WandaVision‘s first episode is an homage to the classic sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show. The first series to release as part of MCU’s Phase 4, WandaVision will premiere on Disney+ in January. Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the highly-anticipated series will center on Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) as they appear to settle into a blissful suburban life together. However, things take a weird turn when the couple realizes everything is not as it seems, hinting at some dark secrets that will possibly explain how Vision is still alive after his death in Avengers: Infinity War. The two appear to navigate multiple realities, including a 50s and 60s sitcom-style world.
Described as the MCU’S take on a sitcom, WandaVision pulls inspiration from the golden age of television like The Brady Bunch, I Love Lucy and Bewitched in various promos. WandaVision will show the pair jumping between timelines, with parts of the trailers showing them in black and white to depict the classic sitcom style. Official images from WandaVision show the titular characters sleeping in separate beds, a trope featured in shows of that era when even married couples were not allowed to be seen sleeping in the same bed on screen. It was even revealed that the first episode was filmed in front of a live studio audience in an effort to really recreate iconic sitcoms throughout the decades.
Speaking in an interview with Emmy Magazine, Olsen revealed that the first episode of WandaVision was filmed as an homage to The Dick Van Dyke Show. The classic 1961 sitcom starring comedy legends Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore was influential in both the tone and style of the premiere episode.“Our first episode’s a big love song to The Dick Van Dyke Show,” said Olsen. “We tried to film it as authentic to that time period as possible, so we used lenses from that time, lighting from that time.” Bettany added, “We shot the first episode in two days because we did it with a live studio audience, and we also had all of our crew dressed in 1950s costume.”
Series director Matt Shakman recently revealed that he and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige sat down with Van Dyke last summer to consult with the sitcom legend on how to balance the show’s tone. Van Dyke explained to them that the key to The Dick Van Dyke Show‘s comedy was never letting something that wouldn’t happen in real life happen in the storylines. Part of WandaVision was even shot on Warner Bros. Ranch’s Blondie Street in Burbank, which was home to classic shows like Bewitched and Father Knows Best.
It’s clear that WandaVision is going to be something completely different from anything fans have seen in the MCU before. Apart from the classic sitcom style, the series will also feature an episode in the style of The Office, using its documentary-style camerawork. While MCU films have always had a comedic aspect to them, considering the dark nature of the couple’s story, WandaVision‘s comedy has almost an eerie feel to it, putting a sinister twist on 50s and 60s sitcoms.
Source: Television Academy’s Emmy Magazine
Originally from https://screenrant.com/wandavision-mcu-show-dick-van-dyke-influence-homage/