MCU Phase Four Analysis

Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier´s six-episode run on Disney+ was short-lived, but in no way forgettable.

By María José Puente. Published on May 11th, 2021, in Mexico City.

New World Order

“New World Order” was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s first episode, which premiered on Friday, March 19th, on Disney+. According to the Hollywood Reporter, this episode amassed 495 million minutes of watch time upon its release, beating fellow Marvel show WandaVision, which amassed 434 million minutes last January, meaning that around 9.9 million accounts watched the episode when it first came out. This episode was discussed during interviews with Marvel superfans because it was the very first one, and it set the tone for the rest of the show.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Courtesy of Disney+

Marvel superfan James Darling shared his thoughts on this episode during an interview. “I personally think it was brilliant. Captain America is one of my favorite characters, and I was really sad to see Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) go, but I was ready for Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) to take on the shield. What happened when he gave up the shield left me shocked, I remember thinking “Wow, this guy is mental!” You can find this part of the interview with Mr. Darling below. Of course, Mr. Darling is talking about Sam Wilson’s decision to retire Captain America’s shield by donating it to the Captain America Exhibit that is inside the Washington's Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at the beginning of the show, which was given to him by Rogers at the end of Avengers: Endgame.

Another person who didn’t agree with his decision was Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) A.K.A. The Winter Soldier.

While Sam is working with U.S Airforce First Lieutenant Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), Bucky is seen attending government-mandated therapy after being recently pardoned, “making amends” for his time as the Winter Soldier, tackling is PTSD, and trying to take down some bad guys along the way. Him and Sam don’t seem to be friends at all, although Bucky has made some friends, particularly an old man, that happens to be the father of one of the Winter Soldier’s victims.

Sam and Bucky are brought together by the state of the world, six months after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Torres is investigating a group of terrorists called the “Flag Smashers” who liked the world better when it was being affected by the events after the Blip, which was the time period after Thanos (Josh Brolin) erased half of the world’s population with the Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers: Infinity War. Torres also discovers that these people have superhuman abilities after being injured by one of them, which is why Sam and Bucky decide to tackle the issue.

The real shocker, according to Marvel superfan Lana Roberts, came at the very end of the episode. “When you first watch it (the episode), you don’t expect a new Captain America. Well, at least I didn’t.” What she’s referring to, of course, is the moment when government officials elect a new Captain America, a soldier named John Walker (Wyatt Russel), giving him the name, the shield, a suit, and the authority that comes with the name. “I was devastated. Don’t get me wrong, I think Wyatt’s a great actor, but Sam should’ve been Captain America. Or at least Bucky! I was very upset.” The clip of the scene is attached below.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Courtesy of Disney+

Racism, mental health, and everything in between

While a lot of time could be spent making an in-depth analysis of each and every episode, one of the most important things to note about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in general is that it tackled several social issues along the way.

According to CBR, Henry Jackman, the Falcon and the Winter Soldier series composer, spoke about this topic before the tv show was released on Disney+. “There's weighty issues. It's still entertaining. It's not a deathly serious seminar about the political history of the United States of America, but it definitely touches on less comfortable, important things that give rise to some really quite impressive performances.” This was what he commented, hinting at the fact that important issues and topics would be raised during the show’s six episode run.

Mr. Darling had a lot to say on the subject. “Frankly, I think this was an amazing thing to do. I’ve read a lot of articles, and tweets, and text posts trying to criticize it, and saying that it tried to tackle too many things, but to be honest I thought it was perfect. It raises the real questions, it makes you reflect, and it makes you think about the state of the world.” Let’s take a closer look at the subjects that were addressed on the show.

Racism

Racism is tackled in several ways throughout the episodes. In episode 2, Sam and Bucky go to Isaiah Bradley’s (Carl Lumbly) house, a veteran who was a Super Soldier in the 50’s and even fought against the Winter Soldier in the Korean War.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Courtesy of Disney+

Bradley, who essentially did the same thing that Steve Rogers did, going rogue for his fellow soldiers, was court martialed and then spent 30 years in jail, obviously after being experimented on with the Super Soldier serum. The treatment that Rogers got was, obviously, quite different. This is why, when Bucky attempts to get information from him on the visit to his house, he gets angry and upset, not wanting to talk about his past hardships, or about the terrible experiments that he was submitted to.

After this, Sam yells at Bucky and they have a heated argument outside Bradley’s home. Sam is upset that Bucky kept Isaiah’s existence a secret for so long, and from everyone. While this is happening, the duo is approached by two policemen, who start threatening Sam, and only stop when they realize who he is.

This scene, and Isaiah’s story, are two stories that can be painfully recognized by many, and that the show tried to brig awareness to.

Mental Health

Marvel superfan Gina Hartley wanted to share her thoughts on Bucky’s therapy sessions, and his time in Wakanda. What she said was: “As someone who suffers from PTSD, I relate to Bucky Barnes a lot. I think that his journey truly exemplifies what patients with PTSD go though, and I think that his character development is amazing.”

