The Mysterious Voice on the Radio In 'WandaVision,' Explained
Episode 4 confirmed theories that the voice belongs to another popular MCU character.
On the surface, WandaVision is a fun, cheeky sitcom about two Marvel superheroes living out their wholesome suburban fantasies. But underneath, the Disney+ show is a darker story about multiverses and trauma wrapped in a web of MCU Easter eggs. One of those A+ Easter eggs? A call-back to Ant-Man and the Wasp.
In the '60s-inspired second episode, the fourth wall is momentarily broken when Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) hears a voice on the radio repeatedly asking her, "Who did this to you?" The strange occurrence isn't addressed again in the episode, but fans quickly matched the voice to Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park).
Woo, of course, was the federal agent assigned to keep tabs on Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) during his mandated house arrest in the Ant-Man sequel. Less villain and more bumbling pesky adversary slash youth pastor (like, actually), Woo can't seem to figure out how Lang keeps evading his clutches (hint: he's a superhero) or how he does those card tricks. Woo hasn't been seen again in the MCU even though Ant-Wan and the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) were included in the good guy army that took down Thanos in Avengers: Endgame.
Woo isn't the only tertiary MCU character set to reprise his role in WandaVision. Kat Dennings, known as Darcy in the Thor films, is also confirmed to appear in the new show.
Is Woo working to help Wanda? Is he just keeping tabs on her as he did with Scott? (Remember: Wanda's technically a fugitive after Captain America: Civil War, though it's not clear what happened to the Sokovia Accords after the Snap.) Is Woo a part of S.W.O.R.D.?
Episode 4
WandaVision finally gave viewers many answers in its fourth episode, zooming out of Wanda's alternate world to show how her actions are affecting everyone else. One of those answers? That it was, in fact, Agent Jimmy Woo (who seems to have learned some of Scott Lang's card tricks) on the other end of the radio receiver.
The episode shows how Woo, still an FBI agent, was one of the first to suspect that something fishier was at play when it came to Wanda's mysterious town. He contacts S.W.O.R.D. for help, but after things go awry and Agent Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) disappears, he joins in on the rescue efforts/investigations into Wanda's "show." At one point, he and Darcy try to hack into Wanda's world through her radio and we see Woo speaking the lines Wanda heard in episode 4.
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Park's continued hilarious portrayal of the character was an immediate crowd-pleaser, with Twitter lighting up with some of his best moments from the episode.
Finally, a show about me, a person annoyed he has to figure out WandaVision pic.twitter.com/1FT9XOCPMdJanuary 29, 2021
I feel conflicted about Jimmy Woo.On the one hand, the version in the MCU bears zero resemblance to the comics version, and I'd have loved an Agents of Atlas show.On the other, MCU Woo is delightful and I want a show of him and Darcy going round solving weird mysteries.January 29, 2021
That moment when Jimmy Woo and Darcy are simultaneously every single person watching #WandaVision pic.twitter.com/WXnPsWoR9yJanuary 29, 2021
While viewers may be surprised to realize Woo plays such a major part in the show considering his limited role in the MCU thus far, fans of the comics shouldn't be phased. Per Inverse, Agent Jimmy Woo was actually at the center of Atlas Comics' Yellow Claw series, a Marvel predecessor that debuted in 1956. According to Inverse, Woo was one of the first Asian-Americans heroes in comics and was more "straight and serious with swagger and suave like James Bond."
Inverse also reports that Woo's character continued on in the Marvel Comics, working alongside S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury. Woo eventually became the leader of the "Agents of Atlas."
Could Woo's presence in WandaVision be queueing up a future spin-off where he leads an Avengers-like group of superheroes?
Studio head Kevin Feige did previously tell Variety that he was using Disney+ as a way of "growing and expanding" the world and that they plan to "further explore characters," so there is always a chance.
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Neha Prakash is Marie Claire's Entertainment Director, where she edits, writes, and ideates culture and current event features with a focus on elevating diverse voices and stories in film and television. She steers and books the brand's print and digital covers as well as oversees the talent and production on MC's video franchises like "How Well Do You Know Your Co-Star?" and flagship events, including the Power Play summit. Since joining the team in early 2020, she's produced entertainment packages about buzzy television shows and films, helped oversee culture SEO content, commissioned op-eds from notable writers, and penned widely-shared celebrity profiles and interviews. She also assists with social coverage around major red carpet events, having conducted celebrity interviews at the Met Gala, Oscars, and Golden Globes. Prior to Marie Claire, she held editor roles at Brides, Glamour, Mashable, and Condé Nast, where she launched the Social News Desk. Her pop culture, breaking news, and fashion coverage has appeared on Vanity Fair, GQ, Allure, Teen Vogue, and Architectural Digest. She earned a masters degree from the Columbia School of Journalism in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Pennsylvania State University in 2010. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and dog, Ghost; she loves matcha lattes, Bollywood movies, and has many hot takes about TV reboots. Follow her on Instagram @nehapk.
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