MCU Theory Files: WandaVision

This is the third in a series of rumour collections about specific MCU IP. The intention is to track and collate scoops, look at the trends, and examine the information. This is a curated collected from those scoopers with either good track records or who haven't been fully debunked (along with selected Reddit/4chan threads that gained significant buzz).

For simplicity's sake I'm using acronyms for the most cited scoopers: RW (insider Roger Wardell), CM (Charles Murphy, who runs his own site), D (Daniel RPK, who has a Patreon and gets most of his info from Production Weekly), TI (The Iluminerdi, who seem to get all their information from Daniel), JC (Jeremy Conrad, who runs his own site--possibly out of the game now), DF (Discussing Film), MS (Mikey Sutton, who uses his own site Geekosity), GWW (Geeks World Wide, who have Daniel as their primary source), LotLB (Lords of the Long Box, used here only for their unique source 'The Black Knight'), The Direct (who also have Daniel as their source), R (Reddit), and 4C (4chan); I use (AS) to represent the consensus view among scoopers where applicable; when one of these luminaries is speculating or mentions something they can't confirm, I've added a small "s" to the acronym (eg, CMs). Not all of the above appear on this list, as not all of them have scooped for the IP, but I've included them to illustrate who I pay attention too--occasionally I'll cite someone not on this list (like Screen Rant), but they aren't tracked routinely because they aren't notable for scoops.

Any errors that follow are my own (please let me know so I can fix them); if there are any significant omissions, I'll happily add them.

The Basics

• Confirmed Character: Scarlet Witch, Vision, Monica Rambeau, Jimmy Woo, Darcy Lewis, Wiccan, Speed, Agatha Harkness (AS)
• Rumoured Characters Appearing: Doctor Strange (AS), Quicksilver (AS, audition leak), Unknown role (Evan Peters, set photos, CM), Hulkling (D, GWW), Chthon (Sutton, R, 4C), Mephisto (CMs, Grace Randolph, 4chan), Nightmare (CMs, 4chan), Bova Ayrshire (Sutton), Vin and Viv (Sutton), Darkhold (Sutton), Amadeus Cho (Sutton), She-Hulk (LotLBs), Agents of SHIELD cameos (R), Maria Rambeau (4C), Ultron (4C), The Grim Reaper (4C), Mordo (R), Magneto (R), Magda (R), Mephisto (R), Ghost Rider (R), Shuma-Gorath (R), Brother Voodoo (R), Clea (R), John Walker (IMDB, since removed)
• Showrunner: Jac Schaeffer (limited credits; her Black Widow script required two emergency re-writes, reducing her credit to 'story by')
• Set Notes: what looks like a flashback with witches including both Wanda and Agatha Harkness; Evan Peters was photographed on-set
• Audition Leaks: kids auditioning to play Wanda's kids reference an uncle (presumably Pietro)
• Official synopsis: "[Two leads] living their ideal suburban lives, begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems."

Other confirmed elements: The show will set-up Doctor Strange 2 (in which Wanda will appear).

Safe assumptions: The plot will include elements of Brian Michael Bendis' House of M (2005), Tom King's Vision (2015-16), and John Byrne's Vision Quest (1989), with the emphasis on shifting Wanda fully into her role as the Scarlet Witch, as well as give Vision an appropriate send-off or transition after his death in Infinity War (he remains the least utilized Phase Two character).

The Scoops

I like colour-coding, so: blue is via official sources or the trades, green is confirmed, and red is debunked; my comments are confined to brackets and are in pink. Dates are largely representative of when I posted about it, unless those dates are not close to the original. I will note that there have been far fewer set leaks from WandaVision then from Falcon and the Winter Soldier, such that we know far more about the latter than the former.

