WandaVision review: first three episodes are a joy

I've seen the first three episodes of WandaVision, and I love it. This is a spoiler-free review. The Disney Plus series, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, was not quite what I expected. At the same time, it pulled me in completely across those opening episodes.

I think the show is something different from what Marvel has done before. It seems like Marvel is moving into its next phase after the Infinity Saga, and that next stage has to be different.

WandaVision shows Marvel trying something new on Disney Plus

After watching the first three episodes, it seems to me that the Disney Plus shows are each being built in a specific style. WandaVision is told in the style of a sitcom. That approach makes me even more excited to see the other Disney Plus Marvel series, including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and Ms. Marvel.

My advice is simple. Go into the series with an open mind, and I think you'll fall in love with it.

The WandaVision Easter eggs are hard to miss

There are plenty of Easter eggs, as you'd expect from Marvel. Some of them are subtle, but many are intentional and right there in your face. They start to make you think about what's happening in a show where Wanda and Vision are living inside the style of a sitcom.

Some of these details are a tiny bit of fan service that gives you a feel-good moment. Others seem to carry more weight, and they could possibly matter for the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

WandaVision mixes laugh-out-loud comedy with a dark mystery

The comedy works. The show made me laugh out loud, and it's very heartwarming in its sitcom moments.

Then it turns very serious and a little dark. One minute it's happy-go-lucky and designed to make you feel good, and the next it makes you stop and wonder what's going on. That mystery runs through all three episodes, and it makes you want more. I also see links to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in where this story could be heading.

Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen lead an outstanding WandaVision cast

Paul Bettany absolutely crushes it as Vision. We only saw him briefly in Captain America: Civil War and at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War. Here the relationship between Wanda and Vision is fully developed, and their chemistry is amazing. Paul Bettany is just outstanding.

Elizabeth Olsen is fantastic too, and she's amazing as Wanda. The supporting cast does a phenomenal job and exceeds expectations as well.

Congratulations to the whole cast, the crew, the writers and the directors. To me, the show was already a success after these first three episodes, and I love it.