“WandaVision” may have finally revealed its true villain: It was Agatha ... er ... Paul Bettany all along.
For weeks, fans of Marvel’s Disney+ show have been hyped about a possible Luke Skywalker-level cameo coming in “WandaVision,” a cameo that Bettany has teased multiple times.
In an interview last month with Esquire, the actor said, “Truth is, of all of the characters we were trying to keep secret, a lot of them got out through leaks. There is one character that has not been revealed. And it is very exciting. It is an actor I’ve longed to work with all of my life. We have some amazing scenes together and I think the chemistry between us is extraordinary and fireworks on set.”
Then Episode 8 happened, giving us double Vision ... literally.
Yep, there are now two versions of Vision on the show, meaning Paul Bettany has the opportunity to act alongside ... Paul Bettany.
Since the actor isn’t afraid to joke around in interviews, was this secret character just a case of Bettany trolling fans? Is the big cameo, an actor Bettany has amazing “chemistry” with, just himself?
“I’m gonna let Paul Bettany answer that question. He dug himself this hole. He can get out of it,” director Matt Shakman told HuffPost on Monday.
When asked again if Bettany had just been joking and White Vision was the cameo, Shakman stuck to his guns: “I don’t know. We’ll have to let Paul answer that question.”
The idea that Bettany has “dug himself this hole” would seem to suggest that a true surprise cameo is not on the way. Of course, there’s still a chance. This is Marvel after all. There are a bajillion possible characters. And a chance is all the internet needs to blow things way out of proportion.
Week after week, the littlest details from “WandaVision” are turned into fan theories. Interview quotes — like that one about the cameo — are dissected even more than Vision’s body was by S.W.O.R.D.
And the show’s creators seem just fine with that.
“I am blown away by the fan response,” Shakman said. “We never could have expected this kind of response. We didn’t as we were making it, and the idea that there is this passionate, inspired audience out there that will go out and create these wonderful memes and TikTok videos, it’s really inspiring to all of us. We pass them around among the cast and the writers, so know your work is being appreciated.”
As far as a cameo is concerned, the ball is in your court, Bettany. You know, whichever of you wants to respond.