The MCU’s Phase 4 got off to a good start, and a big reason for that was WandaVision. The Emmy award-winning show was a different kind of MCU vehicle, a meditation on grief and love. While the ending devolved into clichéd MCU spectacle, it’s still special in that it took a lot of chances that the MCU usually doesn’t. In a lot of ways, WandaVision wore its comic influences on its sleeve and this did a lot for the show.
WandaVision got a lot from the comics right and those were usually the best parts of the show. It also took a lot of concepts from the comics and didn’t do justice to them at all.
10 Got Right From The Comics: It Accurately Represented Vision’s & Agatha’s Power Levels
WandaVision showcased some rather powerful characters and did a great job with showing just how powerful Vision and Agatha were. The MCU has always been good about getting Vision’s power level right, and White Vision and Wanda’s Vision were very accurate in how powerful they were. While their fight turned into a rather typical MCU brawl, it was still a great showcase of their powers.
The show also did a great job of capturing just how powerful Agatha was as well, making her a credible threat to Wanda and Vision. In the comics, Agatha isn’t the most powerful sorceress, but she makes up for it with knowledge and the show did a great job of showing that.
9 It Ruined: Scarlet Witch & Monica Rambeau’s Power Levels Are Way Too Low
A lot of people like to point to House Of M as an inspiration for WandaVision, but the two are very different. For instance, MCU Wanda is much weaker than comic Wanda and WandaVision flatly outlines that. In House Of M, Wanda changed the entire world and her “No More Mutants” moment affected the entire multiverse; in WandaVision she has trouble just keeping control of one town.
Monica Rambeau was also majorly nerfed from the comics. Comic Monica can completely control and absorb energy and move at the speed of light. The MCU made her much weaker, possibly so she doesn’t overshadow eventual co-star and the hero Marvel Studios decreed the most powerful: Captain Marvel.
8 Got Right From The Comics: Wanda & Vision’s Love Was The Anchor Of The Series
The love story between Wanda and Vision has always been one of comics’ most interesting. The two got close as Avengers and fell in love, Vision overcoming his programming and Wanda finally opening up to someone. They went through a lot with each other and their love stayed strong for years. The show did a great job with that.
All of the show’s most heartwarming moments come from their love and it made the show better. The MCU hasn’t exactly done a great job with love stories but by using the comics as a guide, it was able to make something that was very emotionally affecting.
7 It Ruined: Tying The Scarlet Witch’s Power To The Book Of Darkhold Takes Away Her Responsibility For Future Actions
One of the best things about Avengers Disassembled is that it pretty much did away with all of the excuses used over the years for why Scarlet Witch turns evil. Her possession by Chthon wasn’t a thing that actually happened, chaos magic wasn’t real— it was all just Wanda being too powerful and having a life that was too difficult to deal with.
It played up Wanda’s culpability in her actions; the power was hers and so were the problems. By tying her powers to the Book of Darkhold, anything bad she does can be handwaved away as it not being her fault but the demonic power of the book, which misses the point of Wanda’s development.
6 Got Right From The Comics: Monica Rambeau Is Great
Monica Rambeau was a big deal in the ’80s. An African-American woman taking over the mantle of Captain Marvel, she stepped up immediately and became a fan favorite, eventually becoming leader of the Avengers. She was a great character and the fans loved her. Like many characters, she faded over time but fans are thrilled every time she shows up.
While they nerfed her power level, the show did a great job of making Monica a wonderful character. She never gave up and did her best to solve the problem with a minimum of fuss. Hopefully, she’ll have a bright future in the MCU.
5 It Ruined: Having Wanda Create And Destroy Tommy & Billy Limits Future Storylines
The whole thing with Tommy and Billy in WandaVision was a misstep. In the comics, the two children were created from portions of Mephisto’s soul and the Avengers had to work together to get rid of them. This little plot point was enough to build enmity between Wanda and those who she rightfully saw as having taken away her children.
By having Wanda completely behind their creation and destruction, it takes away a story beat that could have been used down the line. While making Wanda responsible for something was good, this was a place where it wasn’t needed.
4 Got Right From The Comics: It Got Wanda’s Motivations Correct
While WandaVision and House Of M were quite different, one place they converge is in Wanda’s motivation. In House Of M, Wanda changed the world not only so she could have her children back but also so her family and friends could be happy. In WandaVision, she took over Westview so she could bring the Vision back to life, something that made her happy and gave him another chance at life.
Wanda’s motivations were always alternately selfish and altruistic. In both stories, she wanted what she wanted and didn’t care about the little people but she also tried to make it good for the ones she did care about.
3 It Ruined: Agatha Harkness Is So Much Better Than Being A By-The-Numbers MCU Villain
Agatha Harkness has a rich history in the Marvel Universe, one that is pretty much impossible in the MCU because of WandaVision. While their origins are similar enough, making her into a villain wastes a lot of cool stuff that she could otherwise do, whether that be hang out around the Fantastic Four or mentor young magic users.
It gets even worse in that Marvel Studios decided to just make her a cliché funny MCU villain, which is a Phase Four Disney+ MCU hallmark so far. Kathryn Hahn had fun with the character and she was entertaining, but she’ll never be as good as comic Agatha.
2 Got Right From The Comics: It Did A Great Job Of Capturing The Core Of Sadness Inside Wanda Maximoff
Wanda Maximoff has always been one of the saddest members of the Avengers. She went through a roller coaster of traumatic events and her massive power level compounded all of that. Her life was hard enough without the godlike might and dealing with both of those things broke her. Her whole life has been hit after hit with brief moments of respite.
WandaVision did an amazing job of really getting at the sadness inherit in the character. Wanda is a tragic character if there ever was one and WandaVision was able to capture that comic aspect of her even if it changed things.
1 It Ruined: It Made S.W.O.R.D. Into S.H.I.E.L.D.-Lite
In the comics, S.W.O.R.D. is pretty much entirely a space focused agency run by Abigail Brand, a sarcastic counterpoint to the more serious S.H.I.E.L.D. Directors. They rarely got involved with anything Earthbound unless it specifically involved aliens and now exists as the space agency of the mutant nation of Krakoa.
WandaVision‘s S.W.O.R.D. was basically just S.H.I.E.L.D., even though its acronym was the same as in the comics. There was no reason for them to have Vision’s body and the story would have been served better just by bringing back S.H.I.E.L.D. under Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, which would have tied in better with The Falcon And Winter Soldier.
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