This is the most exciting rumor about Marvel’s only TV show this year

• The first Marvel movies and TV shows of MCU Phase 4 should debut this fall, with WandaVision having been confirmed for a winter launch on Disney+.
• A first full trailer for the TV show gave us a look at new footage from the series, seemingly confirming some of the older rumors that said Wanda would create a sitcom-like universe of her own where she’d have a happy family life with Vision.
• In light of the revelations from the trailer and considering what we know about a critical MCU Phase 4 film, an older report may turn out to be the most exciting WandaVision leak so far.

Disney premiered the first full trailer for WandaVision earlier this week, confirming that the TV show will hit Disney+ this year. We speculated last week that it might be the only Marvel TV series to hit the streaming service last year, and that appears to be the case. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which had a tentative August release date before the novel coronavirus shut down productions and closed theaters, is only coming next year. And there’s no word about Loki. We also know that Black Widow has been delayed to 2021. I already explained that the film might introduce a key element that will further be explored in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which would explain why the TV show is delayed. That’s the thing with Marvel movies and TV series part of the MCU Phase 4. Marvel wants the audience to experience them in a particular order, so postponing the films would directly impact films.

WandaVision might not be linked directly to Black Widow, but Marvel already confirmed that Wanda will also appear in the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness film set to premiere after the TV show hits Disney+. And one of the most exciting Strange 2 rumors says that it’s Scarlett Witch that becomes the villain of the sequel. Whether that will happen or not remains to be seen, but we do know that Kevin Feige considered Wanda the most powerful Avenger right now. And the most powerful Avenger could easily be turned to the dark side—especially Wanda, and especially considering what we saw in the trailer. In fact, in light of the revelations from the trailer, I now believe that what appeared to be an inconsequential leak in early 2020 might be even more important for the TV show and the entire MCU going forward.

Before Disney shared with the world all these extra WandaVision scenes, we knew the TV show would have two different sides. One half of the series would play out pretty much like a sitcom, and that much we saw in the trailer. We’re going to experience scenes and settings reminiscent of various popular sitcoms in the half of the film that shows Wanda’s imaginary life with Vision. From the trailer, we’re mostly looking at a somewhat whimsical, almost problem-free universe where Wanda won’t have to deal with the pain of the real world. The other half of the series would be based in the present and feature plenty of action.

In the real world, she lost her family before being experimented on. She then lost her brother while becoming a member of the Avengers. She got a new family in return and a special bond with a new superhero. But it’s because of Wanda that the world turned against superheroes, demanding oversight over their action. Refusing to sign the Sokovia accords, Wanda went into hiding, only to return when the entire Avengers team was needed. She then had to kill Vision as a last resort save, only to experience his death again when Thanos removed the Mind Stone from his structure. Wanda then died a horrible death, only to return to the same state. It may have been five years for most people, but she hasn’t been able to deal with the new loss in her life. And she never got her way with Thanos.

The Wanda we see in the trailer is a different person. She lives a much happier life with the man she loves, and she has children. It’s clear from the trailer that the entire thing isn’t real, and even this fantasy world has problems. But the point I’m getting to is that Wanda might favor this universe over her real life. Monica Rambeau’s violent expulsion from this fantasy universe might be proof of Wanda’s denial and possible resistance to returning to reality.

This is where that older leak comes in handy. Where all else fails, Doctor Strange might come in handy, and he could save the day. Benedict Cumberbatch will reportedly appear in the finale of WandaVision, according to a Murphy’s Multiverse scoop from mid-December that ComicBook reported on. The rumor was posted at the time on the Patreon account of Charles Murphy rather than on his website, where he revealed other details about WandaVision around the same time. For example, it was Murphy who mentioned the structure of the TV show, and he mentioned Wanda and Vision’s tweens well before Disney’s first teasers confirmed they will be part of the show.

Of all the Avengers that are still on call, only a few of them can comprehend the multiverse, and it’s only Stephen Strange that can navigate it at will. Scott Lang and the Pyms certainly know the scientific part about a part of it, and everyone in the team gets how the time travel heist worked. Peter Parker is also inclined to accept the multiverse. But neither of them can navigate it as easily as Strange. If Wanda is indeed stuck into an alternate universe that she won’t want to leave, it’s Strange who’d have a chance to reach her and attempt to bring her back. That’s why Cumberbatch might appear in the finale of the film. Not to mention that his cameo would be an excellent hook for Strange 2 and a clear message to audiences that MCU TV series on Disney+ should be on their radars.

Marvel already confirmed that Wanda will appear in Strange 2, and that is another argument in favor of having a Doctor Strange cameo in WandaVision.

With all that in mind, it’s easy to see that Doctor Strange might ruin Wanda’s entire universe, pulling her out of the world she has created. And that Wanda might perceive him as an enemy, as well as anyone else who threatens her imaginary reality. And this could very well explain why Wanda may become the villain in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Doctor Strange sequel might start right after WandaVision events, when it comes to MCU chronology.

That said, we still lack plenty of pieces from the board, as we connect all these disparate leaks. The WandaVision plot rumors are yet to be verified, as is Cumberbatch’s appearance in the TV show.

Chris Smith started writing about gadgets as a hobby, and before he knew it he was sharing his views on tech stuff with readers around the world. Whenever he's not writing about gadgets he miserably fails to stay away from them, although he desperately tries. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.