WandaVision’s Lagos Commercial: Captain America Easter Egg Explained

WARNING: There are SPOILERS ahead for WandaVision episode 5.

WandaVision episode 5 continues the show’s tradition of featuring bizarre commercial breaks, and this time, it involves a direct reference to an important plot point from Captain America: Civil War. After her introduction in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Scarlet Witch’s arc in the MCU really started to take shape in the Joe and Anthony Russo film from 2016 in which she officially became an Avenger. It tackled the beginnings of her relationship with Vision, but it’s also where Marvel Studios started to highlight just how dangerous she can be if she loses control of her immense powers.

The introduction of Sokovia Accords in Civil War was due to a string of incidents involving the Avengers in which they caused inadvertent casualties and damage while trying to eliminate a threat. It arrived at a particularly volatile moment as the team didn’t even know where Thor and Hulk were, reinforcing the idea that they were unable to handle themselves. The specific inciting incident was the team’s mission to Lagos where they tracked down a HYDRA cell remnant headed by Crossbones. During a momentarily lapse on Steve Rogers’ part after hearing Bucky Barnes’ name, Wanda swooped in and saved him. But, her inability to fully control her powers resulted in her accidentally blowing up a building that killed civilians.

This was the inspiration behind the commercial break in WandaVision episode 5. In the ad for Lagos Paper Towels, kids accidentally spilled a glass of red juice on the table, resulting in the mom having to wipe it down. The brand of paper towel she wasn’t absorbent enough, so while she continued to wipe down the table, her efforts were futile, and if anything, it even made more of a mess.  While the commercial follows a familiar formula frequently used for advertisements of this nature, the dripping red liquid also has subtle violent connotations. This references Wanda’s accident in Lagos in Civil War, with the red juice representing the blood of the people who were inadvertently killed by her energy blast. This might be an indication that Scarlet Witch is still feeling guilty for the incident, especially since the Sokovia Accords are still in effect. If it’s causing problems for her, chances are that it’s also the case with other surviving Team Cap members like Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes — something that is heavily hinted at in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier marketing thus far.

Interestingly, the same ad featured the woman’s husband also spilling his drink on the counter. But instead of the red juice that his wife had to clean up earlier, it’s beer and he wiped it down himself. This could be a reference to Vision also losing his control in Civil War. The synthezoid’s incident, however, took place during the airport battle in Germany where he inadvertently shot War Machine’s reactor that sent him crashing down the ground. Rhodey survived, but he was paralyzed from it. Vision’s lapse was due to being distracted by Wanda on the ground, similar to how the wife distracted the husband in the WandaVision commercial. As both were in the kitchen, the husband appeared as if he was going to tell his wife something, thus turning swiftly and not noticing the glass of beer on the counter.

Many mysterious and bizarre things are happening in WandaVision, but the commercials appear to be Wanda’s memories trying to creep in through the fantasy life she created in Westview. The Lagos Paper Towel product placement is consistent with that thought. Given this pattern, it’s safe to say that the series is building towards an ad that will tackle Vision’s death in Avengers: Infinity War.

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