Ms. Roberts also had her opinion on the subject. “Bucky Barnes has been through a lot, and Sebastian Stan’s brilliant portrayal of him makes it even more real. I think that his redemption arc is very well done.”

Although there are some people who think this could’ve been done a little differently, all interviewees said the same thing. As Mr. Darling said, “Bucky has been through a lot, and he deserves a freaking break to truly find happiness.”

Below is Bucky’s timeline since the events in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, leading up to the events in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Infographic by María José Puente.

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, released in 2014, The Winter Soldier / a very brainwashed Bucky Barnes, is sent to kill Nick Fury by Alexander Pierce and HYDRA, and he fails. Steve Rogers, or Captain America, his childhood best friend, recognizes him, and they fight. The Winter Soldier is sent to kill Rogers to ensure that Project Insight can be completed, and they fight. The Winter Soldier doesn’t kill Rogers, and he escapes at the end of the film, but not before saving Rogers’ life in the process.

During Captain America: Civil War, released in 2016, Bucky is framed by Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl) for a bombing during the signing of the Sokovia Accords in Vienna. Steve Rogers finds him, and tries to clear his name, which proves to be difficult because of the Sokovia Accords and the United Nations’ involvement. Bucky, Steve, and their team go to Berlin, where Zemo takes control of the Winter Soldier through brainwashing, and makes him escape, making him look guilty. Steve finds him again and they face Iron Man, or Tony Stark, (Robert Downey Jr.) and his team at an airport. Bucky and Steve get out and look for Zemo, who tells Iron Man that the Winter Soldier killed his parents. Bucky, Steve and Tony fight, and Steve and Bucky win. Bucky is granted asylum in Wakanda and starts working on his mental health with the Black Panther’s (Chadwick Boseman) help.

In Avengers: Infinity War, released in 2018, Bucky receives the new name “the White Wolf” and has completely recovered. He also receives a new vibranium arm, a replacement, since the other one was destroyed by Tony Stark. Bucky fights against Thanos and is erased during his snap.

During the events that take place in Avengers: Endgame, released In 2019, Bucky comes back with the rest of the people who had been erased and fights Thanos. In the end, he watches from a distance as a now old Steve Rogers hands his friend Sam Wilson the Captain America shield.

Supporting Characters: Fan Favorites

A lot of the supporting characters on the show are fan favorites. From villains like Baron Zemo, to Agent 13, Sharon Carter, (Emily VanCamp) yes, Peggy Carter’s niece, these characters captivated fan’s hearts.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Courtesy of Disney+

Baron Zemo

As it was mentioned earlier in the article, Baron Zemo is no saint. He was Captain America: Civil War’smain villain, blowing up the building in Vienna, framing and manipulating Bucky Barnes, and destroying the bond between the Avengers in the process as revenge for his family’s death during the events that happened in Sokovia in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Pretty bad, right? Well, fans seem to love him, Mr. Darling specifically. “Baron Zemo is an amazing character, with so many layers, and Daniel Brühl plays him fantastically well. Even if he doesn’t get much screen time his hilarious remarks, eccentricity and cleverness are never matched by any other characters. Also, the dancing scene was hilarious.” This is the scene he means:

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Courtesy of Disney+

Sharon Carter

Sharon Carter is a character who’s had it rough, because, unlike Bucky Barnes, she was not pardoned for being on Steve Rogers´ team during the events in Captain America: Civil War. However, she’s managed to make a living in Madripoor, as none other than the Power Broker, although none of our main characters learn of her identity.

Ms. Roberts’ favorite character is actually Sharon. “I just love her. Emily VanCamp is literally my girlfriend; I don’t care if she’s married. I think she’s a badas*, and that she’s always brought a lot to the table and has never been repaid for it. She’ll get her moment eventually; I’m patiently waiting for it.”

Both of these characters are extremely beloved. In this cartoon, inspired by Mean Girls’ “Get in loser, we’re going shopping”, Bucky, Sam and Zemo are in Zemo’s car, telling Sharon to go save the world with them.

Drawing by María José Puente.

The End?

As readers may already know, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier ends with the Flag Smashers’ leader Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman) death at the hands of Sharon Carter, as well as the rest of her companions’ deaths at the hands of Baron Zemo, who is in Wakanda, in jail, where he is supposed to live out the rest of his days. Sam Wilson finally takes on the Captain America name, John Walker is redeemed, Sharon Carter is pardoned and revealed to be the Power Broker, and Bucky apologizes to his friend for his son’s death and buys some cake for a party at the Wilson’s, but is this the end?

According to an article posted by IMDB on April 23rd, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s series showrunner, Michael Spellman, and Dalan Musson are already working on a fourth Captain America movie is in development, starring the new Star Sprangled Man, Anthony Mackie, as Sam Wilson. As for the rest of the characters, well, who knows? Maybe they will be seen in the fourth Captain America installment.

