The Disney+ show WandaVision brought surreal storytelling to the MCU, but an earlier Marvel series first proved the format could work: Legion. WandaVision’s episodes, themed after old sitcoms, were unlike anything the MCU had done before, and it showed a willingness to leave viewers confused and in the dark. This move, however, was not entirely unfamiliar within the greater Marvel world, as it echoed Noah Hawley’s alternate X-Men universe show, Legion.
In a similar way to WandaVision, Legion follows an emotionally unstable yet unbelievably powerful protagonist with the potential to shape the very world around him. Dan Steven’s David Haller (the son of Professor Charles Xavier), like Wanda, provides an unreliable point-of-view: The surreal production of the show encourages viewers to doubt the validity of what is presented, reinforced by late-season reveals that contradict the original narrative. David is often keen to explain how his actions are justifiable and positive while those around him question why, if that is the case, he is hurting others. In many ways, David is the most similar Marvel Comics character to Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff that has been adapted for live-action.
Legion season 1 in particular took a risk with its more bizarre elements, non-linear storytelling, and surreal visuals. While over time it saw viewership drop, reviews remained largely positive. With three seasons and a completed story arc, Legion was more successful than analogous shows such as Inhumans, or The Gifted — similar Marvel TV shows with unresolved storylines. While Legion had its flaws, those weren’t tied to its experimental elements; in fact, the viewership that it maintained responded positively to those aspects, and audiences were captivated by the show's intrigue. When WandaVision came to take that same risk, producers knew that an audience already existed, thanks to Legion — which provided a blueprint for both what would work, and what WandaVision would do best to avoid.
Both Marvel shows challenge audiences to question what is "real" by featuring a lead with the ability to change others’ perceptions of reality. In Legion, David becomes obsessed with using his abilities to create a reality where he is as he envisions himself, and suggests that if people perceive it to be true then there is no difference between that and reality. Wanda’s pocket world of Westview in WandaVision mirrors this, with Wanda asserting to Vision that this is their home, and they can stay there forever. Further parallels between the characters appear with their forcing of their will on others: David wiping Syd’s memory in season 2 to forget his transgressions, while Wanda forces Vision to forget his past while also overlaying new personas on the living inhabitants of the town.
Another telltale sign of Legion’s influence on WandaVision comes in the unusual way they both use music. Both series present musical breaks that appear to be separate from the reality of the characters around them, but leave it unclear as to whether the characters are aware of them. Legion leans on these breaks to underscore important messages and story beats in the show where all the characters sing meaningful well-known songs. The fan-favorite theme “Agatha All Along” in WandaVision functions in a similar way, and worked so well because it was set up by the earlier theme songs that referenced pop culture to help establish each episode's pastiche.
It's likely the parallels between WandaVision and Legion are more than mere coincidence. In 2019, Legion creator Noah Hawley met with Kevin Feige, Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer. Hawley said he saw himself as “the Marvel R&D department” and that Feige was exploring new options for the MCU and how it could be made more "surreal" and "musical" — not purely as "a gimmick" but to use new tools to tell their stories and depict their characters [via THR]. Based on Disney+'s success with WandaVision, it would seem that the strategy worked — suggesting audiences might be seeing more experimental content in the MCU.
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