WandaVision: The Sitcom Characters' Real Names Mean Way More Than You Think
In this week's new episode of WandaVision, aptly titled "We Interrupt This Program," the Disney Plus Marvel series gave viewers a look at Westview from the outside. With Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) on the case, S.W.O.R.D., the FBI, and of course the audience, finally get some answers. Once Lewis discovers broadcast waves coming from Westview, she realizes that she needs a television set, and soon enough she's watching Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and a supposedly-dead Vision (Paul Bettany) living their own strange sitcom.
Within the show's supporting cast of characters, Lewis and the others are able to identify the many people who went missing from the small New Jersey town. At the beginning of the episode, Rambeau is sent to investigate a missing persons case with the FBI, leading her to Woo and Westview. But oddly, the police in the area and the relatives of the missing individuals don't remember them ever existing. So, what exactly is going on? That's a question WandaVision will hopefully answer in the next couple episodes.
While fans wait patiently for next Friday, there's a lot in the just-released fourth episode to pick out and analyze. In particular, the real identities of the citizens of the Westview suburb hold significance for WandaVision, and the team behind the show.
The Westview citizens' names are nods to real people involved with Marvel and WandaVision
This is one WandaVision easter egg that requires a bit of research. Aside from Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), Dottie (Emma Caulfield), and likely a few more, Lewis, Woo, and S.W.O.R.D. discover the real names of the supporting cast of Wanda's sitcom, such as Mr. and Mrs. Hart and Vision's coworker, Norm. While some residents' real identities appear to have no significance — at least not yet — others have the names of employees involved in both WandaVision and other Marvel projects.
Herb (David Payton), Wanda and Vision's neighbor who has a habit of cutting through walls, is really named John Collins. In actuality, John Collins is the name of the Marvel Art Director who worked on WandaVision. The real names of Mr. and Mrs. Hart (Fred Melamed and Debra Jo App) have a similar connection. As discovered by Lewis and Woo in the series, Mr. Hart is actually named Todd Davis, while Mrs. Hart is actually Sharon Davis. The real-life Sharon Davis is the Supervising Art Director on WandaVision, and she also worked on Iron Man 2. As for Todd Davis, this is the name of an actor who played the role of "Townsman" in Iron Man 3. The little odes to people involved behind the scenes are clever and touching additions, and there are likely more to appear in later episodes of WandaVision.
Audiences should keep watching WandaVision closely for similar easter eggs, as some of these small, seemingly insignificant details could play a huge role in the rest of the season.