WANDAVISION: Backstage with Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen & Cast Interview

“We had so much fun making this damn show and I think you can see it in every frame.” – Paul Bettany

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have been eagerly waiting for the start of Marvel Studios’ Phase Four. Although the Phase Four release schedule has been tweaked here and there due to the pandemic.

Black Widow was initially going to start things off but now that honor goes the reality-warping fantasy sitcom that is WandaVision. 

The highly anticipated nine-episode series stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany and debuts January 15 on the Disney+ streaming service and runs until March 5.

WandaVision sees Olsen and Bettany return as Scarlet Witch and Vision, however as fans know Bettany’s character Vision did not survive Avengers: Infinity War. How does Vision return? Why can’t Wanda remember anything?

With the release of each trailer more and more questions and theories pop up about the series and the expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.

So, our own Dave Morales sat down with the stars and director of the upcoming series to find out what makes WandaVision so bewitching.    

Director Matt Shakman explained exactly when WandaVision takes place in the MCU timeline. “It happens after the events Avengers endgame and it really is a mix of classic sitcom and big large-scale Marvel action,” he said. Wanting to give WandaVision that authentic classic sitcom charm, surprisingly several episodes were filmed in front of a live studio audience.

“We did that believe it or not, the most secure maker of movies in the world managed to have a whole live audience come out for a taping of Wanda Vision a long time ago. Thank you to all those people in that audience for keeping those secrets I really appreciate it,” said Shakman

Having watched the birth and death of his character Vision in the MCU films, Paul Bettany explained what continues to draw him to play such a complex character. “Vision is always becoming something else. Initially, when they pitched me this idea, I thought ‘how the hell are we going to do this?’ he said.  “He’s gonna seem so different and then I thought actually wait a second, Vision is always being becoming. Because we’ve seen him born, we saw him born and he was an omnipotent naive abundance.”

Transitioning from much larger scaled MCU films to a smaller classic sitcom-style show, Bettany explained how Vision continues to adapt throughout his storyline. “He’s made from Ultron, and he’s made from Jarvis, he’s made from Tony Stark and now we’ve thrown in a little Dick Van Dyke, he said. “He can absorb it as long as you stay true to what Vision is in his core and center. Which is a thoroughly decent kind honorable being.”   

Playing ‘Agnes’, Wanda and Vision’s nosy neighbor Kathyrn Hahn described where she got her inspiration for the character. “Ms. Kravitz for sure and Milley in the Dick Van Dyke Show and Lenny and Squiggy, she said. “I also grew up in the 80s and there was such a nostalgic familiar sound like that laugh track and in that 20 minutes format where you can have this setup, the misunderstanding, and then the resolution. There’s something so comforting in just one episode that is just perfect, it’s all solved for you.”

The last time we saw ‘Monica Rambeau’ she was a little girl in Captain Marvel, this time around she full-grown adult and portrayed by Teyonah Parris. “I’m most proud to be able to represent this amazing superhero from the comics. Just the fact that she is bold and brave and she’s a black woman who is very unapologetic and so many people have loved her over the decades,” Parris said. “I’m really excited for the opportunity to just share her bring her to the MCU as an adult.”

You would think transitioning from the epic scale of an MCU film to a smaller scale sitcom show would be easier for the cast and crew however, Elizabeth Olsen explained how tough it really was. “This job is hard it was like a Marvel movie on steroids we had to film like three times as much in a day but not bend any corners, she said. “We tried to keep everything as Marvel perfect as possible and it was really hard on our crew and we managed to still have a great time.”

No great love story would work without an amazing couple at its center, Elizabeth Olsen explained what makes Wanda and Vision’s relationship so special. “I would describe their relationship as a really honest and pure expression of love, she said.  “He’s this A.I. robot that has just discovered how to feel and kind of uses language and tries to use his intellectual abilities or robot abilities to understand the world around him. She also provides that kind of really deep feeling human experience and I just think it’s such a sweet relationship.”

WandaVision starring Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn and Teyonah Parris premiers on Disney+ January 15, 2020. 

Written by Michael Taggart