WandaVision Theory: Everyone In Westview Is Dead (Except Scarlet Witch)
Warning: SPOILERS for WandaVision episode 3
WandaVision has made it clear that something is wrong in Westview; could it be that everyone there is dead except for Scarlet Witch? While Marvel Studios' first Disney+ show is masquerading as a throwback sitcom from multiple decades, the domestic life that Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany), and their new baby twins Billy and Tommy now find themselves in isn't what it seems.
WandaVision has been setting up multiple mysteries about what exactly is going on from the very beginning. The early episodes have seen someone from SWORD watching the events of WandaVision as if it were an actual TV sitcom, had the "Beekeeper" with a SWORD logo infiltrate Westview, and had Wanda hear a voice through a radio (likely Jimmy Woo) asking who is doing this to her. This hasn't stopped the show from nearly perfectly replicating the style of old sitcoms, but each moment presents a reminder of a bigger story at play. WandaVision has also shown that Scarlet Witch - or whoever is in charge of this fake reality - can reset or rewind the events to keep suspicion of what is really going on to a minimum.
The mystery behind Westview and the new suburban lives for Wanda and Vision became a bit more prominent in WandaVision episode 3. "Geraldine" a.k.a. Monica Rambeau briefly broke free of the fantasy and remembered that Ultron killed Quicksilver, prompting Scarlet Witch to throw her out of the alternate reality. Another puzzling moment in the episode came with Wanda and Vision's neighbor, Herb. He kept trying to potentially reveal the truth about what is going on, and the answer might be that everyone in Westview is currently dead - except Scarlet Witch.
One of the biggest mysteries heading into WandaVision was how Vision is even involved with the show. The last time the synthezoid appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he died twice. Wanda had to kill him at first in Avengers: Infinity War to prevent Thanos from getting the Mind Stone, but then the Mad Titan reversed time to pluck the Infinity Stone out of Vision's forehead. Vision's lifeless body was shown afterward, but the MCU has yet to address what happened to Vision or his body post-Infinity War. Since the Mind Stone powered Vision, though, it seemed that Vision was dead permanently.
WandaVision has yet to reveal exactly what is going on with his story. However, it does appear that the most likely explanation for Vision still being around is that this fake reality brought him back to life somehow. This could have been accomplished with Wanda's powers creating a place where she can have a happy, mostly normal life with Vision. While there are other possibilities, the Vision in this fake reality might not even be alive. In fact, WandaVision's trailers included a scene where their other neighbor, Agnes, tells Vision he is dead.
The truth behind Vision's return in the show is something yet to be explained, but whatever version of him it is in Westview is growing increasingly skeptical about its true nature. This is reinforced throughout WandaVision episode 3, especially once he has a chat with Herb and Agnes. It is during this conversation that it seems Herb is about to crack and let Vision in on what's really going on. When discussing how odd it is that Geraldine doesn't have a family or home in Westview, Herb nervously says, "She came here because we're all..." Although Herb tries to complete his sentence multiple times, he can't - and there's even a point where Agnes steps in to make sure he doesn't say anything.
Herb's incomplete thought left WandaVision viewers wondering what he wanted to say. One of the popular suggestions is that he wanted to say that they are all trapped in Westview. Doctor Neilson even said that his vacation was off because you can't really leave. There have been theories that Westview is a prison for witches, so it's possible this could be extended to include all types of magic users. Other viewers have suggested that he wanted to say they're all being watched, or trapped. Episode 1 ended with a reveal that someone is watching "WandaVision," but it's also possible that a bigger, more powerful force is also overseeing the events in Westview as part of a larger plan. However, what if Herb was trying to tell Vision that everyone in Westview is dead?
It's important to remember that by the end of Avengers: Endgame, Vision's loss is still very fresh for Wanda. She was blinked out of existence by Thanos for five years, but for the Snapped, that time passed instantaneously. It is not yet clear who is behind WandaVision's fake reality, but Scarlet Witch is the prime suspect and would be powerful enough to change a portion of reality to create this new life with Vision. If this is the case, Wanda could've selected an isolated or seemingly abandoned town to build this new reality. However, it is possible that Wanda did not fully understand the power she used to bring Vision back. Instead of just bringing Vision back to life, Scarlet Witch could've accidentally populated Westview full of dead people. This opens the door for WandaVision to explain who the Westview residents are in several ways, such as them all being Sokovians, people from Wanda's past, or even those who lived in the real Westview long ago.
The idea of Wanda unknowingly filling a town with dead people could be why Agnes and Herb were so concerned about Geraldine and Wanda interacting. It is starting to become clear that those in Westview have a better understanding of what is really going on. While there might be some weird "glitches" like Herb cutting through a wall, it doesn't appear that they want the truth to come out. This could be because they all know that they were dead and are now doing whatever it takes to keep the facade alive. However, we know that Geraldine is really the adult Monica Rambeau and not like the rest of Westview's people. Herb says that she came here but doesn't have a house or family. They could be worried that Monica could reveal the truth to Wanda and force her to confront this happy life as a fake reality. If that is what the Westview residents were worried about, then the good news for them is that Scarlet Witch forcefully banished Monica at the end of the episode.
There is even some precedence in the comics for Wanda and Vision settling down in a town of the undead. During Vision and the Scarlet Witch #1, the 1985 comic issue saw Vision and Scarlet Witch leave the Avengers to settle down in the suburbs. They move to a small New Jersey town called Leonia, but they almost immediately discover that zombies are roaming through the town. The zombies were the pawns of two villains, Black Talon and Nekra Sinclair, who worked for Grim Reaper. It's worth noting that in more recent comics, Wanda herself also has the power of necromancy and raised the dead via a spell, to disastrous results. The opening credits for WandaVision episode 2 included a Grim Reaper Easter egg, as well.
Scarlet Witch surrounding herself with dead people in Westview could pave the way for other dead characters from her past to appear in WandaVision. There is already a popular theory that Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver's parents appeared in the fake commercial that aired in the first episode of the show. The first TV ad referenced the Stark bomb that killed Mr. and Mrs. Maximoff but left Wanda and her brother, Pietro, alive and trapped. The "actors" in the commercials could be her parents. There are even some incredibly dark theories that Wanda already lost the babies Billy and Tommy in real life, so they could have died already and been brought back, too.
WandaVision can bring several other important dead characters from Scarlet Witch and Vision's past back. Episode 3 contained the first reference to Quicksilver in the MCU since he died in Avengers: Age of Ultron. There have even been rumors that Evan Peters will play a multiverse version of Quicksilver in the show after playing the speedster in Fox's X-Men franchise. It also wouldn't be too surprising if Ultron appeared at some point, either as his giant robotic form or a very meta take with James Spader in the flesh. Perhaps Baron von Strucker will even be back if WandaVision revisits aspects of her origin in the coming episodes. All of this could still be done without the residents of Westview all being dead, but it would give WandaVision a more cohesive explanation behind what is happening in the town.