‘WandaVision’ Finally Gives the MCU a Jolt of Romance

Marvel’s WandaVision is breaking many barriers for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s the first ever live action Marvel show for Disney+, the first deep onscreen exploration of the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) as characters, and a nostalgic tribute to classic sitcoms. However the most remarkable thing about WandaVision might be the way it thrusts romance front and center. While the MCU has toyed with magic, space operas, spy thrillers, and absurdist comedy, it’s never really dug into one major part of the human experience: falling in love. WandaVision is giving us the first big romance in the MCU that skips past the flirtation stage and gets right to the sexy, soul-shattering stuff.

WandaVision opens with Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, coasting into the black and white suburban paradise of Westview with her new husband Vision. The two quickly settle into newlywed bliss, although they clearly don’t know how they got married, wound up in this picture perfect sitcom world, or what’s, uh, going on. The series itself plays out as both an homage to classic American sitcoms and a creepy dream world where Wanda, Vision, and the residents of Westview appear to be trapped. But WandaVision also revels in the fact that Wanda and Vision have a real hot romance. One of the very few in all of the MCU.

Okay, before you throw your Cap and Peggy (or Cap and Bucky) fan art at me in disgust, bear in mind that the MCU is bizarrely light on real romance. Starting with 2008’s Iron Man, movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have a habit of introducing love interests as sparring partners for the heroes. Starting with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts and continuing with the likes of Thor‘s Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Ant-Man’s Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), and even the MCU’s version of “M.J.” (Zendaya), Marvel’s female love interests are usually there for more rat-a-tat dialogue than steamy make-outs. Romantic sub-plots are there to provide a fun foil for the hero and to raise the stakes in the final battle. The point is flirtation, not consummation. Forget all about true love!

Except WandaVision revels in romance.

WandaVision uses the conceit of classic sitcoms to emphasize the myths these shows created about the American version of “Happily Ever After.” In a post-World War II world, a happy ending for a couple wasn’t inheriting the family farm or moving to a brave new world. It was settling in the suburbs in a spacious single-family home surrounded by nosy neighbors and full of love. The only misunderstandings are comic. Mistakes are farcical. Every day ends with the problem at hand solved and fade out punctuated with a loving kiss. WandaVision uses sitcoms to not only hint at the trauma Wanda is attempting to suppress, but illustrate the height and depth of her passion for Vision.

From the opening credits of WandaVision to the last frame we’ve seen so far, Wanda and Vision are depicted as idyllically in love. And they have actual passion from each other! Between Wanda’s sultry welcome party for Vision and the fun they have under the covers after their beds miraculously join together, WandaVision makes it clear that its main couple gets physical with each other. There are even jokes about Vision donning a sexy costume that Wanda wears for the talent show!

While Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Captain America (Chris Evans) have a tender love that spans across a century, theirs is a tragic bond that is consummated offscreen. The rest of the MCU romances are slapstick, juvenile, or hardly given time to breathe. WandaVision is a show emphatically about the dream of being in love. All signs may point to Wanda’s sitcom life being a cruel farce, but her devotion to Vision is as real as sin. The two fell in love off-screen, but declared their feelings for each other in Avengers: Infinity War. WandaVision simply gives the couple the space to be in love. And it’s the first time the MCU has gifted this to any of its main couples. (Including Cap and Peggy!)

WandaVision is giving the MCU its first real hot-blooded romance. It’s a long-time coming and shows us just how badly the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs more love stories stat.

Where to stream WandaVision