WandaVision: The Complete Series (Steelbook) [Blu-Ray]

Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn

Release Date: November 28, 2023

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Disc Rating: 8/10

Synopsis:

Marvel Studios’ WandaVision features a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) – two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives – begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.

Please Note: Disney/Marvel provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Post. The opinions I share are my own.

The Series:

‘WandaVision’ joins Wanda Maximoff (Olsen) and Vision (Bettany) after the events of the snap as they find themselves living ordinary lives in a friendly suburban town akin to sitcoms of old. Initially not thinking anything of their happy existence, as things begin to seem stranger and unnatural, the pair soon begins to realize that this happy life may not be exactly what it seems. Disregarding the seemingly helpful and kind-hearted neighbors, it soon becomes increasingly clear that there is far more going on here than initially appeared to be the case which leads to a new threat for the two to confront.

‘WandaVision’ hails from creator Jac Schaeffer and is smoothly guided along by director Matt Shakman who helms all nine episodes in the series. Shakman’s capable work in the director’s chair is nicely complemented by a notable cast of new and returning MCU stars including Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Josh Stamberg, Randall Park, Kat Dennings, Evan Peters and more, with nearly all offering solid or at the very least generally capable performances in each of their respective roles with each doing their own part to contribute to the fun.

Marking the first of the Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe series, ‘WandaVision’ offers a fresh and often drastically different type of Marvel story that seamlessly blends the action and spectacle of the MCU with the charm and style of classic sitcoms throughout the decades, with the series formula allowing for some additional time to explore the humanity, clash and different elements of these two beloved Marvel characters who find themselves in some truly peculiar circumstances that quickly prove to be anything but what they initially appear. Featuring plenty of twists, turns and surprises, along with a truly clever approach to the sitcom aspect that is impressive and highly commendable in its own right, the series may occasionally drag and does take a few episodes to really get moving, yet the end result is a largely rewarding and incredibly fun ride that Marvel fans will undoubtedly enjoy taking, as well as revisiting.

The Blu-ray Overall:

Marvel Studios brings home ‘WandaVision: The Complete Series’ on Blu-ray (and on 4K Ultra HD) in a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Steelbook that features all nine episodes from the series on physical media at last; something many fans didn’t expect but is certainly a treat to see become a reality. The Blu-ray release delivers fantastic high definition video presentations on every episode (and spread between two discs for optimum quality), paired with notable multichannel DTS-HD MA soundtracks and some rewarding bonus content that fans should appreciate. The release never disappoints and in addition to the solid technical merits and extras feature within, it also sports a gorgeous Steelbook package with original artwork, in addition to some physical Concept Art Cards included within. Any Marvel fans that would love to own ‘WandaVision’ on Blu-ray and are already considering a purchase should be largely thrilled with the release and it is definitely recommended.

VIDEO:

The Blu-ray release of ‘WandaVision: The Complete Series’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation with the show’s original 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio on all of the show’s episodes (although it should be noted that the presentation shifts aspect ratios multiple times throughout the series). The video presentations look magnificent as a whole and provide clean, sharp and richly detailed presentations from start to finish on every episode, all entirely absent of any noticeable troubles to be found throughout. They show notable detail and clarity across the board and everything onscreen from character faces, clothing and costumes as well as the surrounding environments and exterior settings all look impeccably sharp and detailed. Overall, these are tremendous high definition video presentations that hold up admirably every step of the way and should thoroughly satisfy fans.

AUDIO:

The Blu-ray release features a 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on all 9 episodes. These multichannel soundtracks are quite impressive themselves and offer clean, crisp and immersive audio presentations on each episode of the series. They regularly take advantage of all five available channels in order to send action effects, nature elements and bits of crowd chatter, along with plenty more consistently zipping throughout the various speakers while never resulting in any dialogue or other simultaneously occurring audio elements becoming distorted or rendered inaudible in the process. Overall, these are solid 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtracks that do their job well and shouldn’t disappoint.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Blu-ray release of ‘WandaVision: The Complete Series’ features some nice extras that are spread between the two discs. Included on the release is the Making of feature ‘Assembled: The Making of WandaVision’ (running approximately 57 minutes in length) which explores the show’s creation and features interviews/comments with the cast and crew, along with behind the scenes footage and more. Also included is the Behind the Scenes Featurette ‘Through the Eras’ (running approximately 7 minutes), along with a couple of ‘Deleted Scenes’ (approximately 1 minute combined) and a ‘Gag Reel’ (approximately 2 minutes).

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray and resized. They will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Disc Rating: 8/10

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‘WandaVision: The Complete Series’ is Now Available to Own on 4K Ultra HD Steelbook & Blu-ray Steelbook from Marvel Studios