The Bottom Line

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is over, but Captain America’s legacy continues. No one knows exactly what the future holds, but for the time being, Marvel’s latest TV Show Loki, is premiering on Disney+ on Wednesday, June 9th, and it will bring even more material for fans to keep on watching and loving their favorite characters more and more every day. (10,167 characters).

Tara Howell is an 18-year-old student from Lawrence, Kansas. She’s been watching Marvel films and TV shows from an incredibly young age, and knows a lot about the characters, storylines and relationships that have been plotter throughout the MCU’s existence. This interview with Marvel superfan Tara Howell gives an insight on the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s journey through the years, in the eyes of a person who grew up with it, side by side.

The Beginning and the Basics

Majo: How long have you been a Marvel fan?

Tara: I think I’ve been a Marvel fan since I was little, like 5 or 6, when I first saw the Spider-Man movies with Tobey Maguire. I didn’t really know what Marvel was, or what it meant at the time, but I liked their superheroes and their stories, because after watching the Tobey Maguire movies I started watching their shows on TV, specifically Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and a few years later, Iron Man came out and I was hooked. My cousin took me to the movies to see it and I’ve just been in love ever since.

M: You talk about Spider-Man a lot, is he your favorite character?

T: Is it that obvious? Yeah, definitely, although not the MCU one, you know, Tom Holland. My favorite character is actually Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, because I think he’s the one who resembles the comic book Peter Parker the most, and The Amazing Spider-Man, his first movie, was insane.

The Amazing Spider-Man, courtesy of Columbia Pictures

I didn’t like the second one that much, but I loved Dane DeHaan’s Green Goblin, (she laughs) that’s an unpopular opinion, but whatever. Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker and Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy’s chemistry is amazing in both films, maybe because they were dating at the time, or maybe because they’re exceptionally good actors, but they both brought an incredible realness to the story that it’s hard to find in a superhero movie, in my opinion. Also, amazing soundtrack in both movies, too.

M: So, do you like Tom Holland’s Peter?

T: I do, but I definitely think Andrew Garfield was better for the role. I really like Tom Holland though, he’s also incredibly good. I’m pretty sure that the first take of his introductory scene in Captain America: Civil War stunned Chris Evans himself, which is truly impressive. I find him adorable, so he’s a good “young” Peter Parker.

The MCU’s Phase Four

M: Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has got one final movie currently in the works for the MCU’s Phase Four, Spider-Man: No Way Home. What are your expectations for this movie?

T: My bar’s set pretty high right now, especially with all of the Multiverse rumors going around. Many people, myself included, seem to think that this last movie will introduce the Spider-Verse, which means we’ll get to see many characters from the other movies. Some of the confirmed actors are Jamie Foxx, he played Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and the guy who played Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2, I can’t remember his name right now, sorry. Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire haven’t been confirmed yet, but I hope they are, because it would make me the happiest person alive. (This part of the interview can be heard at the bottom of the article).

SPIDER- MAN: NO WAY HOME OFFICIAL TEASER, courtesy of Marvel Studios

M: Speaking of Phase Four, what were your final thoughts and opinions on the first show, WandaVision, as a whole?

T: I loved it. It was funny, intriguing, and incredibly well paced. Many people had several complains on the finale, but I don’t understand why. I mean, some of the theories everyone had were cool, but some people failed to realize the name of the show is WandaVision. It told Wanda and Vision’s story beautifully, and everyone got to see Wanda’s epic evolution into Scarlet Witch. And, I mean, we also got extra characters we weren’t expecting, like White Vision, Billy, Tommy, and Pietro, who is one of my favorite characters. I think the show was a great start for Phase Four because it opened up a lot of new possibilities, like the Multiverse, the Young Avengers, and more diversity going forward.

M: What do you mean by “more diversity”?

T: Well, Billy, his superhero name is Wiccan, and he’s gay. He’s a part of the Young Avengers, a group that could get introduced in Phase Four, fingers crossed, and he’s married to another Young Avengers member, Hulkling. I think that this relationship could be particularly important and impactful, especially for younger audiences, and I really hope it makes it into Phase Four, because having LGBTQ+ characters is very important.

EMPYRE #4, courtesy of Marvel.

M: What is the Phase Four TV show that you’re most excited about?

T: Hmm…please don’t make me choose! The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is super high on my to-watch list because I simply adore Sebastian Stan, and I think that Sam and Bucky are both extremely interesting characters, especially Bucky. I´ve been following his story since I first watched Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011, and I think it’s extremely interesting.

M:What are its interesting aspects?

T: Well, Bucky’s story led to a lot of several important plot points in the MCU, particularly to the events in Captain America: Civil War. His character has an incredible redemption arc. I really want to know what they do with his character now that Steve Rogers is gone, and he needs to pair up with someone he dislikes. I think it will be hilarious!

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, courtesy of Disney+.

M: What’s the Phase Four movie that you’re most excited about?

