With WandaVision’s latest episode showing what’s been happening outside Wanda’s magically created sitcom, more clues begin to emerge.
Only four episodes into WandaVision, and it seems audiences got some much-needed answers from the Disney Plus show. Who was watching the premiere broadcast at the end of the first episode? Astrophysicist Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), who we last met eight years ago in Thor: The Dark World (2013). Who was the sinister-looking beekeeper from episode 2? Poor, unfortunate agent Franklin (Zac Henry) of S.W.O.R.D. The red helicopter? A transformed S.W.O.R.D. drone. And how did Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) “crash the set” as Geraldine? By accident.
Not only did the fourth episode take us outside of Westview (which seemingly doesn’t exist), but also back towards the end of Avengers: Endgame (2019) and the moment the “blipped” (still hate that name) returned to the world. You would think then finding hidden clues and Easter Eggs without the series’ show within a show would be somewhat difficult. But as it so happens, there were still plenty of juicy nuggets to feast on, which may also hint towards what’s really happening in WandaVision. And of course, there are still SPOILERS!
What does S.W.O.R.D. actually do in WandaVision?
As part of this being a flashback episode, we also learn some essential background information about the formation of S.W.O.R.D. Appropriately enough, it was founded by the now-late Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), no doubt as a result of Earth getting caught up in the Kree-Skrull conflict during Captain Marvel (2019). And, like in the original comics, in seems their original mission statement was safeguarding Earth from potential extra-terrestrial threats.
So then what does any of that have to do with research into robotics, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence? And why would acting director Tyler Hayward (Josh Stamberg) send Monica (Teyonah Parris) on a supposedly crap assignment to assist FBI agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) to find a missing witness?
Well, the key might actually be in what S.W.O.R.D. actually stands for: “Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division.” What can be a more “Sentient Weapon” than artificial intelligence? And who do we know that’s an artificial intelligence? That’s right, Vision. Put a pin in this, though, because we’ll get back to it in a moment.
“Why Hexagonal Shape?”
It seems Darcy and Jimmy are also big fans of WandaVision (the show within the show, that is). And like us, they’re also asking pertinent questions, such as why is the energy barrier around Westview the shape of a hexagon? Moreover, the hexagon symbol has appeared quite a lot throughout the previous episodes, so it’s very obvious that it’s not done for style. It is a very big and very significant clue.
No doubt you’ve noticed the prefix “hex” in hexagon. Hex, of course, refers to magic and witchcraft, like the Scarlet Witch. The hexagon is also what’s used to make the hexagram, a very common symbol found in every major religion and in the occult, often known as the “Star of David,” “Seal of Solomon,” and regarded as a sign of protection. The hexagon is also considered a symbol of order, and also has associations with the Greek god of time, Cronus, whom the Romans called Saturn. All of which is rather fitting given the nature of Wanda’s powers, how she’s bringing a kind of “order” to Westview, and “protecting” it from the outside world.
It also happens to be the symbol of Advanced Idea Mechanics, a.k.a. A.I.M. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, A.I.M. was first introduced in Iron Man 3 as a rival to Stark Industries, who were also behind “the Mandarin” hoax. In the comics, however, the company was actually created by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker–the same guy who helped give Wanda and Pietro their powers in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) as a front group for Hydra. Given we’ve also seen some Hydra references, perhaps WandaVision is hinting as A.I.M.’s true origins and that they’re the ones, besides Wanda, who set all of this in motion.
Who’s who is Westview?
Darcy and Woo’s binge-watching also allowed them to compile the true identities of Westview’s citizens, with “Mr. and Mrs Hart” being Todd Davis and Sharon Davis, both of which themselves Marvel related Easter Eggs (Todd Davis was the name of an actor in Iron Man 2, and Sharon Davis is WandaVision‘s art director). Or at least some of them.
Noticeably absent on their investigation board are “Dottie” (Emma Caulfield-Ford), “Doctor Nielsen” (Randy Oglesby), and “Dennis the Mailman” (Amos Glick). Then again, they started identifying “cast members” from the first episode, so it’s possible they didn’t yet get around to placing their real name to their faces just yet. Then again, they haven’t identified the “actors” in the commercials yet, or even paid any attention to them. Guess even in the MCU, people tune out TV ads.
But if look closely, there was one resident of Westview who remained unidentified and, unlike the rest of the “cast,” didn’t have a driver’s license: Wanda and Vision’s nosy neighbor Agnes (Kathryn Hahn). We’ve already seen in episode 3 that Agnes knows way more about what’s really happening in Westview than she’s letting on. As of now, the popular theory is that Agnes is, in reality, Agatha Harkness, a centuries-old witch from Salem, Massachusetts who, in the comics, taught Wanda how to control her “chaos magic.” She’s also the mother of one Fantastic Four villain and warlock, Nicolas Scratch; Agnes’ pet rabbit is named “Señor Scratchy.” And Agatha, in the comics, wears a distinctive broach, just like Agnes does.
Which brings us to Agnes’ mysteriously absent husband, Ralph. Could Ralph be the missing FBI witness Jimmy was sent to Westview to find? How about Eric Williams, a.k.a. the Grim Reaper, the super villain hinted at in episode 2 of WandaVision’s opening credits? Or, if Agnes is actually Agatha Harkness, could “Ralph” be the literal devil himself, Mephisto? After all, Agnes did say her wedding anniversary fell on June 2nd, which is also the anniversary for the start of the infamous Salem Witch Trials.
Vision reanimated
If you thought the implications regarding Vision’s speed powers sounded creepy and grotesque, that’s nothing compared to what we learn at the end of this episode. It seems Wanda is literally controlling Vision’s dead body.
In hindsight, this actually makes quite a bit of sense. Despite her awesome abilities, Wanda still needs pre-existing matter to alter and control. Also, considering Thanos ripped the Mind Stone from Vision’s forehead as seen in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), it means Wanda must also be imposing a personality onto him just like everyone else in Westview. The question, of course, is how did she find Vision’s body in the first place? Don’t forget that Wanda is also one of the “blipped,” which means she’s lost five years of her life. And Vision’s body has remained unaccounted for during those same five years.
Now remember I told you folks to put a pin in S.W.O.R.D. and their work on artificial intelligence? And how Vision himself is a form of artificial intelligence? Well then, what if Vision’s body was obtained by S.W.O.R.D. sometime during those five years? What if they were attempting to reprogram Vision as their own “Sentient Weapon?” And what if Wanda found out and stole the body from S.W.O.R.D.? That would mean Director Hayward really sent Monica to Westview to retrieve Vision’s body under the pretext of having her help out an FBI investigation. Because you can’t have a super secret government agency without their own super secret agenda.
Of course, we’ll have to find out whether that’s the case or not for next time, as the next episode will take us back into the sitcom and 1980s.
WandaVision streams a new episode every Friday on Disney+ at midnight.
What Easter Eggs did you spot in WandaVision Episode 4? Let us know in the comments below!