Marvel has not had a new movie in theaters for more than a year, but the MCU is definitely still alive – just in a different venue. WandaVision, the first in a series of long-awaited streaming series from the studio, will appear on Disney + next week. A select group of TV critics and journalists have been invited to watch the first few episodes of the show, and the good news is that reactions on social media have been overwhelmingly positive. (Full reviews will drop over the next few days.) Not only are Scarlet Witch / Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) together again, but the show leans completely into the epic strangeness of it all and gives a wonderful ‘ a tip for the classic American sitcom in the process.
Critics say this on social media WandaVision season 1:
IS IT VALUE?
It’s very, very precise, fresh, funny (cue lag track) and counter-intuitive. The bigger picture will be revealed (we only get a glimpse so far that everything is not right in Westview), but I do not want to leave the city. – Nikki Novak, Fandango
The reason the #MCU is king of the hill is @Kevfeige’s amazing leadership and willingness to take risks as you will see in ‘Wandavision’. – Steven Weintraub, Collider
A tremendous mixture of great strangeness and sore heart. – Alex Biese, USA Today
This show is crazy about banana pants – in the best way possible! – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
HOW DOES IT FEEL BACK IN THE MCU?
(Photo by © Marvel Studios)
Strange, fun and simply amazing, it feels so great to be in the MCU again! – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
Marvel is going really wild with its, well, vision. – Tanzim Pardiwalla, Mashable India
#WandaVision is a weird way to return to the MCU (remember, it was important to be the fourth project of Phase 4) and will take some tweaking for those looking for a traditional superhero story, but I think it will grip people more and more. if they accept that it is doing its own thing. – Eric Goldman, Fandom
DOES IT WORK AS A CELEBRATION OF CLASSIC SITCOMS?
(Photo by © Marvel Studios)
It’s an explosion to watch. It’s so committed to the sitcom structure of storytelling that it feels like a daring risk – but it bears fruit and builds a mystery. – Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com
This is not a parody or a funny attack on classic sitcoms. This is the most respectful, sincere celebration of the art form I have ever seen … Ever? – Brett White, decision
It’s amazing, weird, loaded with sitcom tropes, and what I did not expect, quite scary. I feel like more. – Chris Hayner, GameSpot
Fans of vintage sitcoms will adore their dedication to the details, while still being really funny. – Peter Sciretta, SlashFilm
Also – and I can not stress it enough – hooray for half an hour (more or less) episodes! It’s one of my favorite things to be confident enough to be concise. – Alex Biese, USA Today
HOW ARE PAULUS BETTANIE AND ELIZABETH OLSEN?
(Photo by © Marvel Studios)
Paul Bettany absolutely deserves to be presented as the best actor in a comedy during each award ceremony.
– Brett White, decision
Bettany especially likes it and it shows. – Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com
Elizabeth Olsen’s performance is truly outstanding and one of the situations “Man, if awards are not snobbish about superhero stuff, she’s likely to get an Emmy nomination”. – Eric Goldman, Fandom
Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany have never been better than these characters, and I can not wait to see where it comes from. – Alex Biese, USA Today
ALL THE EMMYS FOR ELIZABETH OLSEN IN #WandaVision – Ash Crossan, ET Online
The first two installments of WandaVision will be premiered at Disney + on Friday, January 15th. The remaining four episodes will debut on subsequent Fridays.
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