WandaVision is strikingly different from its Marvel Cinematic Universe counterparts, and that was completely by design. According to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, the plan for WandaVision was always to create something that couldn't be done as a film -- which took some convincing, at least at first.
"This was Marvel Studios' first foray and directly with cast and amazing characters that we'd seen in movies coming onto television. The idea always was, yes, to do something that could not be done as a feature, that plays with the format and plays with the medium," Feige explained. "There were a lot of meetings before people actually sort of understood what we were trying to go for, and we're only sitting here because [writer] Jac [Schaeffer] and [director] Matt [Shakman] did and were able to turn a wacky idea into a spectacular show."
"We've got lots of other things we've announced that is coming out, but as it all comes together, I'm actually very happy and it worked out perfectly that this is the debut on Disney+ for the MCU," he added.
Originally, Marvel Studios intended to release Falcon and the Winter Soldier as its first Disney+ offering. However, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the MCU schedule was shuffled and WandaVision got pushed ahead of its sister series. Feige believes this worked in Marvel's favor, as "the unexpected has often served Marvel Studios well, and it has served us well in this case, because this show being our first one, I love how bold it is."
Disney+'s WandaVision takes place following the events of Avengers: Endgame, which saw Earth's Mightiest Heroes reverse Thanos' Infinity War snap and bring back half of all life in the universe. In the wake of that, Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, has found herself in a bizarre reality where her life is a sitcom. However, something insidious lurks beneath the surface of this picture-perfect world, and that may spell trouble for more than just Wanda and Vision.
Written by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman, WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as Vision, Randall Park as Agent Jimmy Woo, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Kathryn Hahn as Agnes. A new episode of the series releases every Friday on Disney+.