WandaVision established an exciting new way of playing with the Marvel formula. Though it retains its connections to the MCU, the show’s grander focus is on telling a story deeply rooted in grief, motherhood, and love. The series uses its nine-episode run (the longest of the Disney+ Marvel shows so far) to explore its central superhero, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), instead of just throwing her up against the villain, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn). By putting familiar faces like Wanda, Vision (Paul Bettany), and even Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) or Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) in uncharted territory, WandaVision gives the characters much more room to grow than they would have gotten on the big screen. The show also presents a compelling blend of superhero and sitcom, using classic comedy tropes to build suspense. Along with dutifully serving as the setup for future movies and shows, WandaVision has set a high benchmark for the MCU’s Phase Four and beyond. [Saloni Gajjar]