WandaVision Showrunner Hints at the Marvel Show’s Spoilery, Contemporary Influences

From the earliest glimpses at WandaVision, audiences knew that it would be embracing iconic [...]

From the earliest glimpses at WandaVision, audiences knew that it would be embracing iconic elements of classic sitcoms throughout history, but showrunner Jac Schaeffer recently detailed that the series also drew inspiration from more contemporary sources, yet to fully divulge those details would result in spoilers. While she might not have fully opened up about modern influences, she did note that she appreciated the ways in which contemporary series denied being classified within one specific genre, which audiences have already witnessed in the new Marvel series, as it had embraced comedy, drama, and even horror into its unique and surprising narrative.

"It's a tricky question because I would love to do a deep dive but some of it would maybe be too revealing," Schaeffer revealed to Hindu Times when discussing modern influences. "I would say The Twilight Zone is an enormous influence on the show, Outer Limits, Amazing Stories, a lot of those shows that present one thing and it turns out to be something else, and with the social commentary. And Twilight Zone, especially, was so often in domestic spheres and then would always flip the script by the end."

She continued, "So those were very influential, and then there are so many prestige series right now that play with genre and play with the boundaries of what a TV show can be. I have been so just impressed and have so much admiration for these shows that, I don't know, just throw the rules out the window. So those shows are really our contemporary influences on the episodes."

With the season nearing the halfway point, WandaVision has used its initial episodes to introduce audiences to the concept, with the upcoming episodes sure to bring audiences a number of exciting reveals. Between Wanda's mystical powers and Vision's use of the Mind Stone, almost anything feels possible in the series, as Schaeffer previously detailed how difficult it was to craft the debut season's overall structure.

"I think that when we were breaking the story, it was really hard," Schaeffer explained to Digital Spy. "We had a lot of goals. There were a lot of different levels. I have a lot of memories. When I think about the early stages of breaking it – I remember a lot of headaches, and just being like, 'How do we hold this all in?'"

She added, "We had so many different systems and color coding and formats to make it all work. And the decision-making of what's too much? What's gilding the lily? What's not enough? All of those early development decisions are really hard."

New episodes of WandaVision land on Disney+ on Fridays.

Are you looking forward to the series using more contemporary influences? Let us know in the comments below!

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