T: I’m obviously excited about Spider-Man: No Way Home because of all of the Spider-Verse theories I told you about before, but I also think Thor: Love and Thunder is going to be fantastic. Taika Waititi is one of my favorite directors, and he did an amazing job with Thor: Ragnarok. It’s got an amazing and diverse cast I really like, and Valkyrie’s sexuality is supposedly going to be confirmed in the film, making her the first confirmed bisexual MCU character, which is super important, as I told you earlier.

M: How about Loki, the TV show? Are you excited about Thor’s brother?

T: Honestly, I’m excited about any Marvel content Disney+ announces. Tom Hiddleston is one of my favorite actors, and the idea of Loki creating an alternative timeline in 2012 is amazing, because he’s still gonna be the villain he was when we met him, before his redemption arc. Also, Owen Wilson is on it, and who doesn’t love Owen Wilson? (5332 characters).

Marvel’s WandaVision is coming to a close, and its latest episode left fans shocked with its revelations and mid-credits scene.

By María José Puente. Published on March 1st, 2021, in Mexico City.

Previously On

“Previously On” was the 8th episode of Marvel’s WandaVision, and, according to Marvel Superfan Johnny Ford, “It was amazing, the best one so far, because it gave us exposition and backstories, and it gave us what we were all waiting for, The Scarlet Witch”. Fans discussing online think the same thing and share their excitement for the finale on several platforms like Instagram, Twitter and TUMBLR. The first season is ending with episode 9, airing on Friday, March 5th on Disney+. Since the show’s first and second episodes aired on the platform last February, fans all around the world have been trying to decipher what the next episode is going to bring and have been surprised most of the time. Episode 8 finally brought some exposition into the picture, showing Agatha Harkness’s (Kathryn Hahn) backstory and Wanda’s (Elizabeth Olsen) past, which explains the “TV show” theme in the Hex. It also revealed the truth about the Sentient World Observation and Response Department (S.W.O.R.D.) and Tyler Howard’s (Josh Stamberg) true intentions with Project Cataract. Without further ado, let’s break down the latest WandaVision episode, “Previously On”.

A Short Recap

Even if it’s only been a few short weeks since the release of the first two episodes, WandaVision has completely redefined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), bringing new characters, storylines and reveals into the mix. From Agatha to the twins, Billy and Tommy, and the division between the Hex and the outside world, it’s been hard to keep track of what’s been happening. With so much going on, it’s easy to forget some of the earlier plotlines and details in the show. The infographic below was made to make it a little easier to remember everything that’s been happening so far, from episode one all the way to the latest episode. Enjoy!

Infographic and drawings by María José Puente.

These are the biggest plot reveals of the show, and they have taken down some of the fans’ biggest theories and expectations for the show.

For example, Marvel Superfan Rodrigo Reyes stated that “So far, my favorite fan theory was that director Hayward was Ultron in disguise and was trying to get Vision’s body back.” This theory was of course discarded with the latest episode, which shows us that Wanda did not steal Vision’s body, and that it was in possession of S.W.O.R.D. all along.

Another discarded fan theory was shared by Mr. Ford.

“My favorite theory that was discarded as the show went on was probably how we thought that Wanda had stolen Vision’s body and not created it, as we could see in episode 8 with the creation of the Hex. I was shocked by that because Wanda showed an immense amount of power.”

This theory is linked to the one shared by Mr. Reyes because Hayward was the one who had it, and the one who tricked everyone into believing Wanda had it locked with her inside the Hex.

The last theory was shared by Marvel superfan Armando Andrade. “The people on the commercials on WandaVision are Wanda’s parents, because the commercials are a representation of Wanda’s grief and her parents are part of her grief.” This was discarded in the latest episode because Wanda’s parents were different actors from the ones in the commercials. It was a good theory, but discarded, like the rest.

Agatha and Wanda's Journey

This episode was eye-opening, because it finally showed both Agatha and Wanda’s pasts, uncovering many secrets the show had kept. These revelations, especially the ones in Wanda’s past, were crucial to the show’s plot, even if the MCU audience already knew some of them, like when her and Pietro’s parents died, or when she was submitted to experimentation, because the show looked at them from a new perspective. Let’s take a look at a few of them… and what they mean.

The episode starts with a glimpse to the past, to the year 1693, to be exact, in Salem, Massachusetts. Agatha is being dragged by witches into a clearing, where she is accused of treason to her coven. This reveals that Agatha is much older than she appears to be, and much more powerful too, because of two reasons. First of all, she sucks the power out of all of the members of her coven and takes the pin she wears from the coven’s leader, and second, her magical rays are purple, and the rest of the coven’s are blue.

WandaVision, Courtesy of Disney+

When interviewing Mr. Ford, he said that he passionately believes that the reason why Agatha is acting the way she’s acting is that she’s jealous of Wanda, because, while she’s a 400-year-old witch who’s been practicing magic for a long time, Wanda is basically a newcomer who hasn’t practiced at all and is capable of things beyond Agatha’s control and capability.

