Disney Plus debuted the first full trailer for its upcoming Marvel series WandaVision last night during the Emmys, and for a moment, everyone in the world was saying “What the hell was that?” And I mean that in the very best way.
Already theories are flying around as to how WandaVision features into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. The most convincing theory, in my opinion, involves a wine bottle that is prominently featured in the trailer. The wine bottle’s label could directly reference the comic series “House of M” where Wanda (a.k.a. the Scarlett Witch here played by Elizabeth Olsen) has a nervous breakdown and attempts to change the fabric of reality in an attempt to restore her lost children. It could fit here as she attempts to bring back Vision (Paul Bettany) who was murdered by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. If they go down that path, then it opens up what could lead to a new phase in Disney’s Marvel projects – potentially even into Disney’s take on the beloved X-Men series.
If all of this seems very inside baseball comic book nerdery, it definitely is.
What’s interesting is that, now that the Television Academy so broadly embraced The Mandalorian, do they have an appetite for Marvel products? Right now, sight unseen, I would say Creative Arts Emmy nominations look likely. Particularly given the whole Pleasantville vibe the trailer offers as it time hops into the 1950s and other eras. Production design, visual effects, costumes, and other technical categories seem likely to register based on the trailer.
But The Mandalorian was very straight-forward, narratively speaking, and it benefitted from online buzz about the undeniable cuteness of The Child (a.k.a. Baby Yoda). It remains to be seen if WandaVision offers anything in that vein. One thing in its favor: the pilot is directed by Matt Shakman who was Emmy-nominated for his direction of The Great‘s pilot.
So, here is the much-discussed trailer for WandaVision which premieres on Disney+ in December with six episodes.
