The Marvel Cinematic Universe took a year-long break–the first since 2009–due to the pandemic. Phase Four of the MCU kicks off with the first cannon Marvel show “WandaVision” (2021). Taking place a few weeks after the events of “Avengers: Endgame” (2019), Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and The Vision (Paul Bettany) are in a sitcom that starts off set in the ‘50s going through the 2010s. With a nosy next door neighbor, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), always stopping by unannounced, these two Avengers must hide their powers while trying to live a normal life. As the show goes on, it becomes clear things are not as they seem. S.W.O.R.D. agent Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and FBI agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) try to go to Westview to find a missing informant. Rambeau and Woo have to call in astrophysicist Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) to figure out how to get through a hexagonal barrier that is protecting Westview from the outside.

The plot of this show is phenomenal. The way the plot starts as a ‘50s sitcom and evolves over each episode, slowly turning back into a Marvel film, is spectacular. The story is excellent and will keep the audience on the edge of their seats until the last post-credit scene. The story has an arc that redeems the shortfalls of “Avengers Age of Ultron” (2015). “WandaVision” does an excellent job at telling its own story while setting up “Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness,” “Captain Marvel 2,” “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.”

The special effects in this show are some of the strongest work that Marvel Studios have ever done. From epic CGI battles, to flying, to magic, “WandaVision” makes it look as real as the actors. Along with only using practical effects, such as floating props which are attached to strings, in the older episodes to capture the essence of ‘50s television.

The acting in this show is very strong. Olsen, Bettany and Hahn do a great job at acting through the decades from broken arm acting, where the actors keep their arms held up right as if they are in slings, to today’s standards. The chemistry between Olsen and Bettany is strong enough to connect with everyone and make them feel the love that Wanda and Vision have for each other. Hanh does an excellent job at introducing her character and instantly making the audience fall in love with her performance.

Grammy Award Winners Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, known for their work on the “Frozen” franchise, did a great job at writing the theme songs for each sitcom episode of “WandaVision.” They perfectly captured each decade and turned it into a catchy theme song.

The costumes are spectacular. Mayes C. Rubeo did an excellent job at capturing each character’s essence for this show. The costumes go great with each decade while keeping to costumes in line with the characters. Rubeo went wild with the Halloween episode, having each character match their comic book inspiration, giving the comic fans what they have always wanted while showing how ridiculous it would be if the comic book suits were real. Rubeo did a phenomenal job at taking the comic book inspiration, evolving it into new and exciting costumes that will continue on through the MCU.

Marvel Studios’ “WandaVision” is unlike anything that has ever been done before. It is an exceptional start to the fourth phase and sets expectations high for the future of what Marvel has to offer. I did not know what to expect coming into this show, but I was truly surprised by how great this show was. I recommend “WandaVision” to any Marvel fan or sitcom fan. I also recommend watching “Assembled: The Making of WandaVision” to see everything that went into making this series. The show is now available to stream exclusively on Disney+. I rate this show a 5 out of 5 film reels.