Agatha mentioned that she was drawn to Westview by the immense amount of power emanating and radiating from the place, and that she was shocked by Wanda’s amount of raw power.

After this, audiences got to visit Wanda’s past memories. This was Agatha’s attempt to find out where Wanda’s power was coming from.

The first memory visited in the episode was Wanda’s childhood in Slovakia, where she watched The Dick Van Dyke Show with Pietro and her parents, the night the bombing began, and her parents were killed by a Stark Industries mortar. The Dick Van Dyke Show was the sitcom in which the first episode was based, and now audiences know why. It was one of Wanda’s happy places, watching TV with her family.

When Agatha saw this memory, she told Wanda that she thought Wanda stopped that second mortar from going off, using magic for the fist time. Agatha believes Wanda has had magic inside of her since she was born, and that it was later triggered by something, although she didn’t know what.

Wanda and Agatha visit several other memories showing some of the sitcoms the show is based on, including Malcom In The Middle, Bewitched and Growing Pains, which provide a lot of context for the viewer.

Another memory visited by the pair was Wanda’s visit to S.W.O.R.D., on the day she (allegedly) took Vision’s body. This memory is eye opening because the audience finds out she wanted to take him and bury him, but Hayward said no. Instead of stealing the body, like everyone thought she had done (because of S.W.O.R.D.’s footage of her breaking into the room where Vision’s body was), she just tearfully said goodbye to him, and then left. This lead audiences to believe S.W.O.R.D. had been in possession of Vision’s body all along, which was confirmed by the events in the mid-credits scene. More on that later.

Finally, Wanda and Agatha visited a much more recent memory, one where Wanda went to a location marked with a heart on a property deed. The location is in a small town in New Jersey, called Westview, and it was marked by Vision because, when he was still alive, he purchased the property for him and Wanda “To grow old in”. When Wanda got to the location, she broke down, and in between tears and screams, created the Hex, and Vision, with her powers. This has been the biggest manifestation of her magic and powers so far, and one of the biggest revelations of the show.

The Scarlet Witch

WandaVision, Courtesy of Disney+

At the end of episode 8, Agatha held Wanda’s children hostage in front of her, with ropes around their necks. Wanda told her to let them go, but Agatha wanted to talk to her instead. She realized that Wanda is using Chaos Magic and is capable of something called “spontaneous creation”, which Wanda knows nothing about. After that, Agatha teold her she is the “Scarlet Witch”. Wanda seemed confused by this, but Marvel fans know this is her superhero name in the comics. It had never been brought up in the MCU, just like her brother’s alias “Quicksilver”, even if that’s what fans have always called him.

While visiting another one of Wanda’s memories, the one of the experimentations done on her and Pietro, audiences can see that, even if all of the previous subjects had been killed as soon as they came into contact with the Infinity Stone, Wanda survived. This supports a theory about a commercial on episode 3, “Now In Color”, that has been mentioned in this blog before, in a previous entry.

The “Hydra Soak” was a commercial in episode three that featured a “luxury bath powder”, which was essentially a blue soap. Its slogan was “Find the goddess within”. The theory states that, during the experimentation, and Wanda’s exposure to the Stone and Loki’s scepter (which is blue, like the soap), powers residing deep inside of Wanda were awakened, finding “the goddess within”. The memory confirms this because Wanda got her power after coming in contact with the stone. It also confirms what Agatha was thinking, Wanda’s powers fully manifested after this event, but they were inside of her all along.

White Vision

WandaVision, Courtesy of Disney+

The ninth episode ended on a cliffhanger (as usual), but Marvel never fails to disappoint, and left a mid-credits scene for fans to obsess over. The scene is below in case someone didn’t get the chance to watch it.

WandaVision, Courtesy of Disney+

The mid-credits scene showed Hayward and his S.H.I.E.L.D. team as they completed an experiment they had been doing with Vision’s body. It turns out, Howard lied to Monica and the rest about Wanda stealing it, because they wanted to frame Wanda as the villain. Howard informed everyone that they’d been trying to bring it back to life without the Mind Stone, but that they’d been unsuccessful until they’d used some of Wanda’s magic residue that was on a drone.

The entire S.W.O.R.D. team watched as Vision’s body came back to life, only without the Mind Stone, the body is now colorless, and, according to Reyes, “…really creepy”.

So… Who’s the bad guy?

So, what does this all mean? The three interviewed Marvel superfans were more than glad to share their theories for White Vision, what he’ll bring, and episode 9.

Mr. Reyes’s theory is a basic one, common amongst fans. A snippet of his interview with this answer can be found at the bottom of this post.

“Right now, I think there are going to be three villains at the end. The first one is obviously White Vision, who is basically Vision without a soul and a machine programmed to kill, and the second one is Hayward, because he built White Vision. I also think Agatha’s a villain, but I believe she’s being controlled by Mephisto, which would make him the second villain.”

