WandaVision is a quirky yet enigmatic comedy brought to fans from the minds behind the MCU. Instead of being an action-packed good-versus-evil series with choreographed fight scenes and special effects, fans have been given a strange homage to sitcoms of the past... or have they?
With Vision's soul practically ripped out and Wanda mourning his loss, this is not where the characters were last seen in the MCU. And with several glitches in their reality, a lapse in memory, and a mysterious hand on a remote, something is definitely afoot. The only question is the one on everyone's mind, what's really going on?
It’s a Simulation
Let's begin by getting the most obvious element out of the way. From the sight of the hidden figure clutching the remote in the first episode, viewers can assume that nothing the two characters are experiencing is real.
It's all some sort of fabrication being put together by whoever is holding that remote. They're on some sort of glorified puppet show and there is someone bigger pulling the strings. But why?
They’re Being Studied
Given the fact that Vision is out of commission (or so one would think) and Wanda is the one with the phenomenal reality-warping powers, one might assume she is being studied by some organization. Whether for good or evil, both characters could be under a microscope for some reason.
They might be testing the limits of Wanda's manipulation powers, more than likely to see what can be changed and to what extent. After all, she can be quite the aid or quite the weapon.
It’s a Trap
Putting superheroes in simulated or false realities is a common ploy by supervillains, so why should Wandavision be any different? Characters like Galactus and Arcade have toyed with their victim's reality on multiple occasions, maybe there's a greater threat getting ready to be revealed?
There have already been a few more than suspicious moments in the first two episodes to warrant some questioning from the characters. Something shadowy is definitely going on in their little sitcom world.
It’s a Cell
There's also the notion that maybe they aren't just being kept busy, but being contained. This might all be some elaborate configuration meant to keep both characters away from anyone who might see them, or even from those looking for them.
Things are definitely rocky after the events of Endgame, who's to say a new threat didn't rise and pluck both Wanda and vision into their clutches and control?
It’s an Illusion
Then again, maybe things aren't as technological as they appear. Perhaps this could be an elaborate illusion created by someone dabbling in the mystic arts?
If it is, the Sorcerer Supreme should definitely be notified. Since the Reality Stone is still in Avengers possession, there might be something going on elsewhere. Unless Wanda or Vision suddenly decided to pinch it from Dr. Strange.
It’s an Afterlife
As any comic book aficionado will know, no one ever stays truly dead in the realm of superheroes. And since Vision is the only "dead" character present, perhaps this is Wanda's attempt at seeing her departed partner?
Since Vision does technically have a soul, it wouldn't be out of the question to see him in an afterlife existence. A bit of a stretch for some, but not outside the realm of possibilities.
It’s Parts of the Multiverse
Perhaps what Wanda, Vision, and the audience are experiencing isn't just one reality, but a series of them. As seen with Dr. Strange, there are hundreds of universes, hundreds of realities, and hundreds of possibilities that exist in the fabric of the multiverse. What if this isn't one thread but several?
Wanda and Vision seem to be inhabiting different TV sitcom eras and genres. What if these aren't the same universe? From the realm of black-and-white to glorious technicolor, it makes perfect sense that they could be realm-hopping.
It’s Some Sort of Loop
Although Dormammu is far from this plane of existence (hopefully), it could be possible that Wanda and Vision are in some sort of TV-themed loop. What if they're actually in some retro-inspired time-loop?
It could be possible that Wanda and Vision are in some universe composed of or inspired by retro TV reruns. There have been some rewind-looking glitches that further this notion, so they might be stuck on someone's TV set for all they know.
It’s Vision’s Idle Programming
It's already been said that no one is ever truly dead in the realm of superheroes, and since Vision is technically an AI in an artificial body, he technically isn't truly out of the picture. A program is awfully hard to kill, just ask Ultron.
It's a safe bet that Vison's code is floating somewhere in the banks of Stark Industries or Avengers HQ. So why wouldn't this be his attempt at imagining what life might be with the woman he loves until he's brought back to a physical form?
It’s Wanda’s Doing
On the other hand, it might be Wanda actually pulling the strings. Who's to say she isn't manipulating her own reality as a way of coping with her grief over Vision's loss?
What if it's actually Wanda causing the glitches in reality, the kooky sitcom situations, and the voices from beyond are actually allies trying to pull her out of it? Hopefully, the oncoming episodes will unravel more of the mystery.