Scarlet Witch, AKA Wanda Maximoff, and the android Vision first encountered each other in Avengers: Age of Ultron – and they now lead their own sitcom-inspired Disney Plus series, WandaVision. The first two episodes have been released and, in all the endearing strangeness, you might have missed a few Ultron-related Easter eggs.
Warning: spoilers for the first two episodes of WandaVision ahead...
Wanda’s home country of Sokovia was the site of the climactic battle in Age of Ultron and gave its name to the ensuing Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War. After a mix-up in WandaVision episode 1 leaves Wanda thinking she’s celebrating her anniversary with Vision, whereas the android is actually returning home with his boss for a dinner party, Scarlet Witch arrives in a rather romantic dress.
The explanation the flustered couple give is that the dress is Sokovian – and that’s how they explain away Wanda covering Mr. Hart's eyes and asking “guess who?” as a greeting. It's a simple nod to Wanda's roots, even if she has lost the accent.
The second, probably more significant reference to the film is an in-universe ad-break in episode 2 for a watch called Strücker. One of the men involved with the experiments that gave Wanda and her brother Pietro their powers (glimpsed in a Captain America: The Winter Soldier post-credits scene ahead of Age of Ultron) was named Baron von Strucker, who was a high-ranking member of HYDRA. The watch face also features a reference to this villainous organisation, complete with the logo. “Strücker. He’ll make time for you,” a voiceover ominously intones as the ticking second-hand speeds up.
Could this be a sign of Wanda’s fractured mind? While references to her home country aren’t all that unusual, the Strücker ad certainly seems as if the darker aspects of Scarlet Witch’s past – and reality – are intruding on her idealised new life.
We’ll have to wait till next Friday to see the fallout of Wanda’s sudden pregnancy, as well as how the real world might continue to infiltrate her blissful suburban life. Check out our WandaVision release schedule to make sure you don’t miss any of the action.