Mr. Ford kind of agrees with Mr. Reyes, even if he thinks Mephisto is hiding somewhere inside the Hex.

“While I do still think Mephisto will get a shout out with a connection to Agatha I think the big bad for the series will end up being Hayward, as he has been lying throughout the show and now has White Vision.”

This is also a common theory amongst fans, Hayward is the main villain, but the show is still going to give audiences a Mephisto introduction. “The clues are just too obvious.” Mr. Ford concluded.

Even if many people think it’s too late for a villain as big and important to the Marvel Universe as Mephisto to make an appearance, some fans are still holding on to the hope of getting a glimpse of him in the show. Mr. Ford is one of them. “I’m honestly just riding that train until it crashes, and I look really stupid, but honestly, it would be amazing.”

Although there have been several Mephisto theories that have been discarded as the show has aired, including the one where Mephisto was the fly on the curtain, there are some that are yet to be discarded, like the “devil is in the details” theory. Will the ninth episode finally give fans Mephisto? We’ll have to see.

The Bottom Line

WandaVision is about to end but, what will it bring? Fan theories include Mephisto, Vision and White Vision’s deaths, the Multiverse and even Doctor Strange, but everyone will have to wait for Friday, Mach 5th, when episode 9, WandaVision’s final episode will be available for streaming, only on Disney+. (10,003 characters).

The Sixth Episode

The sixth WandaVision episode, a Halloween special called “All-New Halloween Spooktacular”, left audiences trembling with fear and excitement, because the show finally showed more of Evan Peters’ Quicksilver, Billy (Julian Hilliard) and Tommy’s (Jett Klyne) superpowers, and Vision’s (Paul Bettany) investigation into the strange events happening in Westview. Last episode had several pop culture Easter eggs hidden all around it. Let’s take a look at some of the best ones.

Costumes

What are the things that can make a Halloween special incredible? There are several answers to this question, including candy, haunted houses, cemeteries, spooky decorations, and of course, costumes. Each WandaVision character had theirs planned very carefully, and for all of those who read the comics, these costumes were extremely familiar. Each costume was a reference to the character’s comic book persona!

Wanda and Vision and WandaVision, courtesy of Marvel Studios

Wanda and Vision can be spotted using their typical original costumes from the original Marvel Comics. Wanda is wearing  horns and a red cape, and Vision has green and yellow spandex with a diamond in the center and a yellow cape.

Quicksilver and WandaVision, courtesy of Marvel Studios

Quicksilver can be seen using his typical blue shirt with a silver lightning bolt and black pants, with a silver belt around his waist.

Wiccan and Speed and WandaVision, courtesy of Marvel Studios

Both Billy and Tommy can be seen using their costumes as well, Billy as Speed (left) and Tommy as Wiccan (right). Billy is wearing a suit similar to his uncle Pietro’s, blue with a silver stripe, and Tommy is using a red cape and a band around his head.

Kick-Ass

During episode 6, we can see this exchange between Pietro and his nephews. 

During this conversation between Pietro and the Twins, Billy delivers this amazing line, “Yeah, Kick-ass!” when Pietro offers to help him, and Tommy get more candy. Wanda repeats the word “Kick-ass”, a little confused.

This was a nod towards the fact that both Evan Peters and Aaron Taylor Johnson (who played Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron) were in Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass (2010), a movie about a Gabe (Aaron Taylor Johnson), a geeky teenager who wants to become a real-life superhero. Evan Peters played his friend, Ass-Kicker.

Kick-Ass, courtesy of Universal Pictures

Malcom In The Middle

Since the beginning, WandaVision has been inspired by several shows when it comes to their intros, bringing several blasts from the past to life in its own way. This time, WandaVision took its inspiration from the 2000’s hit tv show, Malcom In The Middle.

Malcom In The Middle, Courtesy of FOX

FOX’s Malcom In The Middle is about Malcom (Frankie Muniz), a smart boy living with his family and trying to get through school and adolescence and dealing with being the middle child in his family of 7. The intro to the show is almost identical to WandaVision’s, all the way from the style to the lettering of the titles.

WandaVision, Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Later on, in the episode, we can see Tommy breaking the fourth wall to talk to the audience, which is something Malcom often does in Malcom In The Middle, to complain about his family and school.

Malcom in the Middle and WandaVision, courtesy of The Direct, FOX and Marvel Studios

Pietro and Wanda as kids

WandaVision, Courtesy of @ mcufavs on Instagram and Marvel Studios

Later on, we saw a brief flashback to a Halloween night when Wanda and Pietro were kids, and living in Slovakia. As the picture shows, they were both dressed in familiar costumes. Wanda was dressed as The Back Widow, or Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), and Pietro was dressed as Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), with an adorable patch over his right eye. 

