When the first trailers for WandaVision were released, many fans were shocked to see that it was in black and white. Some were turned off by this, while others applauded the artistic creativity reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz.
We can confirm that the first episode of WandaVision is in black and white; however, the rest of the series will not be.
Why is WandaVision Black and White?
WandaVision show creator Jac Schaeffer explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly why the first episode was filmed in black and white:
"The show is a love letter to the golden age of television… we're paying tribute and honoring all of these incredible shows and people who came before us, [but] we're also trying to blaze new territory."
While that explanation makes sense, it is a bit vague and doesn't explain the reason to be black and white in the sense of telling the story. We believe it will be thematically used in the same way that it was in The Wizard of Oz.
We know from the trailers that Wanda Maximoff will be living with Vision in an idealized world taking place in the 1950s in a suburban town called Westview.
Based on the trailer, we see Vision become self-aware that something is not right in this world. Indeed, something must be wrong, as Vision was killed by Thanos when his Mind Stone was removed in Avengers: Infinity War.
For this reason, we can believe that the black and white colors represent the idyllic world that Vision is living in alongside Wanda. Then, once reality starts peeling away, (which is hinted in the wallpaper peeling in the show's poster) color will start springing into the show. This represents the transition from a perfect and stable world in black and white to the chaotic destruction of the fantasy Wanda has created with Vision.
The synopsis for WandaVision is as follows:
"Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Wanda Maximoff and Vision are living the ideal suburban life in the town of Westview, trying to conceal their powers. But as they begin to enter new decades and encounter television tropes, the couple suspects things are not as they seem."
WandaVision will be part of the MCU Universe and canon in continuity. It will release on Disney+ in January 15, 2020.
If you are interested in WandaVision, you may also want to check out some of the other Disney+ shows releasing over the next few years, including a new Obi Wan series, The Book of Boba Fett, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and more!
Are you excited to watch WandaVision on Disney+? Leave us a comment in the comment section below.