WandaVision’s Hype
Disney+ goes strange…
With Disney+ finally starting to roll out their highly-anticipated Marvel TV shows (all part of “Expanding the Universe”), WandaVision’s strange concept is about the best thing Kevin Fiege could do for the studio’s first series. The show is an entire flashback to the 1960s rom-com style of television. The first two episodes so far are a tribute to the format of shows like Bewitched and The Dick Van Dyke Show, with their knee-slapper punchlines, nuclear family house, black and white colors, and even 4:3 aspect ratio. It almost serves as a visual guide through the decades of TV history that appeals to the Gen Xer who remembers it and the Gen Zer who is fascinated by it (at least I am).
If the entire concept was just Wanda and Vision’s classic suburban lives with their superhero powers they attempt to hide, the show could probably still stand on its own. It has a charm that I think people like… but, the real intriguing part of it is when their utopian reality in this “TV world’’ cracks at points with colored objects, a broken radio, and that beekeeper. To further emphasize this, the shots change from those wide wides like in any multi-cam sitcom to dramatic push-ins for less than a minute maybe.
Most critics don’t really know what to make of the show at this point. It’s “excruciating slow” and “requires a bit of patience.” It doesn’t have raving reviews across the board yet (many call it “intriguing” also), but most acknowledge that it’ll shape up to explore the MCU canon we’re waiting for. Either way, this show is too interesting to ignore. It may be slow for some, but in a pandemic, our consumption habits have shifted and I think people welcome the strange that WandaVision leans on. These first two episodes merely tease at a greater unfolding that will take place (which the showrunners must execute well) and their alternate reality trope is similar to Wayward Pines’ spooky “something’s really not right in this town” vibe.
For context, I’ve been a fan of the MCU and Kevin Feige since day one. With Loki and The Falcon and the Winter Solider coming soon, more fans like myself will need to keep track of these stories to fully understand the MCU, which means that more people interact with Disney’s content and subscribe to its service. Shows like WandaVision are the exact reason why Disney’s stock didn’t take a beating during the pandemic despite losing out on their parks and theaters. Disney+ is shaping up to be an absolute juggernaut after blowing past its subscriber goals and WandaVision’s story so far mimics how Disney+ feels currently: a hype machine that’s teasing you with a lot of set up, but is totally interesting enough to keep you on the ride. Disney+ isn’t pulling a Quibi and trying to throw everything they have all at once (they can’t anyway with the pandemic). They’re very strategically keeping us intrigued with their slow rollout of big TV programs that often only release one episode a week.
Hopefully, Disney+ can go beyond just hooking us into their content through big brand titles they’ve acquired and create more stories like The Mandalorian, and avoid the Netflix strategy that works for their audience.
But, for now, it’s looking good… really good.
