Does "For the Children" reveal hidden secrets in 'WandaVision'?
Does the strange episode two refrain hint at what Marvel Studio's first TV show is really about?
This piece contains spoilers for WandaVision.
If you've watched WandaVision episode one and two you've likely heard the creepy refrain. Repeated by the many townspeople and often led by Dottie (Emma Caulfied), it begins as a motivational statement for the Westview town's talent show. But becomes ever more ominous as it's revealed that there are in fact no children in the town at all. So who is the talent show for and in what way is it for the children? Well, when Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) suddenly becomes magically pregnant at the end of episode two, the turn of phrase takes on a chilling new meaning. What if the events of the entire episode, the unusual talent show, and the chant of "For the Children'' was all part of a ritual to create Wanda and Vision's impossible children?
While this might sound entirely out of the realm of possibility, WandaVision is a series based utterly in the strange and unexpected. First of all, a woman with superpowers that were — in the context of the movies — given to her by a mystical stone (and, in the comics, a combination of magic from a demon and her mutant abilities) has fallen in love with an android who was in the movie continuity powered by an A.I., the lightning from Thor's hammer, and the aforementioned mystical stone. And they've now woken up in a vintage sitcom suburb where they're starting a new life even though the last time we saw them one of the two was dead. When put in that context, a ritualistic reason for Wanda's inexplicable pregnancy doesn't seem too strange.
Often when things get weird in the MCU and we want to understand where a story might go, we look to the comics. And in the case of WandaVision, things only get stranger when we revisit the source material. Luckily for this theory, they also hint at a couple of different ways in which Wanda could have gotten pregnant, neither of which include Vision or his android junk. Heading back to 1985 we begin with The Vision and the Scarlet Witch 12-issue limited series from Steve Englehart and Richard Howelll, which is where Wanda first gets pregnant. And it happens via magic. During the storyline, Wanda and Vision head to New Salem after the murder of Agatha Harkness — we'll touch on her more later — and while there Wanda is encouraged by a vision of Agatha to utilize the ambient powers of the witches known as the Salem Seven to magically manifest the children that she wants right into her own womb.
So there is one way that Wanda's own comic book past could connect to the strange events of WandaVision. In particular it seems relevant that Agatha Harkness has long been rumored to be appearing in the show under the guise of Agnes (Kathryn Hahn). The pair's charming and friendly neighbor seems to be wholly in control of her life from what we've seen in the first two episodes. Could it be that she has something to do with Wanda's? Though she's a witch, in the comics Agatha has usually been an ally to Marvel heroes. She began as a babysitter for the Fantastic Four, so her matriarchal nature has always been key to the character. But it's her connection to Wanda, Vision, and their comic book sons Tommy and Billy that's vital here. Not only did Agatha help Wanda create the babies, but in a later series she was part of their tragic end, which led to one of the most monumental breakdowns in comic book history.
Like many characters in comics, Agatha made an unexpected return after being narratively resurrected during Avengers: West Coast #51-52. Sadly for Wanda, Agatha came bearing a terrible warning. The children that Wanda loved so much were actually shards of the demon Mephisto's soul. In a questionable choice, Agatha decided to wipe Wanda's memory rather than try to fix the situation she had arguably helped to create. It was a brutal moment for Wanda and would lead to her eventually killing Agatha for her deceit. But in the context of WandaVision it once again sets up another way that "For the Children" and the creepy plan to make Wanda pregnant could be woven into the greater story. Though in both these stories Wanda has agency in the decisions — and that could be the case here, perhaps she wants to have children and is using this alternate reality to make it come true — there are far more horrifying options at play here.
There are plenty of hints throughout the first two episodes that someone other than Wanda is in control here. From the strange crackling radio that says "Wanda who's doing this to you?" to the fact that Dottie seems to be the one moving the proverbial chess pieces. But who could be pulling the strings? The main question we have to ask is what's the purpose? If it's just Wanda dealing with her own trauma at the loss of Vision (Paul Bettany) then there's a clear answer. But what do the kids have to do with that? It could be as simple as showcasing the hero's vision for a perfect life. Or there could be something deeper. There have been allusions to the return of HYDRA — the nazi group who gave Wanda and Pietro their powers in the MCU — so could they want Wanda to give birth? If so that would be particularly nefarious as it would hint that they want to use the babies as weapons. That would make sense though, in the movies they created Scarlet Witch and Quiksilver with Loki's scepter, so with the Infinity Gems now gone, they need a new vessel. What better than a potential superhero making machine in the form of Wanda herself?
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Now, the other option is a little more hopeful but no less bleak when it comes to Wanda's agency. There's a slim chance that Dottie, Agnes, Herb, and the rest of the neighbors are also trapped in the same way that Wanda and Vision are, and they want Wanda to give birth as they know her sons will become heroes the heroes Speed and Wiccan. While that sounds pretty far-fetched, we know WandaVision will lead directly into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Steven Strange has a penchant for seeing multiple versions of the future. Maybe he knows that the Young Avengers will be needed in the battle to come. It would make sense as the Marvel Studios TV series are all setting up famed Young Avengers heroes: Hawkeye will introduce Kate Bishop, Falcon and the Winter Soldier will introduce Patriot, Loki is rumored to be introducing Young Loki, and even the Doctor Strange sequel will include America Chavez. Wiccan and Speed are members of the team, and with their birth already confirmed in the trailers for WandaVision, it seems like no matter what happens or why they were born, they'll be sticking around after the final episode of this strange sitcom-inspired superhero show.
Whichever route WandaVision chooses to go, it's clear that the children are a key part of what we can expect to see going forward. After all, if this entire reality is "For the Children" then it's hard to understate just how important the twins must be to whatever plan the puppetmaster has.
When you're done with WandaVision, be sure to check out how to watch every Marvel movie in order. And for the best experience, check out Disney+ on Apple TV.
Rosie Knight is an Eisner-winning journalist and author who's been writing professionally since 2005. Her career has taken her around the world and, although she hails from London, she currently resides in Los Angeles where she writes full time. She began as a professional poet but transitioned into journalism, starting at the Eisner-winning WWAC in 2016. Since then she has written over 1500 articles for digital media sites including What to Watch, Nerdist, IGN, The Hollywood Reporter, Esquire, Den of Geek, DC Comics, /Film, BuzzFeed, and Refinery29. She also writes comics including The Haunted High Tops and Cougar and Cub. When she's not writing she spends far too much time watching horror movies and Hallmark films.