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"WandaVision" Has a Secret Queer Connection to the Marvel Comics Universe

We stan Ms. Wanda Maximoff. Here's why.

You either haven’t heard of WandaVision, or you’re tired of hearing about WandaVision.

The wacky new Disney+ show is a daring departure from previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) entries. It’s a perfectly weird mix of classic sit-coms, superheroes, and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. In the first few episodes, it’s already given our beloved Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff (played by Elizabeth Olsen), more depth and screen time than she’d gotten in any of her previous MCU appearances. It’s also given Vision (Paul Bettany) way more to do!

While the show continues the story of Scarlet Witch and Vision, we’re still not sure what that story is yet, which is part of what makes WandaVision so great. The only thing one can say for sure is that the show is somehow linked to Wanda’s trauma (we’ll get there). But the show itself has planted a ton of comic-book Easter eggs alongside a stellar cast of actors.

Let’s break down why you should be stanning this superhero couple.

1. The Amazing Characters

Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. Scarlet Witch

Disney+

She’s the Wanda half of WandaVision and our main character. She’s also one of the most traumatized members of the Avengers. She grew up in the fictional Sokovia with her twin brother, Pierto (Aaron Taylor Johnson). If the burden of being super-attractive twins weren’t enough, they were also imbued with superpowers, hers being ill-defined telekinesis and energy manipulation while his is super-speed. They both survived a bombing that their parents did not, and then the duo briefly aligned with Hydra and Ultron. After her brother was killed, Wanda joined the Avengers and started dating teammate Vision. In Avengers: Infinity War, Wanda was forced to kill Vision, making sure Thanos (Josh Brolin) didn’t get the infinity stone that kept him alive. Thanos then brought Vision back to life just to kill him in front of Wanda, with Wanda dying when Thanos snapped a bunch of folks out of existence.

Her backstory is basically a superhero telenovela. She was part of the battle to save earth when all the snapped-away heroes came back for their final battle in Avengers: Endgame. But unfortunately, Vision didn’t, as he was murdered prior to the snap. There’s a lot of trauma to unpack there, and judging by the way she ejected her friend Geraldine (played by Teyonah Parris) just for mentioning the death of her brother, one would be safe to assume the whacky sitcom reality they’re existing in has something to do with Wanda creating a safe space of sorts for herself.

In the X-Men comics, she is one of the most powerful mutants with reality-warping powers, so we will probably be seeing some of that by the end of the show. She’s also a favorite among gay comic-book nerds. Wanda is almost for sure behind whatever wacky reality our characters seem to be stuck in, but it’s unclear if she’s the mastermind or a victim of her own powers.

Vision

Disney+

The other half of WandaVision, Vision is an android with the consciousness of J.A.R.V.I.S, the personal A.I. of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), who was brought into being by the mind stone. He’s a gentle, mild-mannered who sacrificed himself (albeit pointlessly) to try to save the world. He has been in fewer movies than Wanda, but in his limited appearances, Vision was seen as a loving partner to Wanda and a worthy member of the Avengers.

How he came back to life is anyone’s guess at this point. Last we saw him, he was a dead, gray empty shell with Wanda crying over him. Vision and Wanda may not be a queer couple, but the struggle of them trying to be “normal” and “fit in” is one many queer folks can relate to.

Geraldine/Monica

Disney+

So, this is a semi-spoiler that was revealed in nearly every press release, but Geraldine (Teyonah Parris) is not who she says she is. We now know she’s actually Monica Rambeau, who was last seen in Captain Marvel as a child. In the comics, Monica is a member of the Avengers who has gone by Captain Marvel, Photon, and currently Spectrum. She’s led the team and has been a mainstay since the '80s. In our first encounter with her in WandaVision, it is unclear if she was purposefully lying about who she is or just confused because of whatever the hell is going on just like everyone else.

This version of her seems to be an agent of S.W.O.R.D., but it’s unclear if she has superpowers or not.

Agnes

Disney+

It’s Kathryn Hahn...do we really need to say more? Her character’s identity seems to be a mystery. All we know so far is her name and that she’s the nosy neighbor in town. There have been many theories that she could be the villain (although highly doubtful) or famous comic book witch, Agatha Harkness (somewhat likely). Whoever she really is she is a delight to watch on screen, that's for sure.

Dottie

Disney+

Dottie is the town’s queen bee with the wig and attitude to back it up. She’s portrayed by gay icon Emma Caulfield Ford, who played the beloved Anya on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not unlike Hahn, Caulfield Ford steals most scenes she’s in. Whether or not Dottie is real or some imaginary character is yet to be seen.

We haven’t seen them yet, but Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) from the MCU will be appearing on the show, too.

2. Wiccan's Welcome

Marvel

Here's the tea: Marvel seems to be assembling their MCU team of Young Avengers. Rumors have been flying for a while now! But with Wanda giving birth in the third episode of WandaVision, we’ve at least gotten our first glimpse at twins Wiccan and Speed, a.k.a. Billy and Tommy.

Many a comic-book fan got emotional when Wanda and Vision were going back and forth between names because we knew the twins were coming! Wiccan is basically the gay superstar hero of Marvel Comics — he recently married his longtime partner, Hulkling; has become a full-fledged member of the Avengers; and is nearly as superpowered as his mother. Speed has the super-speed powers of his uncle, Pierto, and was recently hinted at being bisexual.

Will they age as fast outside of their mother’s womb as they did inside it? Will they become full-fledged characters by the end of the series? We have a few weeks before these questions are answered, but light all your queer-themed prayer candles.

3. They're Just Like Us!

Disney+

Wanda is a witch, and Vision is a robot, so as they explicitly state in the show's premiere, they’re not your typical couple. While their sit-com antics might not be real, their struggle to fit it in is. And while they are very much a straight couple, any queer couple can relate to their circumstances.

Wanda has had a tough life and just wants them to vibe in their chill, sit-com utopia, but of course, the vibes here are actually incredibly stressful. Vision’s face is a bright-red robot face, which alone makes it difficult to fit in. Vision has to use his powers to give him the face of Paul Bettany when he’s at work or anywhere outside of his home. Wanda has to use her powers to maintain this faux-normalcy, and it’s all clearly weighing on her.

Wanda even has a confrontation with Dottie in the second episode, in which Dottie basically accuses Wanda of wanting to hurt them all. This leads to one of the tensest scenes in the show so far, where both Dottie and Wanda seem unsure of themselves and what’s going on before Dottie snaps back into her sit-com role. Wanda even somehow ejects Geraldine from their sit-com life just for mentioning real-world events. Wanda wants this marriage and family to work and is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain her happily ever after. Nosy neighbors be damned!

The show is worthy of stanning, and we can’t wait to see how it ends — and how little Billy grows up to be Wiccan.

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