This article contains WandaVision episode 4 spoilers, as well as potential spoilers for future episodes and the wider MCU.
WandaVision episode 4 ditches the sitcom format in favor of something that gives us a much clearer picture of what’s happening in the “real” MCU. Primarily functioning as a Monica Rambeau origin story, and one that gives us a better look at the inner working of SWORD (and puts FBI Agent Jimmy Woo front and center!), this week’s WandaVision also answers some big questions about what’s going on in Westview. Or does it?
Let’s get to work…
MONICA RAMBEAU
This episode is more or less Monica’s MCU origin story. We learn that Monica was snapped, Maria wasn’t, and she died two years after Monica disappeared. Her reappearance after “the blip” makes this chronologically the first appearance of adult Monica in the MCU, taking place concurrently with the final act of Avengers: Endgame.
- As Monica re-materializes we can hear Carol Danvers’ voice her nickname “Lt. Trouble,” a reminder of the bond that the two shared in their time together in Captain Ma
- The drone that Monica sends into Westview features Captain Marvel colors because of course it does. She introduced the color scheme to the hero to begin with!
- Is it possible that Monica made it through Wanda’s energy field because of her latent powers? Monica’s powers in the comics allow her to turn into energy, and there’s a lot of weird energy stuff in this week’s episode.
- Monica wakes up from “the blip” in Room 104 in the hospital. Room 104 doesn’t have any significance in Captain Marvel history, but Avengers #104 is a potentially interesting connection. That issue has the Avengers and the X-Men teaming up to fight mutant hunting Sentinels, who have strapped Wanda to a machine that will cause a solar flare that will…sterilize humans allowing Sentinels to breed out the genetic variation that causes mutation. Weird.
MARIA RAMBEAU
- Maria Rambeau from Captain Marvel is confirmed to have died of cancer in-between Infinity War and Endgame. Apparently, she worked for SWORD in a high-level capacity, possibly even founding the organization, likely inspired by the craziness she witnessed in the ’90s as depicted in Captain Marvel.
- Through her time in SWORD, Maria retained the callsign “Photon,” one of the many codenames Monica would use as a superhero in the comics.
SWORD
- Monica arriving at SWORD HQ is a bittersweet juxtaposition with news reports about “celebrations continue” as people are reunited with their loved ones, since Maria never got to see her daughter return.
- SWORD director Tyler Hayward appears to be a brand-new MCU creation, but he does share a last name with a “Brian Hayward” who was a villain on Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD.
- Anyone else think that the blue, black, and white SWORD color scheme could be teasing a Fantastic Four connection? Especially since Hayward and Monica have a conversation about an “astronaut training program” that apparently isn’t going too well.
- The number on Monica’s van is S-8512. No, we haven’t found any significance for this, either. She has special government/SWORD plates that read ZB718. Drawing a blank there, too.
- The name of the SWORD agent with Darcy when she first discovers the broadcast is Agent Monti. Doesn’t ring any Marvel bells with us, either.
Westview
- As we suspected, Westview is indeed in northern New Jersey, most likely Bergen County. If we have this right, the “Route 2” Monica is driving on to get to Westview (off Exit 32) no longer exists, and may now be what is known as Route 17, which runs through both NJ and New York.
- Westview’s population is 3,892. Anyone have anything on that number? March 8, 1992? August 3, 1992?
THAT YOU, MEPHISTO?
The Eastview sheriff’s vehicle number is 1966. That doesn’t correspond to first appearance years for Wanda, Vision, Jimmy, or Monica. BUT…hang with us for a minute here…
If you look at those numbers closely, the “9” and the “6” don’t appear to be different numerals. And what’s a “9” but an inverted “6” meaning that this is low key continuing the recurring “666” motif that keeps popping up in this show.
The sheriff’s deputies are from the town of “Eastview.” Mephisto is also known as Lucifer…as in Lucifer Morningstar, and The Satanic Bible says that as one of the princes of Hell, Lucifer’s domain is the “east.”
JIMMY WOO
Welcome back to the MCU, Jimmy Woo! Jimmy is one of the older characters in the entire MCU, believe it or not, predating the actual Marvel Comics universe by several years, having first appeared in 1956. His MCU version made his first and only appearance (until now) in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
- Agent Woo pulling out his card with close-up magic was a fantastic callback to the running gag from Ant-Man and the Wasp.
CMBR
The “Wandavision” broadcast being hidden in the cosmic microwave background radiation feels like an indication of just how serious Wanda’s powers are. The CMBR is, as Jimmy says in the episode, the leftover radiation from the early moments after the Big Bang. It’s not a formative energy source, but it’s the waste product of a formative energy source. To hide a signal in there could be an indication that there are some fundamental tenets of reality being altered.
According to Darcy, there are other episodes of WandaVision’s “show” that have aired before the first and second episodes. Not to mention the glance she got prior to the first episode.
THE BEEKEEPER REVEALED!
The mysterious“beekeeper” was referred to as “Agent Franklin.” Is there anyone of note with that last name in Marvel? The damn Richards kid kind of muddies up that research, and right now we’ve got nothing. Our hope that he was in fact Eric Williams, the Grim Reaper, however, appears to be fading.
VISION
Vision’s true form is a colorless husk with a chunk of his forehead missing due to what Thanos did to him. This coincides pretty well with the comics where Vision was captured and disassembled during the West Coast Avengers days. While he survived, he wasn’t quite the same and was illustrated as colorless. This just added to Wanda’s downfall.
THE CITIZENS OF WESTVIEW
- Herb’s real name is John Collins and Mrs. Hart’s real name is Sharon Davis. Wouldn’t you know it, those are also the names of two of the show’s art directors! We haven’t turned up anything on the others yet, though. And yes, we’re also suspicious that they can’t place a real name to Agnes, as well.
- While a lot of the glitches appear to be censored from the broadcasts of the sitcom, the file on Mr. Hart shows that the entire “Stop it!” moment was shown in its entirety.
SKRULLS?
On his whiteboard, Jimmy Woo suggests that Skrulls might be behind all of this. No, you have a few years before we get into that plot, dude.
THE SONG
The end credits song is “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” by Jimi Hendrix. The lyrics certainly hit different in the context of the show, like creating your own island, stealing the time of others, and seeing the dead in a new world.
Not to mention the first line is “Well, I’m standing next to a mountain…” as in…Mt. Wundagore?
The Ending
The final moments of this show sure would appear to point towards a House of M scenario where Wanda has lost all control, but that seems a little too easy now, doesn’t it?
Spot anything we missed? Let us know in the comments!