Marvel’s WandaVision was an undeniable hit among Disney and MCU fans, who praised the series for its smart and zany storyline that was layered with mystery, comedy, and emotion. Nearly three months after the WandaVision series finale, the team behind the show sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss its development, early plot line ideas, and some previously unanswered questions. One of the highlights of the piece, however, was when Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige revealed the origins of the WandaVision title.
Even before the show premiered, there was a lot of discussion surrounding its deceptively simple moniker. Yes, WandaVision was a fusion of the lead characters’ names, Wanda Maximoff and Vision, but also nodded to the series’ themes and unexpected storyline that paid homage to classic American sitcoms. But, according to Feige, the WandaVision title structure wasn’t directly inspired by the plot, but rather Spike Lee’s Oscar-winning film BlacKkKlansman.
“I didn’t want to call the show Wanda and Vision or The Scarlet Witch and Vision,” he said. “I was at the AFI [American Film Institute] luncheon in 2018 and I remember looking at the board where it listed the top 10 films and seeing BlacKkKlansman. I remember thinking, ‘How cool is that? They just mushed those two words together and the audience just accepts that as a title.’ So I thank Spike Lee for making BlacKkKlansman. I know that’s the weirdest connection ever, but that’s how it came about.”
Naturally, Feige’s comments were met with mixed reactions ranging from shock and disappointment to confusion.
You can read Rolling Stone’s The Oral History of ‘WandaVision’here.
