‘WandaVision’ Calls Back to Classic Sitcoms With Live Studio Audience, Black & White Premiere
“The show is a love letter to the golden age of television,” Jac Schaeffer, head writer for “WandaVision,” told EW
Tim Baysinger | November 10, 2020 @ 10:06 AM
Last Updated: November 10, 2020 @ 10:19 AM
Disney+
“WandaVision,” the first Marvel Studios series for Disney+, has been described often as an homage to classic TV sitcoms of the past.
And according to a new cover story in Entertainment Weekly, they really leaned in on the homage part. How much? Marvel filmed the premiere episode in black-and-white — harkening back to the 1950s-era of TV — and brought in a live studio audience (this was pre-COVID days).
“The show is a love letter to the golden age of television,” Jac Schaeffer, head writer for “WandaVision,” told Entertainment Weekly. “We’re paying tribute and honoring all of these incredible shows and people who came before us, [but] we’re also trying to blaze new territory.”
“WandaVision” wasn’t supposed to be the first Disney+ series, but due to the pandemic, it will be the first thing of any kind from Marvel since “Spider-Man: Far From Home” in July of 2019. It takes place after “Avengers: Endgame” and follows Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen — who knows a thing or two about classic sitcoms given her twin sisters starred on “Full House”) and Vision (Paul Bettany) living an idyllic suburban life in the fictional town of Westview.
But since this is Marvel and Maximoff has reality-bending abilities (though Marvel films to date have mostly reigned in her powers), the two will cycle through decades (via sitcom tropes). Also, Vision is still very much dead, something that’s even noted by Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes in the trailer for the series. During the D23 Expo in 2019, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige described “WandaVision” as “half classic sitcom, half MCU spectacular.”
And Marvel apparently went all out for that sitcom half of “WandaVision.” Director Matt Shakman and Feige met with Dick Van Dyke.
“[‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’] can be very broad with silly physical-comedy gags, and yet it never feels false, and I wondered how they did that,” Shakman said. “His answer was really simple: He basically said that if it couldn’t happen in real life, it couldn’t happen on the show.”
WandaVision also filmed scenes on Blondie Street at the Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank, which is home to classic sitcom houses from “Father Knows Best,” “The Partridge Family,” and “Bewitched.”
12 Marvel and DC Movies Coming in 2021 and 2022, From 'Venom 2' to 'The Batman' (Photos)
Thanks to COVID-19, nearly all of the Marvel and DC superhero movies from Sony, Disney/Marvel/Fox and Warner Bros. have been postponed until at least early 2021 -- when, studios hope, we might have a better handle on this disaster. Will these dates stick? That depends on a vaccine or how comfortable people feel spending several hours in a sealed off room with dozens of other people. But assuming everything works out there'll be quite a lot of comic book movies to watch sooner than you think. To help you keep track, here are the 12 films coming our way to cinemas over a 16-month-window in 2021 and 2022.
"Morbius" Pseudo Vampire "Morbius," the Marvel comic book villain turned antihero starring Jared Leto, Tyrese Gibson and J.K. Simmons was originally set to open in theaters on July 31, 2020. It'll now be released on March 19, 2021.
"Black Widow" "Black Widow" was originally supposed to kick off Summer 2020 before being postponed to November 6, but it's set for May 7, 2021, the slot previously held by "Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."
"Venom: Let There Be Carnage" The "Venom" sequel, "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," moved from October 2, 2020 to June 25, 2021.
“Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” "Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" previously slated for May 7, 2021, will now open on July 9, 2021.
"The Suicide Squad" The not-a-sequel to 2016's "Suicide Squad," directed by James Gunn, was one of the films not affected by the pandemic and so far it will hit theaters on schedule Aug. 6, 2021.
"Eternals" "Eternals," directed by Chloé Zhao, will now open Nov. 5, 2021, after initially being slated for February 12, 2021.
"Untitled Tom Holland Spider-Man 3" The third "Spider-Man" film starring Tom Holland which was originally scheduled for release on July 16, 2021, will now open on Dec. 17, 2021.
"Thor: Love and Thunder" "Thor: Love and Thunder," the 4th entry in the the "Thor" franchise starring Chris Hemsworth and the second directed by Taika Waititi, moves up a week from Feb 18, 2022 to Feb 11.
"The Batman" "The Batman" is getting a new Bat-time: The film directed by Matt Reeves will now hit theaters on March 4, 2022, after Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" was moved from its December 2020 release date to Oct. 1, 2021, originally the home of "The Batman."
"Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness" Marvel Studios "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," which was originally scheduled to be released on Nov 5, 2021, will now be released on March 25, 2022.
"Captain Marvel 2" "Captain Marvel 2," which was not previously dated, is now set for a July 8, 2022 release.
1 of 13
With the release dates of superhero movies being constantly rescheduled, TheWrap takes a look at all the packed Marvel and DC slate coming in 2021 and 2022
Thanks to COVID-19, nearly all of the Marvel and DC superhero movies from Sony, Disney/Marvel/Fox and Warner Bros. have been postponed until at least early 2021 -- when, studios hope, we might have a better handle on this disaster. Will these dates stick? That depends on a vaccine or how comfortable people feel spending several hours in a sealed off room with dozens of other people. But assuming everything works out there'll be quite a lot of comic book movies to watch sooner than you think. To help you keep track, here are the 12 films coming our way to cinemas over a 16-month-window in 2021 and 2022.
