Marvel’s new Disney+ series WandaVision arrived on the streaming service last week, and has already earned plenty of praise.
The series, which stars Elizabeth Olsen as the telekinetic Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany as Vision, is set in a series of parodies of 20th-century US sitcoms, with the first two episodes appropriating the look and feel of programmes from the 1950s and 1960s.
Many viewers were quick to spot Emma Caulfield Ford – the actor best known for playing the vengeance demon Anya in Joss Whedon’s cult sci-fi series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (credited at the time as Emma Caulfield) – among the show’s supporting cast .
And some eagle-eyed fans noticed a much more discrete nod to Buffy in WandaVision’s second episode.
In the show, Caulfield Ford appears as “Dottie”, a suburban neighbour of Wanda’s, who hosts the local talent competition.
The episode revolves around Wanda and Vision’s performance at the contest, which involves a selection of magic tricks – including one with a live rabbit, known as Señor Scratchy.
In Buffy, a running joke in later seasons is Anya’s incongruous fear of bunnies, and in one Halloween episode, the character is even seen dressing in a full-body rabbit outfit.
However, in WandaVision, Wanda and Vision are surprised to find to find that Dottie awards their magic act the top prize, claiming she found it hilarious.
Fans pointed out the moment online, with many convinced that the allusion was deliberate.
The first two episodes of WandaVision can be streamed on Disney+ now, with new episodes arriving every Friday.
