‘WandaVision’ Post-Credits Scene Explained: Who Is White Vision?

WandaVision Episode 8 “Previously On” finally gave Marvel fans a lot of answers about Wanda Maximoff’s (Elizabeth Olsen) chaos magic powers, love of sitcoms, and how she got to Westview, New Jersey in the first place. But the WandaVision Episode 8 post-credits scene introduced the arrival of White Vision (Paul Bettany). It seems that Director Tyler Hayward (Josh Stamberg) created Cataract as a secret S.W.O.R.D. project to bring Vision back in his silver-y white spectral form, all to be a soulless weapon.

But who exactly is White Vision in the comics? What going on with Wanda’s Scarlet Witch chaos magic powers? And do we finally know which big Marvel cameo Paul Bettany has been teasing in interviews?? Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s WandaVision mid-credits scene and the origins of White Vision.

WANDAVISION EPISODE 8 POST CREDITS SCENE: WHO IS WHITE VISION?

After a tremendously emotional episode of WandaVision — where we finally learned the significance of sitcoms to Wanda and just how much Vision means to her — we got a sucker punch of a mid-credits scene. It seems that Project Cataract has been a mission to rebuild Vision as a sentient weapon for S.W.O.R.D. Not only that, but this Vision is all white, suggesting he’s been reprogrammed as a blank slate, with no personality or emotions, especially for Wanda.

Marvel nerds immediately recognized this eerie version of Vision as “White Vision.”

White Vision is a version of Vision first introduced in the “Vision Quest” storyline in West Coast Avengers issues #42-#50. John Byrne created a storyline where Vision and Wanda moved to the suburbs and had a couple of kids. (Hey, that sounds familiar!) Just when all seemed well for the couple, Vision is abducted and dismantled. There is even an iconic two-page spread where his body is shown disassembled. (Wait, like in WandaVision Episode 8?!?) Vision is brought back online with his memory and human-like emotions wiped. Oh, and he’s white. Hence the nickname “White Vision.”

Needless to say, the Wanda of the comics found White Vision horrifying. The love of her life has returned with no memory or connection to her. However, there is something kind of neat about this white version of Vision, at least for comics purists. Marvel writer Roy Thomas originally wanted to make the android Vision an all-white, ghostly, spectral character. However, there was no way to effectively do this in 1968, the year Vision was introduced in Avengers issue #57. So White Vision is a fun nod to how Thomas originally conceived him.

The WandaVision Episode 8 mid-credits scene teases that White Vision will enter the Hex to confront Wanda, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), and the loving version of Vision that Wanda has manifested with her chaos magic.

WHAT IS CHAOS MAGIC IN WANDAVISION? IS WANDA FINALLY THE SCARLET WITCH?

In really thrilling nerd news, WandaVision Episode 8 finally named Wanda Maximoff as the Scarlet Witch. Though Wanda’s had the moniker since her introduction in 1964’s X-Men #4, the MCU hasn’t leaned into her witchy nickname until now. And we finally know that, yes, Wanda is a witch and her powers are rooted in chaos magic.

WandaVision Episode 8 “Previously On” opens on Agatha Harkness’s backstory. We learn she was part of a coven of witches (maybe even related to the Neil Gaiman/Andy Kubert Marvel series 1602‘s Witchbreed??) in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts. Agatha betrayed her coven by studying dark magic thought to be above her pay grade. In the end, though, she sucks the life and magic out of everyone in her coven, including her mother. It sets up Agatha as the parasitic magic-user teased in the “Yo-Magic” ad, only she’s hellbent on sucking Wanda’s powers.

First she has to understand Wanda. That’s why we finally get glimpses back into the traumatic events that led Wanda to create the Hex in Westview. Ultimately, Agatha figures out that Wanda was born with magical powers that were amplified by the Mind Stone. But what really concerns Agatha is the realization that Wanda was able to create Westview just through an emotional outburst.

According to Agatha, Wanda wields chaos magic, making her a “mythic” being known as the Scarlet Witch.

Chaos magic has long been tied to Wanda. Originally introduced as a mutant in X-Men, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby just said she had “hex” powers. Later writers established that she was given chaos magic by the elder god Chthon upon birth. This means she has the ability to distort reality with, uh, chaotic abandon.

More importantly, it seems that Marvel is finally ditching the notion that magic is like science for higher beings and embracing magic as magic. Starting with the idea that Wanda is the Scarlet Witch.

IS THE WANDAVISION CAMEO PAUL BETTANY HAS BEEN TEASING…PAUL BETTANY?

The introduction of White Vision sets up a WandaVision finale showdown between this cold version of Vision and the technicolor Vision Wanda created in the Hex. Which leads us to wonder…is the top secret cameo Paul Bettany has been teasing…Paul Bettany?

Bettany recently told Esquire: “Of all of the characters that we were trying to keep secret, a lot of them got out through leaks, there is one character that has not been revealed. It’s an actor that I’ve longed to work with all of my life. We have some amazing scenes together and the chemistry between us is, I think, extraordinary. It’s just fireworks on set.”

This set off a wave of fan theories, ranging from the arrival of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange to the introduction of Reed Richards. But what if the actor Bettany has “longed to work with all of [his] life” is himself!?! We certainly expect “fireworks” when two Visions square off, so maybe Bettany has just been trolling us.

We’ll have to wait until the WandaVision finale debuts on March 5, 2021…

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