WandaVision Episode 6 theory: Easter egg reveals a "dead" villain's return

WandaVision loves Easter eggs as much as The Mandalorian loves Baby Yoda. Whether they're familiar lines or blink-and-you'll-miss-it visuals, there's no limit to the clever ways the show has nodded to other Marvel moments. However, there's one Easter egg you missed in WandaVision Episode 1 that could reveal a huge villain's return — and a way to introduce the multiverse into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a big way.

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A hidden WandaVision Easter egg?

A tweet by TV producer Jennifer Kretchmer redirects our attention to a key prop from WandaVision's first episode. When Wanda is struggling to prepare a dinner party for Vision's boss, she uses her powers to have the wine pour itself on the table. In fact, there's a shot entirely dedicated to the floating bottle.

According to Kretchmer, the bottle's markings of "1953" and "#118" aren't just set dressing, they're actually pointers to a comic book that was released in 1953 and is #118 in its series. A quick Google search of that points to Marvel Tales #118, released in September 1953. The only issue is, this comic doesn't contain anything resembling a WandaVision clue, as its release date predates the Marvel Comics universe as we know it.

We're not really sure what to make of this "Easter egg." Before Marvel became the home of the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, the comic book publisher released a slew of one-off stories about monsters and other sci-fi adventures. However, there is another Marvel Tales #118 that could be more promising...

Marvel Tales #118, released in 1980, alludes to a very familiar Spider-Man villain — Mysterio. In the comic, Mysterio leads a group of supervillains that includes Doc Ock and the Vulture as they attack poor Peter Parker. So if that WandaVision wine bottle is a Mysterio Easter egg, what does that mean?

In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Mysterio claimed to be an "interdimensional warrior" from another plane of existence in the multiverse. That, of course, wasn't true, and Mysterio was simply just a former Stark employee named Quentin Beck. So it doesn't seem like that Mysterio could serve as the brains behind Wanda's Westview fantasy. However, that doesn't mean another Mysterio couldn't.

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WandaVision and Mysterio?

I know it sounds ridiculous, but hear me out. In the latest episode of WandaVision, Evan Peters made his debut as a "recast" Pietro. Many fans believe this alternate-universe Quicksilver is evidence WandaVision will introduce the concept of the multiverse ahead of the multi-dimensional Doctor Strange sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

So if Westview can include an alternate Pietro, why not an alternate Mysterio? Maybe one that actually is an interdimensional warrior.

A different Mysterio would be a huge change-up for WandaVision and the MCU, but this doesn't mean a Jake Gyllenhaal cameo. Just as Pietro was "recast," Mysterio would have to be as well. But where do you find an actor who would read as an alternate universe Jake Gyllenhaal? His sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, of course! It's a no-brainer.

While this theory may require more stretching than an Olympic floor routine, it's interesting to consider how the addition of the multiverse opens the possibility of villains from sleazy TV producers to the Marvel incarnation of the actual devil. Still, we can hope for a possible gender-bent true "Mysterio" in the next few weeks, even if it's for naught.

WandaVision is now streaming on Disney+.