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the escapism of wand
WANDAVISION, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first television show, is an exploration of mental illness and unhealthy coping mechanisms under the guise of the action-filled origin story of Scarlet Witch, the alias of Wanda Maximoff, an Avenger with the ability to warp reality. Prior to this show, the last time Wanda Maximoff was seen in the MCU, she was forced to sacrifice Vision, her love-interest over the last few films. She then disappeared for the five years following Thanos’ “Snap,” which killed half of the universe’s population. When Marvel’s audiences are hurtled into the first episode of WandaVision, which takes place after the events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019), they are left to wonder how one of the most powerful Avengers has ended up in a 1950s style sitcom, acting alongside the previouslydeceased Vision. WandaVision slowly reveals the mystery of the creation of Westview, the New Jersey town in which the story takes place. As the story unravels, Marvel fans gain understanding and compassion for the lead character Wanda. The enigmatic town of Westview is slowly revealed to be the product of Wanda’s manipulation of reality, as her grief resulting from Vision’s death has led her to create a world without any reminders of her trauma. Throughout the show,
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Wanda’s emotional journey features mental illness, predominantly escapism, trauma, and depression. By intertwining these issues with light-hearted storylines, WandaVision effectively delivers a promising message to its viewers: even a Marvel superhero can be afflicted by mental illness. The first episode of WandaVision is marked by disillusion and misunderstanding, as the audience is left grabbing for any allusion to previous MCU plot lines. The episode opens with an idyllic storyline -- Wanda and Vision are moving into a new home after recently being married. The episode has a 1950s comedic and artistic style, resembling the classic television show I Love Lucy. In Episode 1, Wanda plays a devoted housewife with an American accent, a drastic change from earlier portrayals of the character as a foreigner from Sokovia and a modern day Avenger. Meanwhile, Vision works an office job to provide for the family. The couple is also welcomed into the neighborhood by Agatha, their friendly neighbor. The episode mostly focuses on a quirky sitcom plot, inserting only small, easyto-miss symbols that reference the traumatic underlying cause of Westview’s existence. The first symbol is presented when Wanda
