Now that Thanos is dead after Iron Man’s sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, what is next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
How about an Avenger being trapped in a 1950s sitcom with another Avenger who died in Infinity War?

It’s a pretty unusual place to be, but the premiere of Wandavision hides a big secret in a cheerful virtual world.
Disney Plus aired the first two episodes this week and it is one strange ride, but with a purpose.

SPOILERS BELOW

It begins with Wanda and Vision just married and settling down in Westview. Even the theme song points out she has powers and he’s a robot.
They both try to fit in as a typical suburban sitcom couple. Sure, Wanda has powers that rival Samantha Stevens, while Vision remembers to switch to Paul Bettany mode when he heads to work in a computing company. They also try to figure out why August 23rd is so important…and also where they came from, how long they’ve been married and so forth.
The first episode actually mixes a couple of old sitcom plots. Wanda thinks it’s their anniversary, but Vision actually brings his boss home for dinner to her surprise. Good thing her neighbor Agnes (Kathryn Hawn) has an emergency dinner she can led Wanda.
Wait, what?
Well, she’s the wacky neighbor that’s part of every sitcom…maybe.

The dinner actually comes off well, because the boss doesn’t notice how Wanda creates the dinner practically out of thin air.
Then the boss chokes on something. Vision saves him, by going through his neck. Yet no one is shocked by this.
This is a very strange town.
It’s also strange to see Wanda and Vision as a sitcom couple, but Elizabeth Olson and Paul Bettany really pull it off well. It’s a good sign that super-heroes can be all too human and still be just fine. There are hints, though, not everyone thinks that. More on this later.

The second episode is mostly like the first, even with opening credits that borrow from Bewitched. The opening scene where Vision and Wanda are in twin beds (and he has an eye mask) may give off a Dick Van Dyke Show vibe. So does the fact she wears pants while the other women were dresses.
Anyway, they’re about to do a magic act for the neighborhood talent show. Wanda’s a little worried, when she sees a red toy helicopter (in a black and white world?) with a suspicious logo.
She also meets Dottie (Emma Caufield Ford), who seems to be the Queen Bee socially. She’s also suspicious of Wanda and Vision, but Wanda says they don’t mean any harm. Then, a strange voice comes out of a nearby radio, who asks “Wanda, who’s doing this to you?”…then the radio explodes. Dottie is very worried.
Wanda also meets someone named Geraldine (Teyonah Parris), who seems a lot nicer.

Now comes the complication: Vision, to hide the fact he’s a robot, chews and swallows gum that literally gum up his works. He acts as if he’s just had bubble gum loaded with three martinis. When he does his act, he reveals his powers from levitating to super-strength, but the audience doesn’t seem to notice.
They wind up winning the talent show, of course. This is a sitcom world, after all.

Then a guy in a beekeeper suit emerges from a manhole…and the suit has that suspicious logo on it.
She says “No”, and he’s edited out, literally.
She then asks Vision if this is all real. He says it is…and suddenly their world literally becomes more colorful faster than
Pleasantville. They’re also about to become parents.
It’s another happy ending…or is it?

It’s safe to say there is much more to Westview than meets the eye. Is it a virtual world, and where is Wanda really?
Also, who are Dottie, Geraldine and Agnes, really? Some other websites are already speculating, but we’ll wait until the episodes reveal more about the story.
The point is Wanda is in a virtual sitcom world, but why? Is Vision really back somehow or is it a fake? Does he know?
And of course, who IS doing this to them?

There’s also fake ads that have some secrets of their own. There’s one about a toaster made by Stark Industries with the slogan, “Forget the past, this is your future.” Also, it looks like the housewife may have been a distant relative of Enoch.
Still, about that slogan: is that the plan for Wanda?
There’s also an ad for a Strucker watch that’s “HYDRA tough”. Does that mean it’s back, too?
We shall see.
(By the way, Stark and Strucker are two key names in Wanda’s past, as noted in Age of Ultron.)

Wandavision airs new episodes every Friday on Disney Plus.