• (January) THR reports that Black Widow writer Jac Schaeffer will be the showrunner
• (January) 4C: Vision is reborn in Avengers: Endgame and reunites with Scarlet Witch. They attempt to lead normal lives in the suburbs of New York, but Vision is no longer connected to the Mind Stone and is therefore cold and emotionless. Scarlet Witch attempts to use her powers, which are connected to the Mind Stone, to restore Vision’s “soul”, with disastrous results. Described as a “psychological thriller”, light on action and heavy on atmosphere, and exploring the lead characters’ personal issues. Vision will be in human form for most of it and become the antagonist, as Scarlet Witch slowly realizes she accidentally allowed a dark spirit to possess him. Agatha Harkness will be featured as a mysterious figure attempting to reveal to Scarlet Witch secrets of her past, and there will be a subplot about the public’s backlash against human/machine relations once the true nature of Vision and Scarlet Witch’s relationship is revealed [Nearly all of this seems debunked to me, but there's still some wiggle room so we'll have to wait and see]
• (April) Elizabeth Olsen confirms the series will film in the fall
• (May) 4C: echoes the above briefly (Vision gets rebuilt, Wanda tries to give him a soul and he instead gets possessed by a dark force. More of a psychological thriller with a 1950's aesthetic. Wanda and Vision end up living in the suburbs where the neighborhood is racist against Wanda's robosexuality. The witch Agatha Harkness might appear) [See above]
• (August): Film & Television Alliance says filming will begin September 21st
• (October) D: the first three episodes will mirror different eras of sitcoms, beginning with Wanda and Vision as a couple, as parents of babies, and then as parents of children; the final three episodes will be like an MCU film and at the end the kids (Wiccan and Speed) will be alive in the main MCU timeline
• (October) 4C (same link and mostly about Doctor Strange 2): Wanda creates the Multiverse of Madness in her show
• (October) R: Wanda creates a pocket dimension that includes Vision and her children--Pietro (aka Quicksilver) is also alive; Agatha Harkness is the main villain and a disciple of Nightmare
• (October) Sutton: The show will help set-up an adaptation of Hickman's 2015 Secret Wars
• (November) 4C: Wanda is depressed and homeless and runs into a disguised Agatha Harkness who offers her a deal--to create a pocket dimension that's a perfect world for Wanda; in that world Vision is alive and they have two children (Wiccan and Speed); Agatha plans to kill her once the two children are older; Jimmy Woo recruits Darcy and Monica Rambeau to solve a case involving Agatha, which leads them to the pocket dimension; Ultron, Doctor Strange, and Maria Rambeau will all cameo; Chthon and the Grim Reaper are Agatha's minions [This also seems completely false]
• (December) CM: one source says Nightmare has been cast and will be the main villain
• (December) R: she's given sorcery classes by Agatha Harkness in disguise; enters a perfect life with Vision that involves leaving the prime timeline (resurrecting Pietro in it)--this is noticed by SWORD who invite Jimmy and Darcy to help investigate; they find the disguised Agatha and figure out who she is; at the same time Monica discovers that people around the world are suffering from terrible nightmares; Wanda gives birth to twins who have powers and Agatha helps her with them; Vision is possessed by Mephisto which causes the couple to battle villains; Monica, Jimmy, and Darcy discover that Nightmare is responsible for Agatha's actions having blackmailed her--they are transferred into Wanda's reality; Agatha realizes she's been discovered and attacks, killing Vision--Wanda freaks out and merges her reality with the main MCU reality--Doctor Strange becomes aware of this and helps Wanda control her powers, but she's seized by Nightmare; the various supporting heroes help her battle herself for control and she eventually pushes Nightmare out; Strange becomes Wanda's tutor and Nightmare's ultimate plan is revealed [This also doesn't seem to match what we know]
• (December) Murphy (same link): Josh Stamberg has a small supporting role as an FBI agent
• (December) R: (Transitions into Doctor Strange 2 without indicating where that transition occurs): Wanda creates a pocket dimension to help her deal with her grief; Vision and Pietro are alive; Agatha Harkness is working with Chthon; Jimmy and Darcy are working for the FBI and investigating Wanda's disappearance; Wanda is somehow tempted by Chthon and this opens the door for his master Nightmare; Nightmare takes control of Wanda; Baron Mordo is helping Nightmare because he's promised to get rid of sorcerers; Brother Voodoo and Clea are from other Sanctums and recruited by Doctor Strange to help; Shuma-Gorath is another crony of Nightmare's; Ghost Rider may have a cameo [There's no evidence of Mordo, Voodoo, or Clea in the production]
• (January) LotLB reported a rumour that She-Hulk will appear and break the fourth wall [Given when she was cast, this seems highly unlikely]
• (January) Daniel Hulkling coming
• (January) TI Hulkling confirmed (described as a Skrull needing help from SWORD)
