The fourth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe launches this week with the premiere of Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany's WandaVision. While the Disney Plus series marks the beginning of a new era of MCU storylines, Bettany told The Hollywood Reporter believed his time with the franchise was coming to an end when Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige summoned him to his office to pitch the project.
Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity War centered on Thanos' efforts to acquire all six infinity stones in order to eradicate half the universe's population. Having been brought to life by the mind stone, Vision instantly became a target of Thanos' underlings and while the Avengers attempted to protect their comrade by bringing him to Wakanda, where they hoped to extract the gem without killing the android, the Mad Titan was ultimately successful in his mission at the cost of Vision's life. Although the heroes who survived Thanos' decimation were able to reverse his horrific act, Vision was one of a handful of characters whose death could not be undone.
With Vision's fate seemingly sealed and his contract with Marvel Studios now expired, Bettany believed he was being formally fired when Feige called asking him to come into his office. After informing his wife Jennifer Connelly that his tenure with Marvel Studios was over, he entered the meeting with Feige hoping to avoid any discomfort considering his time with the company had been great. "So I walked in and said, 'Kevin and Louis [D'Esposito], I love you. I totally get it. It's been a great run and no hard feelings' And Kevin went, 'Wait, are you quitting?' And I went, 'No, aren't you firing me?' And he went, 'No, we were going to pitch you a TV show,'" Bettany recounted. "So I went, 'Oh, okay. Yeah, I'm in.” (Laughs.) So that's how that happened. I'm always thinking I'm about to get fired. I've spent my life thinking I'm about to get fired."
WandaVision has already been touted by Feige as playing a key role in Marvel Studio's plans for the fourth phase of the MCU. During Disney's Investor Day presentation, Feige confirmed the series will set up the events of director Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which itself will be connected to Marvel Studios and Sony's third Spider-Man film. The ties between these projects and Benedict Cumberbatch's role in Spider-Man 3 likely explains how characters from the wall-crawler's previous franchises will appear in the film, including Jamie Foxx's Electro and Alfred Molina's Doc Ock.
Of course, some fans are curious to see Bettany's return to the MCU in WandaVision will be permanent or if another tragic fate awaits Vision. While Bettany himself wouldn't directly state whether or not he still has a future with Marvel, he noted that he would love to reprise his role as Vision in some form down the line.
Shortly after WandaVision concludes, Marvel Studios will premiere The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney Plus. Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, which concluded with an older Steve Rogers relinquishing the Captain America title to Sam Wilson, the series focuses on the challenges Wilson and Bucky Barnes face in a world without the First Avenger.
WandaVision premieres exclusively on Disney Plus on January 15, 2021.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter