Calling Wanda's Accent: Where Did It Go on 'WandaVision'?

Marvel's WandaVision is off to an exciting start with mysterious theories and old sitcom references that provide endless hours of Easter egg content. But something even casual Marvel fans have noticed is how Wanda's heavy accent, placed in the fictional city of Sokovia, Russia, was replaced by a completely American accent in WandaVision. So, why does Wanda lose her accent on WandaVision? 

When audiences were first introduced to Wanda in Avengers: Age of Ultron, she was living in Sokovia with her twin brother, Pietro, after being experimented on by the evil Baron von Strucker. They are then recruited by robotic villain Ultron to help raise an army against the Avengers, but Wanda eventually discovers his plan to decimate humanity. Her brother is killed, and in revenge, she destroys the robot.

Following Age of Ultron, Wanda's accent notably softens in Captain America: Civil War. There are two major reasons for this, according to the directors, Joe and Anthony Russo. According to an interview with Collider, the first is that, "you’ll notice at the beginning of Civil War that Black Widow is training her to be a spy."

The second reason Wanda's accent is so stripped back in both Captain America: Civil War is, "[S]he’s been on the run, and one of the most distinguishing characteristics that she has is her accent. So if you’re gonna try to disguise yourself or hide yourself or not be caught, you’re going to try to limit those trigger warnings that would make it easy for someone to identify you... for us it was very intentional that we would just keep stripping that accent down to show her acclimating and hiding.”

In the words of Elizabeth Olsen, the Scarlet Witch herself, she says the disappearance of Wanda's accent on WandaVision in a different interview with Collider "lightened up when she started living in the States, and in WandaVision she is playing the role of being in an American sitcom and so it’s not gone. It is absolutely still there." The Sokovian accent took a while to perfect, needing to be notably different from Black Widow's Russian.

[SPOILERS AHEAD FOR WANDAVISION EPISODE 3]

The third episode of WandaVision actually gives a nod to the accent, when she remembers that she was a twin like her children. Geraldine mentions her twin brother, Pietro, died by Ultron's hand, sending Wanda into a brief moment of doubt. The way Wanda says his name includes a heavy accent and later, a Sokovian lullaby. Perhaps this Easter egg will build to a greater purpose in episodes to come!

It wouldn't be a Marvel film or television show without quite a few surprises in store, so viewers should be prepared this might not be the last we see of Wanda's disappearing accent. It could even return in full force! WandaVision is now streaming on DisneyPlus.