North Texas Daily

Since 2008, we have seen many different types of entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After years and years of character building and team-ups, we all watched a satisfying conclusion with “Avengers: Endgame” coming out in 2019. With a conclusion so strong and beloved, there seemed to be a bit of doubt when the slate of movies and television shows were released, leaving many fans overwhelmed. Marvel has not released a movie or show since July 2019, many fans have been waiting a long time for this show. Now the wait is over and we finally got the first few episodes of “WandaVision” on Disney+. It is safe to say we are in for a wild ride.

Elizabeth Olsen is back as Wanda Maximoff, along with Paul Bettany returning as Vision. The first two episodes are a beautiful example of laying down the foundation for a mystery we will solve with the characters of the show. Most people know Marvel for their giant computer-generated fights and action sequences, but it is a great change of pace to see we are going down the road of a more mysterious character study, with Wanda being the subject of the study.

Disney+ is doing it right, releasing all of the episodes on a weekly basis because there is a level of excitement and anticipation for every episode that has yet to be released. It is almost nostalgic to wake up on Friday morning and tune in to see where the story goes next. We saw how successful that approach was with “The Mandalorian,” and that success only continues here.

The first couple of episodes poke fun at the early eras of television, with plenty of gags and laugh tracks that can easily put you in the era being portrayed. Throughout both episodes, we are introduced to characters, and it is clear something else is going on viewers do not know about. There is this creepy undertone where maybe a character says a line and pauses for a beat too long, or one of the lines said by a character is a little unsettling. The showrunners know exactly what they are doing, and masking this sinister tone in an era of television where nothing bad ever happened on screen is pretty brilliant.

I will admit it is easy to find yourself losing interest in the show, especially in the second episode. You have to really want to know what is going on, which is how Marvel has survived off of its major fans for the last ten years. If you get bored during the first two episodes, it may be a task for the show to pull you back in. I have learned to never doubt anyone at Marvel because at some point or another they are going to do something that is going to blow you away. This being the first show that Marvel has done in this universe is a big risk, and the only way to see if it will pay off is to watch the story unfold on a weekly basis.

I am going to sit back and enjoy the rest of the show as it releases, as should you, and I will write my review for the rest of the season when it finally comes out. This is an exciting time if you are a Marvel fan, and I hope this show gives people something to anticipate every week.

Final rating: 4/5

Featured image: Courtesy Disney+