When Marvel Studios announced they were branching out into the world of TV through the streaming service Disney Plus with shows like WandaVision, audiences had a flurry of questions: which heroes would get their own series? How would it fit into the MCU as a whole? How will Marvel maintain the quality of their productions with so many more properties? Though, perhaps the question audiences were most eager to have answered was ‘who will helm these TV series?’
Indeed, a major part of the MCU’s success in Phase 3 was that Marvel brought in some top-tier directing talent. From Indie-favourite Taika Waititi (2017’s Thor: Ragnarok) to acclaimed up-and-comer Ryan Coogler (2018’s Black Panther) to comedy stalwarts Joe and Anthony Russo (2016’s Captain America: Civil War, 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame), Marvel put some heavy hitters behind the camera. This, in turn, allowed their films to each offer a distinctive personality and resonate with audiences, earning Disney billions at the box office.
So, when it was revealed that the first few MCU TV series wouldn’t be helmed by well-known film directors but rather unfamiliar TV directors, audiences were split. Would these lesser-known talents be able to deliver on a Marvel property? Although they may be adept at directing for television, can they offer the cinematic quality viewers have come to expect from Marvel? Despite these initial fears, Marvel has proven it knows what it’s doing – from what audiences have seen so far (through ‘First Looks’ and trailers), these new streaming series maintain (and perhaps even exceed) the level of quality expected from Marvel.
And the reason is that they’ve chosen the best possible directors for the job. Take its first series, for example – the upcoming WandaVision. Following Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the series offers a look at their attempts to live a run-of-the-mill suburban life, despite some surreal and suspicious goings-on. Indeed, it’s suggested that their existence is merely a façade, subconsciously created by Wanda’s uber-powerful telepathic abilities. As the weeks go by, Wanda’s magical control over this illusion begins to shatter, leading to some strange side effects.
Whilst this premise alone is engaging enough to carry the show, the real hook is how the series is presented: it’s a pastiche of various sitcoms through the ages. Referencing early sitcoms from the 50s and 60s like I Love Lucy and The Dick Van Dyke Show all the way to contemporary favorites like The Office and Modern Family, Wandavision is poised to utilize the eery uncanny valley found in these TV shows to reinforce the ‘false reality’ of its plot. Therefore, for the show to succeed, it would need a director that understands the structure of the sitcom format, and all the ins and outs of the various kinds of sitcoms through the ages; it would need a sitcom expert. Luckily, Matt Shakman is that expert.
Beginning in theater before moving into the world of television, Shakman has worked as a director for some of the most prestigious series of the last few years. Featuring stints at Game of Thrones, The Boys, and Succession, Shakman has built up his bona fides in both action and drama, two crucial parts of the Marvel formula. Equally, Shakman has had an extensive career directing sitcoms and comedies: Ugly Betty, Psych, What About Brian, Everybody Hates Chris, The Great, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (which he is also an Executive Producer of). With this level of experience directing sitcoms, Shakman clearly has attained a mastery of the genre’s craft (the sense of rhythm, aesthetic sensibilities etc.), allowing him to infuse such elements into Wandavision’s postmodern approach.
However, his greatest strength isn’t his directing experience: it’s his acting experience. When he was still a child, Shakman was a series regular on the 1988 television show Just the Ten of Us, which was a spin-off of the sitcom Growing Pains. Starring stand-up comedian Bill Kirchenbauer as Coach Graham Lubbock, the series was about a large catholic family spending time together and living a suburban experience; in other words, it was as generic a sitcom as possible. In the show, Shakman played, Graham "J.R." Lubbock, Jr., the eldest son of the family, and regularly featured in proceedings, albeit as a secondary character. Spot him in the opening credits, here:
Filmed in a classic sitcom-style (with a laugh track, live studio audience, and multi-camera set-up), Just the Ten of Us is as stereotypical as they come, down to the schmaltzy familial themes, and ran for three seasons. By spending so much time in the formative phase of his life surrounded by this sitcom set-up, Shakman was probably to understand and learn from the sensibilities of the form; he was given a crash-course in what a sitcom was. Now, 32 years later, he’s able to utilize that experience to construct WandaVision, ensuring that it is authentically sitcom-esque.
Thus, between his extensive TV directing experience and childhood on a sitcom set, Matt Shakman really is the best person to be helming WandaVision – no one else has a comparable base of experience and knowledge. Moreover, with someone as adept as Shakman behind the camera, it’s an exciting prospect to see how WandaVision turns out.