Movie Theatre

WandaVision, Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Last but not least, there’s a scene in which Billy and Tommy are walking down one of the streets of Downtown Westview, in which we can see a movie theatre called “Coronet” in the background. The double feature is showing two immensely popular Disney movies, The Incredibles, and The Parent Trap. The Incredibles is about a family of five, all possessing powers, much like Wanda and Vision’s family in WandaVision. The Parent Trap is about a pair of twins who reunite, much like Wanda and Pietro in episode 5.

The Bottom Line

Quicksilver is Back!

Alright, you’re probably still shaking with excitement after watching last Friday’s WandaVision episode (I know I am), because we could all finally see the return of Wanda’s (Elizabeth Olsen) twin brother Pietro Maximoff. However, he was a little different from the guy some people expected. Many people were thinking we were gonna see Marvel’s Quicksilver, Aaron Taylor Johnson, on screen, but we didn’t. We saw 20th Century Fox’s Evan Peters instead. Both film studios had rights to the character, so they each made their own version.

What does this replacement mean? I contacted some Marvel Superfans, who were eager to tell me about their opinions and theories on the subject. Let’s talk Quicksilver.

MCU’s Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor Johnson)

Avengers: Age of Ultron, courtesy of Marvel Studios

Before we dive into Wandavision´s various Pietro theories, we have to take a look back at the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 2, specifically at Avengers: Age of Ultron and the post-credits scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Pietro Maximoff’s character was introduced (briefly) at the end of The Winter Soldier, and we got to know his character a little better during the second Avengers film. Him and Wanda, who are both Slovakian and were born in 1989, were both orphans, as I stated in my previous entry, because their parents died in a bombing in Slovakia. After this, they both joined the resistance to end the war, and got their powers. During Age of Ultron, both him and Wanda ended up helping the Avengers defeat Ultron, using their powers. Many fans were disappointed to see him die at the end of the movie, sacrificing himself to save Hawkeye and uttering his famous line “You didn’t see that coming?” before succumbing to his wounds.

The first person who was interviewed was Marvel Superfan Alfredo Yapur, who would have wanted to see more of Aaron Taylor Johnson’s performance. When asked to compare Johnson and Evan Peters, he stated as follows: “I like the way both actors played Pietro, I definitely think each actor gave him his own personal touch, however, I feel like we could have seen more of Johnson’s amazingly funny performance, because we only got to see him in Age of Ultron, and we got to see Peters in several movies.” Honestly, I agree.

X-Men’s Quicksilver (Evan Peters)

X-Men: Apocalypse, courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Evan Peters’ Quicksilver was introduced in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and his name isn’t Pietro, it’s Peter. According to Sony, Peter Maximoff is American, he’s Magneto’s (Michael Fassbender) son and he was born in 1955. After winning a racing competition and beating 8 world records, Peter was investigated, and it was discovered that he is a mutant. All of this lead to Trask Industries and sports authorities concluding no mutants were allowed to participate in sports. We’ve seen him in several films, X2: X-Men United (mentioned only), X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, Deadpool 2 and X-Men: Dark Phoenix. As we can see, Peter is quite different from Pietro, the main difference being that he was still alive the last time he was seen in Deadpool 2.

The second interviewee, Rachel Hudson, a huge Marvel fan, loves Peters’ Quicksilver. When asked about the character she said: “Evan Peters is funny, extroverted, and free, a great comedic relief and an incredibly good Quicksilver overall. Johnson is great, but I have a special place for Peters in my heart”.

WandaVision’s Quicksilver

Now that we know the basics about both Quicksilvers, let’s dive into last Friday’s WandaVision episode, “On a Very Special Episode…”, in which we saw Wanda “recast” Pietro, as Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) brilliantly stated. At the very end of the episode, Wanda opened the door of the house she shares with Vision (Paul Bettany) to reveal Evan Peters standing at the other side.

WandaVision, courtesy of Disney+

He enthusiastically greets Wanda and enters the house, even asking a hilarious question “Who’s the popsicle?”, obviously referring to Vision, who is staring at him in shock.

Many of us wanted Quicksilver to return, but who is he, really? Is he Pietro, or is he Peter? Or, as a much darker fan theory suggests, could he actually be Mephisto in disguise? The theory belongs to Mr. Yapur, who enthusiastically told us this: “I have a theory. Peters might not be Peter from X-Men, but Mephisto in disguise. This makes sense, because he would want to be close to Wanda in order to control her”. For those of you who don’t know who Mephisto is, he is a Marvel supervillain. In the comics, Wanda draws power from Mephisto in order to give birth to her kids and give them life. Later on, Mephisto takes his power back, and Wanda’s children along with it. Since both the pregnancy and the birth of the twins in Wandavision has not been explained yet, many fans are concluding Mephisto is around somewhere, and that he’s somehow involved.

MCU + X-MEN Crossover

When asked about their thoughts on Evan Peters replacing Aaron Taylor Johnson as Marvel’s Quicksilver, each of the interviewees had a different, yet informative opinion.

