Vision? I’ll just throw a little bit of Dick Van Dyke in there, says Bettany
Marvel series Wandavision arrives on Disney+, writes Danielle de Wolfe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is vast, attracting some of the most loyal fans of any film franchise in existence.
Faithful fan bases aside, it also boasts some of cinema’s most intertwined storylines and complex character crossovers. Forthcoming series Wandavision is no exception.
Marking the beginning of a new relationship with the Disney+ streaming service, the nine-part series is the first MCU television series to incorporate characters from previous Marvel film releases.
Starring Godzilla and Captain America: Civil War star Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, the new show also stars British actor Paul Bettany, who previously starred in Avengers: Infinity War, as a synthetic humanoid named Vision.
The new show finds Wanda and Vision living together in a world reminiscent of a quintessential American sitcom. A family complete with two children of their own, the pair inhabit different stylised sitcom eras as the superhuman series progresses.
One of the most anticipated projects of 2021, Wandavision forms part of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In a simplified sense, this means tying the sitcom series into MCU films such as Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, alongside fan favourites including Captain Marvel.
With both characters previously appearing in MCU films – Wanda in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Vision in Avengers: Age Of Ultron – Wanda and Vision’s storylines continue to unravel in a more domestic setting.
“I was like, ‘Wow, this is – feels so different’,” says Bettany, 49, of the Wandavision concept.
“How do I keep [Vision] the same? And then I realised he’s always been becoming something else, you know.”
Combining the sitcom format with cleverly interjected commercials featuring familiar MCU concepts, the Wandavision writers were able to subtly drop hints to wider storylines.
When it came to Wanda’s influences, Olsen, 31, says that she “was like an amalgamation of Mary Tyler Moore and Elizabeth Montgomery.
“I think I accidentally threw in some I Love Lucy in the 70s just because there was so much physical comedy.”
In a similar vein, given his character’s background, Bettany opted for a wideranging, mix of character influences. “He’s Jarvis, he’s part Ultron, he’s part Tony Stark, and he’s omnipotent but he’s also this sort of naïve ingenue.
“I’ll just throw a little bit of Dick Van Dyke in there and a little bit of Hugh Laurie … little smidges, you know.”
“I think what Vision is is just decent and honourable and exists for Wanda.”
“I think there is a lot more slapstick and physical comedy early on,” says Bettany of the series.
“Luckily, by the time we get to the 90s, they’ve all made me look so ridiculous that I didn’t really have to work that hard for the laughs.”
Featuring stylised highlights from the golden age of television, alongside nods to sitcoms from the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, Wandavision embodies classic television through the ages.
● Wandavision streams on Disney+.