5 Years Ago, Marvel Studios’ Best TV Show Ended With a Bad Finale (But There’s Hope to Fix It)

by

WandaVision debuted on Disney+ on January 15, 2021, and quickly achieved something unique for Marvel. The nine-episode series was a mystery about dealing with loss, cleverly presented as a sitcom set in different time periods. Critics loved it, giving it a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany elevated the show beyond a typical Marvel production, creating a deep and compelling exploration of their characters – something the franchise doesn’t often do.

The show concluded on March 5th with a finale that many viewers considered a disappointment. It received significantly lower ratings on Rotten Tomatoes than previous episodes. Critics and fans who had praised the show’s depth felt the finale prioritized a typical Marvel-style action sequence over the complex themes it had built up. Beyond the underwhelming resolution for Wanda’s actions, the biggest criticism was the unexpected reveal about Ralph Bohner.

Throughout the series, viewers thought Evans Peters was playing Pietro Maximoff, but the finale surprised everyone by revealing he was actually an impostor. He turned out to be Ralph Bohner, an ordinary resident of Westview. To top it off, White Vision simply flew off into the unknown. These unexpected twists ultimately made the finale feel less impactful.

There’s a good chance the story will finally reach a satisfying conclusion in late 2026 with the new Disney+ series, VisionQuest. Created by Terry Matalas, this show is intended to be the final installment in a trilogy that started with WandaVision and continued with Agatha All Along. VisionQuest will pick up right after the events of the 2021 finale, resolving the unanswered questions and storylines left open five years ago.

How VisionQuest Could Fix WandaVision Finale

The new series, VisionQuest, has a strong team and an interesting starting point. According to Marvel Studios executive Brad Winderbaum, it’s designed as a tribute to the style of WandaVision. The story follows White Vision – the white android who flew off at the end of WandaVision – as he tries to understand the memories given to him by the original Vision during their final conversation.

Jacen Matalas drew a parallel between Vision’s arc and Spock’s journey in Star Trek IV, noting that both characters are incredibly intelligent but grapple with their emotions. Much of the show unfolds within a mansion, which seems to represent Vision’s own mind. Inside, he meets different AI programs from throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, often appearing as people.

Paul Bettany reprises his role, and James Spader returns as Ultron in this series. James D’Arcy voices JARVIS, Orla Brady plays FRIDAY, and Emily Hampshire is EDITH. Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer once again bring DUM-E to life. According to U. Winderbaum, the show delves into family dynamics across three generations—a grandfather, father, and son—and examines whether someone raised in an abusive environment can break the cycle and become a good parent.

The new show will likely resolve lingering emotional questions from the end of WandaVision. It will delve into what defines Vision as a person – his memories, his ability to love, and the impact of losing those feelings. We might also see a deeper look at the conflict between the two Visions from the WandaVision finale, with more explanation and background.

The SWORD storyline also felt rushed in the finale. Director Hayward spent much of WandaVision reconstructing Vision’s body to use as a weapon, bringing him back to life to fight Wanda. While Hayward was arrested at the end, the organization he led wasn’t really dealt with in a satisfying way.

SWORD, the government organization that deals with dangerous, thinking weapons both in space and on Earth, secretly brought Vision back to life, but we didn’t see much of what happened afterward. The new series, VisionQuest, focuses on White Vision, who was created by SWORD and then broke free. It will be compelling to see if SWORD still considers Vision their property and whether they’ll try to reclaim him. The show has the potential to delve much deeper into the workings of SWORD than WandaVision did.

The aftermath of what happened in Westview isn’t fully dealt with. The town’s residents were trapped for months inside Wanda’s created reality, forced to live through her trauma and losing control of themselves. The ending of WandaVision only briefly touched on the impact this had on them.

The story VisionQuest continues directly after the previous events. It focuses on Vision grappling with who he is and the lasting impact of the Hex. A complete telling of his journey needs to address what happened in that town and whether those affected ever found closure or justice.

Read More

2026-03-28 11:35