• (February) R: Wiccan & Speed; Agatha enters Wanda’s fantasy as her “neighbor” and eventually infiltrates the delusion in unclear ways, but she appeared to be an anti-hero from what I saw; Monica Rambeau...is kickass and will be a fan favorite...but I’m worried her fate won’t be as great.. a clip I saw showed her getting presumably mortally wounded in battle. The sitcom concept is insane. Each episode has a different cheesy intro based on what sitcom it’s emulating and it’s insane. Hints at Pietro’s return.
• (May) 4C: There are some really psychedelic pictures. ... ...the scene where Kathryn Hahn grabs Wanda from the reality she finds herself in, and it was the Brady Bunch's pastel from the 80s, and from the real world, which is dark and chaotic. Another scene in which Kat Dennings [Darcy] dresses as a cleaner and forces her into an astral project [projection] so she can exit the role she was housed in. The show seems to be half sitcom, half blockbuster. The last and last scene was their living room and their kids, but everything exploded. Seeing many different versions of Vision, their children, Randall Park [Jimmy Woo], Wanda yells and explodes with different dimensions and red lights
• (May) 4C (very very long, so paraphrased): A doctor wants to reunite with his dead wife and daughter. Features Hulk and Pym talking about time travel opening up multiverses. Wanda is living off the grid and its implied she hasn’t used her powers since Endgame. She uses her powers to create an image of Vision and freaks out. SWORD is looking for Wanda, so [Monica Rambeau]) [and otheres?) meet with her--explaining they need to reassemble the most powerful Avengers for the next Thanos-level threat. Wanda says she’s not ready and flees. The doctor has followed her and they talk--he has a support facility for those struggling with the Blip and she agrees to go with him. He gives her a room and meets Kathryn Hahn [Agatha Harkness] who is also be treated. Wanda watches some shows and it flashes back to her and Quicksilver as kids watching them. Darcy is also at the facility and she and Wanda talk. The doctor urges Wanda's psychiatrist to try and trigger Wanda by bringing up Vision--Agatha is also working for the doctor--and this makes Wanda upset and she wants to leave the facility, but Agatha is able to calm her down. Jimmy Woo, in the meantime, has figured out that Wanda is with the doctor. [The poster never calls Hahn's character Agatha, but I filled it in just to keep naming consistent. The plot seems utterly preposterous]
• (May) 4C: The beginning is that Wanda is living a secret life in Europe away from the government and agents. One day the agents find her (Monica [Rambeau] from Captain Marvel) and want her to help America just in case there is another invasion. However in the shadows is a former Hydra doctor from The Winter Soldier who also help in the past be a psychologist for Wanda in Sarcarvia [Sokovia] and he pleads with Wanda to join him in his facility. So they meet on a train when she escapes the agents and she goes to America with him under the conditional he is to help her make peace with her hauntings. There she meets a lot of people including but not limited to Darcy from Thor who is also have hauntings of the past, her spouse who died of cancer in Endgame. So, they become friends and watch old American shows for memories. These memories is when the doctor breaks Wanda from her refusal to speak of the Avengers and she becomes upset to leave to Europe, but she keeps there for more money (I hate this part, seriously.) The secret is that the Hydra doctor wants to go to the Endgame version of the past to live with his dead mother and daughter. So he will make force Wanda to open a portal to that past, but first, she needs to use her powers. So they send her with electricity and tie her up to the machines that help people with their bad memories of the past.
• (June) CM Evan Peters will appear in an unknown role (he guesses Quicksilver, although includes the possibility of villains like Mephisto)--his appearance was confirmed when he was photographed on-set
• (June) Grace Randolph repeats the Mephisto idea (doesn't claim its confirmed, just that it's common speculation)
• (June) Sutton puts out a WandaVision/Doctor Strange 2 spec list: Bova Ayrshire; Viv and Vin; Agatha Harkness; the Darkhold; Chthon; Ghost Boxes (objects); Amadeus Cho; and Clea
• (June) Hill the show will have more than six episodes (based on a stunt person's CV)
• (July) Murphy says the 'Vision Quest' storyline from John Byrne's West Coast Avengers has influenced the show, as there's a subplot where Vision's disassembled body is having to be gathered to be put back together again
• (September) Murphy says Darcy will be key in recovering Vision's lost memories
• (November) Daniel says Aaron-Taylor Johnson will return as Quicksilver, later clarifying this confirmation is due to toy leaks that look like the actor [there was also a leaked audition tape for Wanda's kids leaked months earlier that referenced an 'uncle']
• (November) Sutton says WandaVision will confirm that Wanda (and her brother) are mutants
• (January) 4chan claims Quicksilver (Aaron-Taylor Johnson) will appear twice--once in a flashback and once as Wanda's neighbour; Monica will get her powers in the show; this is Vision's last appearance in the MCU; Evan Peters is either Nightmare or Mephisto

