There were some meaningful conversations, jokes, and a whole lot of action, as the Marvel heroes appeared on Disney Plus in a weekly-episode format. With every release, the fan theories got even more adventurous, and the Easter eggs in many of the episodes increased excitement. Phase 4 of the MCU began with WandaVision, which was followed by four other series throughout the year, including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If…?, and Hawkeye.
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Each Marvel series to have arrived on Disney Plus offered a unique take on the MCU and the world in general. While WandaVision focused on grief and people’s ability to deal with loss, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had racial undertones and focused on the discrimination in society. Loki reunited fans with one of their favorite characters, while offering insight into his approach towards love, family, and loneliness. It wasn’t just about the heroes’ lives anymore, as the five Marvel series to have premiered in 2021 did not shy away from dealing with real emotions. They have completely changed the course of the MCU. While the fallen heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow, will be missed, a new generation of heroes has arrived to try and fill that void. Through their individual series, they have created some memorable moments for the fans.
When WandaVision first started streaming on Disney Plus, fans were a little confused about what they were watching. As the story unfolded, they got hooked to the plot about a fictional land called Westview, where Wanda lived happily with Vision and her twin boys, Billy and Tommy. The series was filled with unforgettable moments, but the one that stood out the most is when Evan Peters’ Pietro Maximoff arrives on Wanda’s doorstep.
Before the series premiered, the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney had already taken place, and Walt Disney had become the owner of the assets previously owned by Fox, including the X-Men universe. Fans were already theorizing about the Multiverse as part of Phase 4, and when Peters, who played Maximoff in the X-Men films, showed up in WandaVision, it seemed like the two universes had collided.
Peters’ casting as Maximoff was a strategic, yet fantastic move by Marvel Studios. The moment where Wanda opens the door to find him standing outside is one that fans will never forget. “She recast Pietro?!,” questions Kat Dennings’ Darcy Lewis, speaking the minds of all the viewers at that point. The possibility of mutants arriving in the MCU led to excited fans analyzing that one moment for weeks.
Marvel Studios was clearly aware of what they were doing and how fans would react to Peters’ casting as Maximoff. Unfortunately, it was revealed at the end of the season that Peters was in fact just Ralph Bohner, a neighbor who was being controlled by the villain, Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness. It squashed all the fan theories about the Avengers and X-Men going into battle together at some point in the future. Love it or hate it, Peters’ Maximoff moment is perhaps one of the best ones in WandaVision.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a series that many Captain America fans looked forward to, because they would be getting a chance to meet the new Cap. What they didn’t expect, however, is the deeper racial undertones throughout the season. The series was an impactful one and was loaded with significant conversations. While the theme was an extremely important one, the series managed to get fans to laugh, and Daniel Bruhl’s Baron Zemo had a large role to play in that.
After episode three of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiered, Dancing Zemo became a viral internet meme. In their quest to track down the super-soldier serum, Zemo, Sam Wilson, and Bucky Barnes arrive at a nightclub on the fictional island of Madripoor. But, having been locked up in a maximum security prison, Zemo finds it exhilarating to be free and starts to groove to the music.
The scene became so popular that fans urged Marvel Studios to release the entire clip of the dance sequence using #ReleaseTheZemoCut. Their pleas were heard and the longer clip, which was cut down to a few seconds in the episode, was officially revealed by the studio on social media. At the time, Bruhl had revealed that the dance moves were completely improvised, but they clearly won the hearts of the fans.
Loki served a glorious purpose and reunited fans with one of their most favorite characters, and then some. Viewers got to meet Tom Hiddleston’s Loki once again, but were quite surprised to see several other Variants pop up, making the Multiverse a definite concept. Fans had to wrap their heads around a lot, including the fact that Sylvie, the other protagonist, was a Loki Variant, the Time Variance Authority was a lie, the Time-Keepers were androids, and the Infinity Stones were useless once brought to the TVA headquarters. But, the best moment in the series was the introduction of Jonathan Majors’ He Who Remains.
There were talks about Kang the Conqueror ever since Loki premiered, and fans were convinced that the series would introduce him as the next big villain in the MCU. Majors’ confirmed casting as the character for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania meant that it was in fact possible. When Loki and Sylvie arrive at the castle hideout of the mastermind controlling the TVA, viewers were sure that Kang would be waiting for them. While Majors’ was in the building, the series had an interesting twist to the popular fan theory.
The sequence almost plays out like a monologue, with Major’s He Who Remains explaining the past, the Multiversal War, the creation of the TVA, and his role in it all. While it was exciting to see Majors show up in that castle, it was equally confusing to have him play out a different role than what fans were expecting. However, that one moment clarifies all the doubts that fans had up until that point about the Multiversal chaos and the Sacred Timeline. He Who Remains’ introduction was the key ingredient in wrapping up the season, and let’s not forget that he does set up Kang’s arrival in the future.
What If…? was by far the most intriguing Marvel series, putting the much-loved MCU characters in completely different avatars. Jeffrey Wright’s The Watcher was perhaps the most important character that the series introduced, and it would be interesting to see him play a role in the MCU moving forward. Through most of the series, he stayed in his own realm, watching the actions of the various heroes. But, the moment where Ultron realizes his presence and the fact that there are universes beyond his own is the most significant.
After fighting the heroes and destroying the universe, Ultron realizes that his work is done. “With his mission complete, Ultron was now just a program without a purpose. The victor without a war, sentenced to spend all of eternity alone,” The Watcher is heard narrating at that point. Little does he know that Ultron can actually hear him. “Who… who said that?” Ultron responds. He turns around and looks at The Watcher straight in the eye. For a villain to realize that the Multiverse exists is extremely dangerous, and could lead to another Multiversal war, which makes that moment a remarkable one.
Hawkeye was loaded with quirky moments, constant banter between the two protagonists, and some exciting reveals. But, the moment that stands out the most is when the series slows down for a bit and allows for a meaningful conversation to take place between Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop.
When Yelena arrives at Bishop’s apartment, fans immediately expect the worst. But, the conversation that follows will always remain in the viewers’ minds. What starts off with jokes about instant macaroni and cheese and a tour of New York quickly turns to a serious discussion about the importance of family and the Avengers’ ability to get away with anything just because they’re considered as heroes. It is at this moment that Bishop finds out that Yelena is Natasha Romanoff’s sister and is out to kill Clint Barton.
The dialogue in the impromptu dinner scene is absolutely brilliant and the tension in that 10-minute scene is palpable. The conversation is both light and serious and Pugh beautifully manages to portray Yelena’s emotions, while being friendly and threatening at the same time. Even though it seems like Yelena’s moment, Bishop’s character development during that scene is also immense. After Hawkeye, fans hope that they get to see Yelena and Bishop fight wars together in the future.
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