After being delayed a year by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe finally kicks off this month with WandaVision on Disney+. The series finds Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) living as a married couple in an idyllic suburban neighborhood, all while trying to keep their powers a secret. However, as their world continuously morphs to emulate classic sitcoms from different periods in TV history, Wanda and Vision soon come to realize things are not at all what they appear to be.
With 23 MCU movies having released so far, there's a lot of ground to cover in the franchise leading up to WandaVision. Here's a rundown of the films you ought to watch before checking out WandaVision.
Thor
2011's Thor not only introduced Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder, it also marked the first appearance of WandaVision supporting character Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings). A political science major who interned for the astrophysicist Jane Foster, Darcy later appeared in 2013's Thor: The Dark World, but she hasn't been seen in the MCU since then. She will finally return in WandaVision, where Darcy and Jimmy Woo (more on him later) team up to investigate a mystery. However, you only really need to watch the first Thor movie to understand who Darcy is and her connection to the Avengers prior to WandaVision.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Wanda and her brother Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) made a brief appearance in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier's post-credits scene before becoming key characters in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron. In addition to introducing the Sokovian siblings and their super-powers, Age of Ultron revealed how Wanda came to be a member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes after temporarily joining forces with the renegade A.I. robot Ultron. It also showed how Tony Stark brought Vision to life using his old A.I. pal J.A.R.V.I.S. and the Mind Stone, along with Vision and Wanda's very first (and very brief) encounter with one another in the MCU.
Captain America: Civil War
Most of 2016's Captain America: Civil War focused on the schism that formed within the Avengers after the U.N. decided to pass the Sokovia Accords. However, there's also a key subplot involving Wanda, whose actions in the film's opening are partly to blame for the drafting of said accords in the first place. The movie also devoted some time to exploring Wanda and Vision's budding relationship, which is quickly pushed to the back-burner after the pair find themselves on opposing factions of the Avengers. Still, it's worth watching to see what their romance was like in its early stages, years before WandaVision takes place.
Avengers: Infinity War
By the time 2018's Avengers: Infinity War picked up, Wanda and Vision had become a proper couple, with Vision even changing his exterior to appear human while the pair keep a low profile following the events of Civil War. Of course, as soon as the pair finally got to enjoy some quality time together, Thanos and his lieutenants showed up on Earth looking for the Infinity Stones, including the one embedded in Vision's head. Things only got worse from there, adding to the collective grief and trauma Wanda has amassed over the years -- something WandaVision director Matt Shakman has said the series will further unpack.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Ant-Man and the Wasp released around two months after Infinity War and, for many MCU fans, offered a much-needed breezy change of pace from the latter movie's dramatic cliffhanger ending. It also introduced Randall Park to the MCU as Jimmy Woo, an FBI agent and Scott Lang's quirky parole officer. Jimmy will return in WandaVision, where he will work alongside Darcy to solve a mystery no doubt related to whatever's going on with Wanda and Vision. Seeing as both Jimmy and Darcy have acted as comic relief sidekicks in the MCU so far, it's only fitting they get to team up for an adventure of their own on the show.
Captain Marvel
2019's Captain Marvel is primarily an origin story for Carol Danvers, but it also did some important world-building on the cosmic side of the MCU. In addition, the movie featured an appearance by a young Monica Rambeau, whose mother Maria was Carol's BFF when the pair served as Air Force pilots. Monica will return as a adult (now played by Teyonah Parris) in WandaVision, which finds her working as an agent for S.W.O.R.D., aka. Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division. Ahead of then, however, it's good to know about Monica's history and what drew her to a career that involves dealing with extraterrestrial threats on Earth.
Avengers: Endgame
Marvel Studios' Phase Three reached its climax with Avengers: Endgame, which opened less than two months after Captain Marvel hit theaters. Due to the events of Infinity War, Wanda only made a brief appearances towards the end of the movie, whereas Vision didn't show up at all. That said, it's important to catch up with Wanda and where she was at, both psychologically and in terms of her using her super-powers, by the time she confronted Thanos in the film's massive final battle. That may even offer a hint of what happened between Endgame's poignant ending and the surreal situation Wanda and Vision find themselves in at the beginning of WandaVision.