With a massive series of blockbuster films behind them, culminating in the Avengers two-parter Infinity War and Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was on uncertain ground.

Some of the biggest names in their stable of superheroes were gone. Major storylines were resolved. And many fans were unsure if the MCU had spent its currency and was finally running out of steam.

Sure, there are plenty of future movie projects in the works, but without Iron Man, Captain America or the Black Widow in the mix, the Marvel world's future looked a little bleak. But Disney+, the streaming service that owns both the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, had a few tricks up its sleeve. The first on the table was WandaVision, an offbeat and quirky series featuring an unlikely pair of characters.

Vision (Paul Bettany), the heroic android created by Ultron and powered by an Infinity Stone, was destroyed by Thanos, and his oddly romantic partner, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), known as the Scarlet Witch in the comics, was grieving. How could a dead android and a sad witch anchor a series?

Remarkably well.

The series begins ... oddly. In fact, as the early episodes in the series' nine-episode run were released, many fans were uncertain how to react. They were ... sitcoms, with a twist. Borrowing heavily from classic TV shows -- the first episode was largely The Dick Van Dyke Show, while the second leaned mostly on Bewitched, the third borrows primarily from The Brady Bunch and so on -- the series left viewers to wonder just what the heck was going on.

Sure, Wanda still has her magic, although it is used often for comedic effect. Vision, although still an android, is able to camouflage his appearance to look more like, well, Paul Bettany. And, as they navigate the perils of domestic life -- wacky co-workers, an overbearing boss, nosy neighbors (most notably Kathryn Hahn as Agnes) and, apparently, a marriage they don't quite remember attending -- Wanda and Vision begin dealing with odd intrusions from the mainstream MCU, which lies seemingly outside the limits of their idyllic little suburban community.

There's a military presence hidden just beyond the town line, plus a couple of familiar faces -- Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) from the Thor movies and Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) from Ant Man & the Wasp -- and a former child character (Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, who was a little girl in Captain Marvel) all grown up.

Someone from Wanda's past reappears, although he's not quite as she remembers. And she and Vision somehow (remember, he's an android) get pregnant and have twin boys, who age as the plot requires.

But as the intrusions begin to intrude even more, Wanda's grip on her surroundings begins to crack -- and we begin to understand that very little of what we're seeing is real.

I'll stop there before revealing too many of the various surprises in store, but it's hard to imagine anyone who wants to see the series hasn't watched it yet. Certainly it sets both Wanda and Vision -- and a few other characters besides -- for a continued active role in the MCU.

But, as a stand-alone series, Marvel and Disney deserve kudos for crafting such a weird, fun, surprisingly intense storyline that reminds viewers that there are still stories worth telling in the MCU. I love it in part because it's so very different from anything we've seen before.

Special credit to Olsen for shouldering a host of roles in the series, from wacky suburban housewife to overtaxed mom to smoldering sorceress to grieving survivor. She carries the series with style, and I certainly hope to see her and Bettany back on the screen -- big or small -- soon.