WandaVision introduced many New and comic accurate things into the MCU. Numerous new characters and feats entered into the through WandaVision. Characters like Agatha Harkness, Wanda and Vision’s kids- Billy and Tommy, and the Monochromatic Vision took their first steps towards the MCU from WandaVision’s story. Also, one such feat was the introduction of the government agency, S.W.O.R.D. or Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe previously had another government that was involved in dealing with uncommon things and threats, the S.H.I.E.L.D. The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division was involved in dealing with beings of special powers and talents and the threats posed by them. On the other hand, S.W.O.R.D. specializes in monitoring and handling threats of alien origin. Though one would likely ignore the small line differentiating the two agencies and believe them to be similar to each other, the creatives of WandaVision took special care to portray the agency completely different from S.H.I.E.L.D.
All You Need To Know About S.W.O.R.D.
In The Marvel Cinematic Universe, S.W.O.R.D. was founded by Maria Rambeau with the goal of carrying out manned space missions to discover potential treats from Outer Space, and devise strategies for dealing with them. This was largely a result of the events of Captain Marvel (2019), where Carol Danvers’ a.k.a. Captain Marvel’s old friend and colleague learns about alien life and aids her friend In dealing with them.
Maria Rambeau died of cancer in 2020 during the five years between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. With her daughter being dead as a result of “The Snap”, and no one to replace her, Tyler Hayward steps up as the acting director of S.W.O.R.D. The areas in which S.W.O.R.D. operated were shifted to robotics and AI from alien threats and as a result, Vision’s corpse came into focus.
Portraying S.W.O.R.D. Differently Than S.H.I.E.L.D.
WandaVision’s director Matt Shakman discussed the process of building up S.W.O.R.D. differently from S.H.I.E.L.D. in an exclusive interview with Screen Rant. He expressed what he had in mind while planning S.W.O.R.D.’s introduction into the MCU. “Oh, it was a super exciting opportunity to build a whole new agency. We started where we start pretty much anything when we design it; we say, ‘What would it be in the real world?’ So, we looked at Cape Canaveral, we looked at the history of the space agencies, and what those worlds looked like and felt like.
Then we worked with our production designer, Mark Worthington, and concept designers and storyboard artists, and started to build out the world of S.W.O.R.D. But we really wanted it to feel grounded and real, to contrast with the sitcom reality inside the hex. We looked at films that I think do that really well – movies like Arrival, for instance, and the temporary base that they built around their extraterrestrial anomaly was a great reference point for us.
We imagined that S.W.O.R.D. is exactly the right agency when you have a radioactive anomaly; that they’re used to going into foreign planets, very difficult terrain. So, that pop-up base that we built was based off existing radiological and biological chemical response units that are out there.” he stated.
Though S.W.O.R.D.’s morality is being questioned in the series due to their involvement in constructing an artificial Vision from the corpse of the original and Wanda’s magic, all in order to use him as a weapon. Director Hayward also framed Wanda for stealing Vision’s corpse and resurrecting him, while he had the Vision’s body in his possession. No matter what happens in the WandaVision finale, S.W.O.R.D.’s involvement and influence in Phase 4 of the MCU will be massive.
