Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for the entire first season of WandaVision
WandaVision’s finale brought closure to the Scarlet Witch and Vision’s main story and opened the path to new twists in the MCU.
In an interview with the New York Times, creator Jac Schaeffer shared a look at the storylines fans didn’t get to see and shared hints about what may happen next.
The TV genre
From the beginning, the series played on the House of M storyline where Wanda’s power creates a new world where mutants are dominant over humans. While that wouldn’t quite be the same in the MCU, the concept of her retreating into a false reality was key.
Instead, Wanda twists the small town of Westview into various sitcom-themed worlds, all as a way of crafting a “perfect” life raising a family with a copy of the Vision.
While Agatha Harkness’ machinations (Kathryn Hahn) played a part, Wanda eventually realized she couldn’t keep living in this fake world and she needed to accept the Vision’s loss. She undid her “hex” to erase both this Vision and their sons from existence before flying off.
Schaeffer stated that the show’s fun was playing with classic sitcoms that were meant to showcase Wanda’s mental state, trying to cope with the loss of Vision and, ultimately, say goodbye to him.
At the center was Vision and Wanda and her infamous story of loss, both in the comics and in the M.C.U. And then there was a lot of speculation: Yes, she creates a false reality, but is it false? Is it real? How does she contain it? What is the nature of her powers? Who are the helpers that are involved? Who are the antagonists? All of that was really up for grabs.
Schaeffer added that while sitcoms were the focus, they did play on the idea of “breaking genres” by having the characters in a CSI-styled crime show. “But once we got in the writers’ room, we stayed with family sitcoms and sitcoms that were on the brighter, optimistic side of the spectrum because it is a fantasy.”
The writer/producer added that other vetoed shows to honor included The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All In the Family, and Roseanne.
Other characters
Schaeffer noted that the use of popular supporting characters Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) was good as she enjoyed both actors. “I was also interested in bringing to the fore supporting characters who traditionally have a smaller presence.”
Schaeffer was a co-writer for the coming Captain Marvel and thus utilized WandaVision to build up Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) gaining superpowers to set up her role in the sequel.
Schaeffer also praised Kathryn Hahn, whose work as Agnes aka Agatha Harkness was an essential element for the entire show.
We had Agatha because she’s so tied to Wanda’s stories in the comics. At first she functioned as a magic expert, and as we got into it, we wanted to have a more antagonistic force. We were writing her and she just leapt off the page. She had this arch, comedic thing and these sick burns. We were trying to figure out who to cast, and Kathryn had come in [to Marvel] for a general meeting and we heard she was in the building. It was like, Oh my God. Everyone got really still. Any writer on the planet, in television, in film, is in love with Kathryn Hahn and wishes for Kathryn Hahn. You sit down for your writer prayers at night and say, bring me a Kathryn Hahn. The next day or the day after, she came in and we pitched her the whole show.
On the casting of Evan Peters as Ralph Bohner, aka the “Fake Pietro,” Schaeffer acknowledged the choice was simply a giant red herring to the audience that there would be a connection between the MCU and the X-Men movies.
She also admitted that “we had no Plan B” in case Peters couldn’t do the show. As it happened, his schedule worked out as having the X-Men Quicksilver in the role was perfect.
Will there be a Season 2?
Schaeffer was tight-lipped on whether WandaVision will be getting a second season. The show ends with Wanda gaining control of the black magic book the Darkhold and seemingly ready to bring back her missing twin sons.
This will lead to the coming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness film. Schaeffer only said that she had to be quiet on plans due to the fluid nature of the MCU.
She did share her views on the final scenes of Wanda, realizing the damage she’d done to the people of Westview, accepting responsibility to give up her dream world and be in reality.
I don’t know if she got what she deserved. She got to say goodbye on her own terms. That’s what’s important to me. Everything that she’s been through has been forced upon her, and things have been wrenched from her. It’s all been in this frenzied, stakes-of-the-universe way. She has to make really big decisions with no time for processing. This goodbye moment is her choice and she got to do it in her own way. That is what she needed to process everything she’s been through and reach acceptance.
Regardless of the future plans, Schaeffer did succeed in producing one of the most buzzed-about MCU projects in years, which is likely to push Wanda’s story for some time.
WandaVision Season 1 now streaming on Disney+.