What That Kick-Ass<\/em> Reference Could Mean for WandaVision<\/em>

The following story contains minor spoilers for WandaVision.

WandaVision has been reference-heavy from the get-go. From Dick Van Dyke to Bewitched to Malcolm in the Middle, there have been aesthetic references to cultural artifacts throughout the entire series. But the show’s 6th episode made a reference to a decade-old movie, Matthew Vaughn’s superhero satire Kick-Ass, that could just be an easter-eggor could signify a bit more.

Things in the show have taken a turn. Episode 5 brought Wanda Maximoff’s (Elizabeth Olsen) brother, Pietro, back into the fold in a very “special episode” ’80s type way—arriving unexpectedly at the front door. But there’s a reason that unexpected visit was even more unexpected than most, and that’s the fact that Pietro is, well, dead. The Pietro we see isn’t the Pietro that Wanda remembers. And she can’t quite figure out why he looks different.

We, the audience, know: it’s because he’s from a different universe. The X-Men version of Quicksilver—known there as “Peter” Maximoff, rather than Pietro—appeared in three films, played by Evan Peters: Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix. But there was another movie where Peters appeared alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Marvel’s version of Quicksilver and the Pietro Wanda would recognize: the 2010 R-rated superhero movie, Kick-Ass.

Nearly half a decade before either guy would play their respective version of the speedy superhero, they shared the screen as best friends in Kick-Ass. So when the different Pietro promised to help Wanda’s twins “maximize their candy acquisition,” young Tommy responded in the excited affirmative. “Yeah, kick-ass!” he said.

Both twins and Pietro sped away after that, but Wanda stayed behind, wondering. Only moments before she was testing him on memories from their childhdod; she was asking about a kid with a skin condition she remembered from their time in an orphanage. Earlier, he shared a Halloween memory that she didn’t quite have. Folks: he doesn’t have those memories. He’s a different guy.

“Kick-ass,” she repeated, either agreeing with her brother or pondering why that phrasing seemed to so specifically stick out.


So, while the events of the MCU in WandaVision are, of course, real-life events (in the world we’re watching), we can consider the fact that movies from our world are also sometimes movies of the MCU world. Even just think about a couple memorable references from Avengers: Endgame: Tony Stark calls the overweight, disheveled version of Thor “Lebowski,” and James Rhodes refers to Hot Tub Time Machine (among others) when discussing the Avengers’ plans to travel through time.

Now, these references do kind of make some universe issues. Tony Stark’s mentor-turned-foe from the original Iron Man is, of course, played by Lebowski himself, Jeff Bridges. If Rhodes is familiar enough with Hot Tub Time Machine to make an off-hand reference to it, does he not notice that Steve Rogers’ best friend looks an awful lot like the douchebag ski instructor from the ’80s farce comedy (both characters are played by Sebastian Stan)? But we can just, for now, chalk that up to suspension of disbelief and move on with our lives.

But let’s still consider our options when it comes to the clear reference to Kick-Ass. It’s a fun coincidence, of course, that both actors playing Quicksilver appeared beforehand in a movie that sort of pokes fun at the absurdities of superheroes in general. Johnson in the movie plays a kid who starts to dress up and fight crime like a superhero—but the hook is that he has no real powers or strength of any sort.

When Wanda repeats “Kick-Ass,” is it simply a nod to the movie, and the fact that both Pietros were in it? To the fact that the star of the Kick-Ass movie looks kinda like the brother she does remember? Or are we getting even more meta than ever—does Wanda know the movie Kick-Ass, and in her mind has subconsciously placed an actor from the movie in the role of Pietro in her mind?

WandaVision has replaced Quicksilver with the X-Men version of the character, but has still yet to make any references to the other franchise’s films. In fact, the WandaVision version of Pietro only made reference in Episode 6 to his adventures in Avengers: Age of Ultron. He said he remembered being shot in the street, and then suddenly was revived in Westview, because Wanda needed him.

We’re going to find out what the deal is with Quicksilver/Pietro in the next few weeks. And whether it’s just a very fun easter egg or a larger, more meta hint within this enormous meta WandaVision experiment, we can’t possibly say that the ride—and the mystery coming along with it—hasn’t been an absolute blast.

Stream WandaVision on Disney+

Stream Kick-Ass Here

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