WandaVision Theory: SWORD Creates The MCU’s Sentinels

Is S.W.O.R.D. trying to use Vision’s body to create the MCU’s version of Sentinels in WandaVision? It’s been revealed that almost immediately after the battle with Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, Wanda Maximoff went in search for the Vision’s body. The love of her life was killed by the Mad Titan at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, and Wanda was then erased from existence along with half of all life in the universe due to Thanos’ Decimation. However, finding the Vision’s body was apparently the first thing on her mind once she returned five years later, after the battle was won and her attendance at Tony Stark’s funeral, and those who had it may have been trying to create the classic X-Men robots from Vision’s remains.

The series on Disney+ reveals that Vision’s body was in protective custody by the organization known as S.W.O.R.D., the Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division. In WandaVision episode 5, S.W.O.R.D.’s Director Hayward revealed security footage from their headquarters that saw Wanda breaking in and taking Vision’s dead body. Apparently, this is when she created the Hex, a wall of energy surrounding the town of Westview, New Jersey. Now, Vision has been revived and he and Wanda have been living out their happy ending in the style of various television sitcoms. However, S.W.O.R.D. has set up a perimeter around the town, and not everything is as it seems. While agents such as Monica Rambeau and Jimmy Woo want to try and help Wanda who’s clearly in grief, Hayward looks to have his own goals which are largely focused on the Vision himself.

WandaVision episode 6 revealed that Hayward has been secretly tracking the vibranium signature of Vision, the implication being that he has a keen interest in reclaiming Vision’s body. It’s likely that S.W.O.R.D. was experimenting on his corpse, despite Vision’s will requesting the exact opposite. As such, it’s not out of the question that S.W.O.R.D. could have been looking to take advantage of Vision’s remains, using him to create the MCU’s version of Sentinels, the mutant-hunting robots from the X-Men franchise.

S.W.O.R.D. May Want Vision’s Body To Make Weapons

A key indicator that S.W.O.R.D. has been violating Vision’s wishes is in their security footage itself. When Wanda broke into the lab where Vision’s body was being held, the synthezoid’s remains were in pieces, scattered across multiple tables and work stations. The assumption can be made that S.W.O.R.D. was in the process of experimenting on the Vision, especially considering that his body was still mostly intact after he was killed when Thanos ripped the Mind Stone out of his head at the end of Avengers: Infinity War.

While incredibly immoral, S.W.O.R.D.’s reasoning does make a certain amount of sense. Vision was one of the most advanced artificial intelligences ever created housed in a vibranium body. Not only that, but his creation came from the power of an Infinity Stone, which aided in giving him a true soul and life, allowing him to have emotions and feelings which lead to his love for Wanda. As such, Vision was one of the most powerful Avengers to join their ranks after Avengers: Age of Ultron, which no doubt made his body too tempting for S.W.O.R.D. to pass up, especially during the five years after the Decimation before the characters returned. Short on hope and full of fear, it seems likely that S.W.O.R.D. had been experimenting on his corpse in order to create new and powerful weapons to protect themselves and the rest of the world.

SWORD Could Create Sentinels Using Vision’s Remains

As previously mentioned, one intriguing possibility for the weapons S.W.O.R.D. could be building would be the eventual development of the robotic Sentinels in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Sentinels are large, highly advanced robots, existing as the classic adversaries for the X-Men in Marvel Comics. A creation of Dr. Bolivar Trask, the Sentinels were Trask’s answer to what he saw as the rise of mutant kind being a threat to humanity. The Sentinels are deadly, specifically designed to hunt down mutants, wielding all kinds of weapons capabilities. The fearsome robots were also introduced on-screen as a major threat to the world in X-Men: Days of Future Past (the same film that introduced the X-Men’s version of Quicksilver played by Evan Peters).

The X-Men’s introduction into the MCU is imminent, now that Marvel Studios has regained the rights to the franchise and characters after Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox. While the seeds for the X-Men’s debut are already being sown somewhat with their version of Quicksilver being featured in episodes of WandaVision (even if it isn’t the same version), the potential reveal that S.W.O.R.D. could be responsible for the creation of the Sentinels in the MCU using Vision’s remains would be a significant and intense origin for the lethal robots.

MCU Sentinels Could Hunt Down All Sentient Weapons (Not Just Mutants)

A big difference between the S.W.O.R.D. of the MCU and the one seen in Marvel Comics is in the acronym of the name itself. The original S.W.O.R.D. in the comics stood for the Sentient World Observation and Response Division, focused on space travel and protecting the world from extraterrestrial dangers. However, S.W.O.R.D. has shifted away from manned missions and space flight in the MCU. InWandaVision episode 4, Director Hayward shares with Agent Monica Rambeau that their new focuses are on robotics, nanotech, AI, and sentient weapons, hence their name change. While Monica notes that the name doesn’t contain the word “Creation”, Hayward counters that the world has changed, and it’s full of unexpected threats that need dealing with.

All of theses areas that S.W.O.R.D. has refocused on absolutely affirm the idea the S.W.O.R.D. was experimenting on Vision to make new weapons that would help keep sentient weapons (like Wanda) in check. These areas of focus could easily lead to the creation of the robot Sentinels as well, which would more than likely be built not just to respond to mutants, but for all enhanced individuals that SWORD might see a potential threats.

Regardless, this is certainly a strong possibility for the MCU’s future, which would no doubt prove just how much of a negative impact Thanos’ Decimation had on those who had to endure the five years of the Decimation. Additionally, this concept would also serve as an organic method for the Sentinels to emerge in the MCU along with the eventual debut of the X-Men. In any case, S.W.O.R.D.’s attempts to reclaim the Vision’s body will most likely persist as WandaVision continues on Disney+, and it will be interesting to see what the organization does next once the series ends into the future of the MCU.

About The Author

Kevin Erdmann
(2557 Articles Published)

Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

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