When Disney Plus and Marvel Studios released their first limited series WandaVision, it caught everyone's attention for its unusual story structure and its exploration of mental health. Now the show that dared to be different, and the stars who brought it to life, have been nominated for Emmy awards.
WandaVision has been nominated for 23 awards in total, with the Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series category leading the way. Elizabeth Olsen has been nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie for her complex performance as Wanda Maximoff. Her show husband, Paul Bettany, has also been nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie for his role as Vision. The nominations wouldn't be complete without Kathryn Hahn, who was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie for her role as nosy neighbor/villain Agatha Harkness.
This marks the first time Marvel has been nominated for any major Emmy Awards. Marvel projects have rarely been recognized by awards shows, and when they have been it was for technical achievements in categories like Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, or Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Black Panther was the first MCU film to be nominated in the categories for Best Picture, Best Original Song, and Best Costume Design, among others.
Marvel projects were nominated for a total of 28 awards this season, including WandaVision's 23 contributions. Marvel Studios' second original Disney Plus series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, was also nominated for one award. Don Cheadle was nominated in the category of Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as James "Rhodey" Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine.
It's no shock that Marvel's first few forays into limited series have been so widely recognized. The Disney Plus and Marvel team-up allowed these projects to branch out beyond the usual razzle-dazzle of superhero projects to explore more human themes. WandaVision is unique in that it focuses on the grief of one woman as she processes her trauma, which fans have never seen from a Marvel Studios project in such a contained storyline. There are the usual elements of any superhero story, including fighting and fantastical powers. However, the show gives each character room to breathe and explore the deep-seated tragedies of their storylines from the movies before.
WandaVision pushed boundaries as far as storylines go, but it also drove the overall plot forward and redefined things in the MCU. The series could have been an amusing one-off show to keep fans entertained between MCU films. Instead, it opened several options for the future, including a setup for Young Avengers, The Marvels, and a foreshadowing of the evolution of Wanda's powers.
The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards will air on September 19, 2021.
Source: Television Academy