WandaVision through the Sitcoms: A Study of the Series’ Narrative Construction

Abstract

Marvel series WandaVision has been acclaimed for its outstanding rendition of classical sitcoms. It has been considered a homage to this genre. More accurately, the references to certain sitcoms have been deemed Wanda Maximoff’s trauma response to the loss of her partner, Vision. The present paper takes a step further by exploring the contribution of sitcoms to the series’ storytelling. In order to contextualize the parallelisms of WandaVision to some classical sitcoms, it will be helpful to provide an outline of the characteristics of the genre and specific features that matched the preoccupations of American society through the decades. Subsequently, each episode of the show will be analyzed, paying attention to diegetic and non-diegetic elements, the plot, personnel, world-building, cinematography, and mise en scène. The different choices in each case recall the ideals behind particular sitcoms while accounting for the evolution of the genre and portraying the changes in the American culture. All these allusions and echoes are key for conveying Wanda’s personal story.