In the eighth episode of WandaVision, we’re finally shown a pivotal inciting moment: one that led to Wanda Maximoff creating the Westview Anomaly and holding a town full of people hostage in a sitcom-inspired fantasy land. After returning from the Snap and defeating Thanos along with the rest of the Avengers, Wanda traveled to S.W.O.R.D. headquarters, where Vision’s body had been transported after his death. But not only was he being stored there—S.W.O.R.D. was dismantling him, breaking him down piece by piece in order to eventually restore him to factory settings. S.W.O.R.D. was planning to use the billion-dollar sentient synthezoid as a sentient government weapon. This can’t be an easy thing to see: your deceased husband’s robot limbs splayed across a lab room; watching his head being sawed open; knowing that a government agency probably plans to use his resurrected husk to oppress a random third-world country—the same way Stark Industries’ weapons were used in Wanda’s home country of Sokovia.
And so, absolutely heartbroken, feeling emptier and more alone than ever before, Wanda leaves S.W.O.R.D. headquarters with tears welling in her eyes. She staggers through the parking lot in a haze to return to her … Buick Verano?
I’m sorry. I really don’t mean to diminish Wanda’s story of lifelong trauma and loss; this was a very strong episode in a surprisingly strong season of TV. But you’re telling me the strongest witch on the planet has the same taste in automobiles as my grandparents? This woman—this very powerful superhero—actually drove up I-95 in a BUICK. The Verano gets 24 miles to the gallon, but Wanda probably had to get gas in Jersey. I’m just imagining her being like, “Wait, you’re telling me I can’t pump my own gas?” as her eyes turn red.
The Buick just raises so many questions:
- Did Wanda buy this car? Like, she checked Kelley Blue Book and everything and was like, “I think a reasonably priced sedan is my best option”?
- Can she not afford, like, a Tesla? Or even a used BMW?
- Hang on, do the Avengers not have salaries?
- Are the Avengers unpaid government interns?
- How does the Avengers program not include company cars?
- And please don’t tell me Buick is their sponsor. Bruce Banner’s driving around in a green Enclave?
- Maybe they just really wanna support the American auto industry?
- OK, but if that’s the case, why not a Mustang? Or a Corvette? Maybe a Camaro?
- And wait—weren’t some of the Avengers driving Audis in Endgame? WHY DOESN’T WANDA GET AN AUDI?
- Maybe it’s a rental?
- Maybe Hertz asked Wanda whether she wanted to upgrade to a small SUV and she said, “No, the small sedan is just fine, thanks”?
- Or maybe she walked into an Enterprise like, “Just give me whatever red car you have”?
- Did all of the cool cars get snapped by Thanos?
- Is buying a Buick Verano the first stage of grief?
Now, of course I understand the real-life machinations that led to Wanda Maximoff driving a Buick. Marvel has never shied away from product placement—Age of Ultron is practically a three-hour ad for Samsung. And General Motors has been pushing Buicks onto female TV characters for years now: Never forget that millionaire Madeline Martha Mackenzie drove a Buick Enclave in Season 1 of Big Little Lies, and then a Buick Enclave Avenir in Season 2. (This very informative article reports that Buick dropped $25 million for “24 distinct placements and over 9 minutes of total on-screen time” in Big Little Lies. I can only imagine how much it paid to get a superhero behind the wheel.) But while I respect the wheels of capitalism and Disney’s unmatched skill for making money, I have to admit the Buick took me out of WandaVision.
The finale is just days away. Soon, we will see Wanda go to war with both the all-powerful witch Agatha Harkness and Director Hayward, whom we last saw booting up an extremely creepy facsimile of Vision. Maybe Doctor Strange will show up. Yet, while all these superpowered characters are flying around Westview, shooting colored beams of energy at each other and making awesome gestures with their hands, there’s going to be a tiny voice in the back of my head. Never forget, it’ll say. After all of this, Wanda is going to have to back out of her driveway in her Buick Verano at a safe, reasonable speed.