The third and final interview conducted was with Marvel Superfan Hugo Rivero, who stated the following: “I think it is a good idea for two main reasons; number one, it creates a lot of hype for a possible merger between the X-Men Universe and the MCU and number two, it gives people something more to talk about, both of which create a lot of hype for an already gigantic tv show.” (I’ve included an audio of this part of the interview, which can be found below). These statements are both true, especially the first one. Fans around the world are hyping up at the possibilities of the Multiverse finally coming to the MCU, not only in WandaVision, but in the confirmed Marvel movies Spiderman 3 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which will have a very tight link to Wandavision.

When asked about the possibility of the Multiverse becoming a thing in Wandavision, Mr. Yapur was happy to inform that “According to Kevin Feige (Chief Creative officer of Marvel Studios), WandaVision is the start of the “Multiverse Trilogy” in the MCU, followed by both Spiderman 3 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

The Bottom Line

This information tells us that the Multiverse is already confirmed, but we’ll have to wait and see what this means for Wanda, Vision, Pietro, and the rest of the characters we all love to see on our screens.

Usually, all of us are always looking forward to Fridays, the start of the weekend, and now, with Wandavision airing once a week on that day, it simply doesn’t come fast enough. The first three episodes of Wandavision, which started airing on Disney+ on January 15th, take a look at Wanda’s life after the events of Avengers: Endgame. We don’t know much, but fans all over the globe have been speculating, and what we all think is that Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) is trying to keep Vision (Paul Bettany) alive in any way possible, which has driven her to create an alternate reality for her and Vision to live in, out of grief. Fans also say she’s even got real people trapped in it to make it more realistic. 

Even if you’ve already seen the first three episodes of Marvel’s newest show, there are a lot of amazing links to the Marvel Cinematic Universe you might have missed. Let’s take a deep look at the coolest ones I’ve found.

1. Vision is “A walking computer.”

In the first episode, we see Vision going off to work at an office. He isn’t quite sure of what his job is about, and his coworker, Norm (Asif Ali), is happy to tell him they produce computational forms, and then goes on to tell him that their productivity has risen above the roof since Vision started working for them. Then, Norm tells him this:

Wandavision, courtesy of Disney+. 

The quote “You’re like a walking computer” is obviously a nod towards the fact that Vision was, at some point, J.A.R.V.I.S. (Just A Rather Very Intelligent Computer System), Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) computer system. Vision was created when J.A.R.V.I.S.’s protocols were uploaded onto Ultron’s vibranium body and combined with the Mind Stone. Vision is obviously alarmed by Norm’s statement, since he is, in fact, a walking computer.

2. The Stark Industries Toaster

Wandavision, courtesy of Disney+.

Later on, we can also see a commercial promoting the new “ToastMate 2000”, a product created by Howard Stark for Stark Industries. Sound familiar? Of course, it does, Stark Industries is Tony Stark’s company, and it has a very deep connection with Wanda’s past. Wanda is Slovakian, and when she was just a little girl, her, and her twin brother Pietro (Aaron Taylor Johnson) were having dinner with their parents when a mortar shell hit their building and killed both of their parents. Wanda and Pietro were both stuck beneath the rubble and a second mortar shell fell close to them but didn’t go off. On the side, the mortar had the written inscription “Stark Industries”. The twins resented Stark for a long time, because a Stark Industries product killed their parents and put them through a lot of trauma. The toaster’s beeping is clearly an allusion to that mortar shell, because it sounds a lot like a bomb.

3. The Strücker Watch

Wandavision, courtesy of Disney+.

In the second episode, we can see a commercial about a watch, “Strücker”. We can also see that the brand is “HYDRA”. These two names both have a deeper meaning. HYDRA was the organization founded by Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) during World War II, that was focused on world domination and infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., corrupting it. On the other hand, Wolfgang von Strücker (Thomas Kretschmann) was an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), and secretly a HYDRA member. He was the one who experimented with energy from the Infinity Stone in Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) scepter on Wanda and Pietro, which led to them gaining powers that they wanted to use to end the war in Slovakia.

4. Hydra Soak

Wandavision, courtesy of Disney+.

In the latest Wandavision episode, which, unlike the last two episodes, is full of color, we can see a third commercial, this time for “Hydra Soak”. As I’ve mentioned before, HYDRA infiltrated and corrupted S.H.I.E.L.D. In the fourth season of  Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) tells Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennet) about HYDRA making a blue “mind control soap” to mess with people’s heads.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., courtesy of Disney+.

Hydra Soak could definitely be it, and it could be an allusion to everyone around Wanda and Vision being controlled into playing along in Wanda’s fake world. The commercial is also an allusion to the Mind Stone in Loki’s Scepter “giving” Wanda and Pietro powers (the scepter emits a blue light). According to the Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary, the scepter unlocked these powers, that were rooted deep inside of Wanda, “Finding the goddess within”.

The Bottom Line