needed escape for everyone — Marvel fans and newbies alike.
Every Friday, I watch WandaVision. It’s something that I look forward to. It elicits nostalgia to the days when I’d go to the movie theaters on the weekends to watch the latest Marvel film, staying long after it concluded to watch the post-credits scenes.
It wasn’t just a pastime. It became a ritual among my social groups. We’d watch the movies back-to-back, analyzing the plot for clues while theorizing how it all fit together.
It was something that united my friend group, my family members — it was an easy conversation starter with any stranger who also happened to watch Marvel.
It was something we all took for granted, like many things, that we lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although “Black Widow” was slated to release in the spring of 2020, it never did. The coronavirus stole almost every aspect of normal life by forcing us indoors and prohibiting us from enjoying our normal activities.
Movie theaters were closed early in the pandemic, and it’s a business area that may take the longest to recover. Several production companies looked to their streaming services to release content instead.
Cue WandaVision.
Not only did the eight-episode series create a grand return for Marvel content, but it re-established a sense of normalcy. Amid social distancing and staying at home, the relationships created through Marvel have been reunited.
I’m in three different group chats all dedicated to WandaVision. I routinely FaceTime with my siblings immediately after I finish each episode. My friends and I text each other simultaneous “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” text messages as we brief each other on the latest updates.
WandaVision fans have connected online through social media to talk about the show’s episodes. Personal stories of grief have been shared online, with viewers speaking of how the show helped them confront their own experiences.
And, let’s be honest: We all cried through the series finale.
WandaVision is more than just a mini-series released during the pandemic. It was exactly what we needed, right when we needed it.
It reunited fans. It continued a storyline that was put on hold, much like all of our lives. It gave us a sense of normalcy, reminding us things will get better. It gave us hope.
You may ask, “Seriously? A TV show did all of this?”
Well, yeah. WandaVision did more than just garner views each weekend.
It became an anchor. It gave us something to look forward to. It gave us our lives back.
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So true! I loved this show.