Ever since its release on Disney+, WandaVision has succeeded in setting the fans upon a quest of excitement and mystery with its unusual outset. Every episode leaves viewers with burning questions waiting to be answered.
One such instance is the unusual commercials in each episode during her reality-bending time in Westview. Unlike traditional commercials, they form an easter egg escapade thrilling the community to keep their eyes peeled.
The result? Much speculation and discussion into each with the hope that some form of foreshadowing might be taking place.
Each commercial broken down seems to be Wanda’s dark past that despite her wanting them out of her new reality in Westview, she’s still unable to leave behind.
Episode 1
In the very first episode’s commercial, it brought back a very subtle yet dark past of Wanda – the destruction of her family and home thanks to Tony Stark.
What seemed like a very innocent commercial for a toaster named “Toast Mate 2000” brought us memories of what culminated in Pietro and Wanda’s act to team up with Ultron against Tony Stark.
The “Toast Mate 2000” is supposedly made by Stark Industries. During the ad, you are able to hear Tony Stark’s repulsor rays and a beeping sound when the toaster was in use. This leads us to guess if it was a reference to how Wanda and Pietro were left at the mercy of Stark’s bomb after their parents were killed and how they waited two days for an unresponsive bomb to go off.
Even the significance of the “Toast Mate 2000” was confirmed by Marvel’s Kevin Feige in an interview with Collider.
Episode 2
The second episode of WandaVision’s commercial dropped another odd advertorial of a Swiss watch made none other than by the familiar name “Strucker”.
“They say a man is never fully dressed without two important accessories. His special lady and his Strucker”. This tagline of the commercial follows along with a highlight of the watch showing the dial of the Strucker timepiece spotting the iconic symbol of Hydra then led by Baron Von Strucker.
This was a huge hint at the villain and the undying evil group’s relationship with Wanda. After all, Strucker was the Hydra leader who first recruited Wanda and her brother into experimentation to get their powers as seen during the post-credits of 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier and 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.
What struck our curiosity was another ticking countdown that could be heard during the commercial. One of a different tune yet familiar feeling to the “Toast Made 2000” commercial in episode one. Were we wrong about the bomb reference? Could it be something more WandaVision was trying to hint at?
Episode 3
The most challenging commercial to breakdown is in the third episode.
The commercial breaks into a montage of a commercial woman’s household problem and her desperate need for a break from the real world. After responding positively that she needs a break, she closes her eyes and finds herself in a luxurious bubble bath of Hydra Soak, a luxury bath powder that helps you escape to a world free of all your problems.
Although the name Hydra Soak obviously references the group Hydra and could have significant meaning alike with episode 2’s Strucker watch commercial, it led us to second guess if it was trying to point at Wanda’s escape to her own fantasy world in Westview.
Since the commercial’s concept was “escaping to a world of your own” and “Finding the Goddess Within”, we believe it could be a reference in her discovery and use of her new ability to bend and create alternate realities.
Episode 4 is the only one without a commercial because it takes place in the real world outside of Westview. Given that we, the viewer, is constantly looking at Wanda’s world through a sitcom, a commercial does not exist for this reason. After all, most of the episode follows the perspective of Monica Rambeau.
Episode 5
How do we clean up a mess we didn’t to cause?
Well for Wanda, it’s turning them into commercials as this episode dug up a chilling memory and guilt that even the fans had once long forgotten.
In this commercial for a paper towel brand named “Lagos”, a mother was seen cleaning up spilled beer and juices with its ultra absorbing paper tower. It is of course a reference towards Lagos, Nigeria which was where the beginning of the 2016’s Captain America: Civil War movie took place.
With the compelling advertorial line “Lagos, from when you make a mess you didn’t mean to”, an obvious jab at what happened in Lagos during the movie, it was a painful reminder of how hard Wanda tried to forget and get over her guilt throughout. It displayed how distraught Wanda was during that time and maybe right now as well, with an entire town at her mercy.
If you need a recap, Wanda basically destroyed part of a building killing many workers from Wakanda in Lagos while trying to contain an explosion caused by Brock Rumlow.
Summary
The only definite conclusion we got from these commercials is how they all have an underlying connection with her memories or emotions. Additionally, by jumping through different time periods, it could also very well mean she’s controlling time in her own fantasy.
Undeniably, every episode’s perplexity also continues to give viewers more puzzles to solve and mysteries to take a crack at. Leading up to Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, we are beginning to see build-ups and the machination of alternate realities starting to form in WandaVision.
Zheng Yi is perpetually looking for the Time Stone to juggle his love for toys, anime, comics, gaming and photography. He probably needs the Space Stone next for his collection…
Trinity Sun
Natalie
