Television Sitcoms through the Decades: Transmedia Intertextuality in Marvel’s WandaVision

Abstract

In the current era of cultural convergence, the audiovisual production ecosystem is defined, among other things, by the growth of streaming platforms and the rise of transmedia storytelling. In this context, WandaVision (Schaeffer, 2021) stands out as a TV miniseries produced for a streaming platform (Disney+) that relies on transmedia intertextuality not only to expand its narrative, but also to deepen its storyworld.

This article explores the use of different intertextual references in WandaVision. A qualitative methodology is applied to examine its nine episodes, focusing on two specific categories drawn from a previous study by Freire et al. (2022): (1) endogenous intertextual references, which connect characters from this miniseries with those in Marvel’s comic books and the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and (2) exogenous intertextual connections to North American TV sitcoms, including their narrative, formal, and aesthetic components, as well as their production codes and standards throughout different decades (from the 1950s to the 2010s).

The findings of this analysis reveal that the historical evolution of the sitcom depicted in WandaVision, which mirrors the evolution of culture and society in the United States, also serves to illustrate the character arc and transformation undergone by the series’ protagonist, Wanda Maximoff. At the same time, the combination of endogenous and exogenous references in the writing process actively shapes the narrative, offering multiple interpretative layers that foster audience engagement and enrich the viewing experience. This establishes WandaVision as a paradigmatic case of transmedia intertextuality.