Why The Old MacDonald Sing-Along In WandaVision Episode 1 Could Mean More Than You Think
If you revisit the world of 1950s sitcoms, it's natural to take the plotlines and gags you see at face value. When Lucy Ricardo from I Love Lucy speedily eats loads of candy in order to keep up with an impossibly fast conveyor belt, you can safely assume there's no hidden meaning behind the bit. But, in the laugh track-filled sitcom world of WandaVision, every quip, bit, or plotline might hold a secret.
Take, for example, a particular moment in the first episode of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's new show. In the premiere, we see that new Westview residents Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) are hiding their true identities and powers from their neighbors and coworkers. When Vision's boss, Arthur Hart, and his wife come over for dinner, Wanda uses magic to make the meal. In order to distract the Harts from discovering his wife's powers, Vision takes out his ukulele and the three of them (well, two of them, since Arthur refuses to sing) sing along to the classic children's tune, "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."
The scene seems innocent enough on the surface: an enthusiastic Mrs. Hart gets into singing and Vision uses the animal naming portion of the song to subtly call his boss a pig. But the nursery rhyme might actually be a nod to MacDonald Gargan, a private investigator turned Marvel supervillain.
There are some secret Captain Marvel connections in WandaVision
MacDonald (Mac) Gargan first appeared in the December 1964 edition of the Amazing Spider-Man. He became notable Spiderman foe Scorpion after undergoing a failed animal mutation experiment and would later embody a ferocious version of Venom. As Venom, he showed up in the Secret Invasion story arc as a member of the Thunderbolts. The Secret Invasion arc centers on alien shapeshifters called the Skrulls and their efforts to replace superheroes on Earth in order to prepare for an invasion. Gargan and Captain Marvel both appear in the arc, as Gargan also fought a Skrull impersonating Captain Marvel during the invasion.
This Captain Marvel/MacDonald Gargan Secret Invasion connection is significant for two reasons. One, because we know that, in WandaVision, we already have a direct connection to Captain Marvel. In Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers' best friend, Maria Rambeau had a young daughter named Monica. In the second episode of WandaVision, we meet Westview resident Geraldine (Teyonah Parris), who is the grownup version of Monica Rambeau. As Deadline reports, we know Parris plays both Monica Rambeau and Geraldine. We just don't know yet how we get from Geraldine to Monica.
The second reason is that Marvel is developing a Secret Invasion TV show. It's no secret that Marvel loves foreshadowing future projects and tying in characters through various easter eggs. There's a possibility that this innocent sing-along was actually a secret way for Marvel to link MacDonald Gargan's arrival in Secret Invasion to WandaVision.
Though there is the chance that the sing-along was, like the classic sitcoms of the 1950s, just meant to be taken at face value, WandaVision fans are sure to have plenty of theories about its potential hidden meaning to the show's larger, overall picture.