Analysis

When we last saw Jimmy Woo he was in the FBI and in charge of Ant-Man's house arrest in Ant-Man 2; Darcy has been out of commission since 2014's Thor 2 (when she was still Jane Foster's intern), and Monica we've only seen as a child in Captain Marvel (where she got to play games with a young Skrull). The only past that seems relevant is Darcy's, since it has changed the least. How involved each of them are also isn't clear--Kat Dennings is a pretty popular actress; Monica is part of the Captain Marvel IP and will need the show to help develop her for Captain Marvel 2; as for Woo, I suspect Marvel likes the actor and, needing a law enforcer for the show and wanting someone fans might recognize, went back to Randall Park.

The premise is clear: Wanda is going to create a reality where Vision exists and they have a fairy tale relationship (the sitcom version of one), but SWORD has to disrupt them and bring her back to reality (the assumption is that her reality warping is causing problems outside her little neighbourhood). At the end of this process we'll get her kids drawn into the main universe to help set-up the Young Avengers, while her reality warping sets up Doctor Strange 2.

One of the puzzling elements of the show is why Wanda's relives sitcom eras her character would be too young to have grown up with (Elizabeth Olsen was born in 1989)--I'm curious if we'll get an in-universe reason for that, or if the show simply hopes we'll bathe in the nostalgia and not think about it.

I believe the plot leaks above are all guesses, so what do we know? Murphy's revelation that Vision will need to be reassembled poses the question: does this occur before Wanda's sitcom adventures, or does that happen while she's living in her altered reality? Could Woo and the others be trying to find and assemble the real thing while Wanda has recreated Vision on her own? We don't know, but the likelihood is the latter.

We're also unsure about Agatha Harkness' function in the show. While sometimes a villain, given that we aren't getting Doctor Strange in his role from House of M, I think we'll get a mentor relationship from her and she'll take the Strange role. If that's correct it means we don't know the main villain. The idea that it could be Nightmare or Mephisto is plausible, although as more interesting characters than the upcoming Kang I'm not sure Marvel would risk diminishing the Jonathan Majors character.

As for Quicksilver, it makes sense for Wanda to bring back Aaron Taylor-Johnson's version (Johnson had space in his schedule to shoot scenes, but has denied being involved). Whatever the case, I don't think any version of Quicksilver is likely to last beyond the series, since Speed is essentially the same character and, however uninteresting he might be, I don't think the MCU wants to duplicate speedsters.

I'm dubious that the MCU will stick with the traditional idea of Magneto as Wanda's father--the comics retconned that relationship recently (when the rights were at Fox), but it's far simpler to keep the retcon (at least for this series--maybe in Multiverse of Madness we'll get the change). Some have suggested Scarlet Witch will be the antagonist in Doctor Strange 2, but I disagree. I think her actions will be the source of the conflict, but that her show will end (at least nominally) happily--other than Infinity War, all MCU productions end that way.

The above is pretty rambling. To sum up, The function of the show is to bring forward Scarlet Witch as her comicbook self and kickstart the Multiverse (for Doctor Strange 2 and Spider-Man 3). I think its highly likely that the villain for Doctor Strange 2 will be introduced in the show, but whether this is our Thanos-like antagonist for Phase Four or not is uncertain.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)