Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe begins with WandaVision debuting on Disney+ on January 15, 2021! Some of the cast including Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda), Paul Bettany (Vision), Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau), Kathryn Hahn (Agnes), Director Matt Shakman, Producer Kevin Feige, and Head Writer Jac Schaeffer gathered for a Virtual Press Conference, moderated by Jaleel White. You got it, Urkel from Family Matters. WandaVision does have a sitcom style, after all. Here are some highlights from the WandaVision Virtual Press Conference.
Highlights from the WandaVision Press Conference
Listen, when I first saw trailers for WandaVision, I’ll be the first to admit I was like what the?? But I was excited regardless, because I just needed new MCU, please! After watching the first 3 episodes, this show is so weird and awesome! Here is some more WandaVision and MCU tidbits the cast and writers revealed.
This is the MCU’s test run into TV.
Will there be more Marvel TV? “We’ll see,” said Producer Kevin Feige. Marvel has had successful TV shows, but this is the MCU’s first foray at the sitcom level. Kevin Feige expressed his excitement about WandaVision. “The unexpected has always served Marvel well. I love how bold it is.” He said WandaVision was made to be seen week after week on television, and he’s excited to be on Disney+.
“The unexpected has always served Marvel well.” -Kevin Feige
WandaVision turns a wacky idea into a spectacular show!
How Would Wanda Describe WandaVision?
Elizabeth Olsen said WandaVision is “A family sitcom of two people trying to fit in and not be discovered for being different.”
It’s so fun to see the different sitcoms and decades WandaVision takes us through! This really is nothing like Marvel has done before.
“We are depicting the sitcom reality of each decade, not the reality of each decade, which is its own set of rules” – Elizabeth Olsen
The First Episode was Filmed in Front of a Live Audience
As the first episode takes on a 50s sitcom, it was filmed in front of a live audience which really added to the energy of the show!
Director Matt Shakman said the comedy is quasi theater/TV a la Dick Van Dyke. You could really feel the energy from a live audience which also changes the energy style without one.
Olsen commented that filming in front of a live audience confused her brain, and it was nerve-wracking. But when you watch that episode, you won’t be able to tell that at all!
Will we Learn More About Monica Rambeau in WandaVision?
If you’re asking who is Monica Rambeau, we last saw Monica’s character in Captain Marvel, as the daughter of Maria Rambeau. Monica is now an adult in WandaVision, and Teyonah Parris said that we find out what’s happened to her in that gap between Captain Marvel and now.
Parris also confirms that we’ll see Monica Rambeau with Carol Danvers and Ms. Marvel in Captain Marvel 2!! We will get to learn more about what Monica has seen and been through throughout the course of WandaVision.
Those Hydra Commercials in WandaVision
You’ll see some commercials during episodes of WandaVision, and they’re quite clever. And you’ll notice some Hydra products. Kevin Feige said that the commercials were a way to tie in the MCU. If this is the very first Marvel or MCU thing you’re watching, it’s just a strange version of a 50s or 60s commercial. If you have been watching all the Marvel movies, you might be able to start connecting what all those things mean from the past.
The Casting of Kathryn Hahn
Kathryn Hahn really is a scene stealer. She’s comedy gold, and her facial expressions alone make me laugh. How did she get cast. Feige said they were mutual fans of each other and she came in for a meeting at Marvel. He said at that same time they were sitting in the writing room trying to figure out who should play Agnes, and it was prefect! The greatest nosy neighbor in the world.
Where does the MCU Phase 4 end?
Since WandaVision is kicking things off in Phase 4, one press member was bold enough to ask Kevin Feige if he could clarify where Phase 4 ends?
Kevin Feige’s response, “No.”
I laughed. Hey buddy, good try, though!
What can you expect from WandaVision?
There are so many inspirations for WandaVision like The Dick Van Dyke Show, Brady Bunch, Lucille Ball, The Twilight Zone, etc. Director Matt Shakman said WandaVision has key references of the family. He wanted to know the magic behind the miraculous shows that were timely and timeless.
He said he spoke to Dick Van Dyke, and he said the governing principle was if it couldn’t happen in real life then it couldn’t happen on the show.
WandaVision is overall family friendly, especially when compared to other kid friendly Marvel movies.
WandaVision premieres with two episodes on Disney+ on January 15th!
Is Marvel's WandaVision Kid Friendly? Parents Guide
Thursday 14th of January 2021
[…] we’ve seen from Marvel, and it’s not bad to shake things up. Kevin Feige said in the WandaVision press conference that it’s a show meant to be seen each […]