Paul Bettany had no idea WandaVision would become such a huge hit

Paul Bettany had no idea WandaVision would become such a huge hit: ‘We thought we were going to be this kooky cousin in the Marvel universe’

After a full year with no Marvel Cinematic Universe movies in 2020, MCU fans embraced WandaVision and made it a huge hit… though star Paul Bettany had no idea it would become so big.

Bettany, 49, has been part of the MCU since the beginning, voicing J.A.R.V.I.S. in 2008’s Iron Man before he became Vision in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The British actor appeared in a virtual interview on Thursday’s episode of Ellen, where he spoke about how the show unexpectedly blew up.

No idea: After a full year with no Marvel Cinematic Universe movies in 2020, MCU fans embraced WandaVision and made it a huge hit… though star Paul Bettany had no idea it would become so big

When asked if he was expecting it to be as big of a hit as it is, Bettany plainly responded, ‘Absolutely not.’

‘We thought that we were going to be sort of the kooky cousin in the Marvel universe, and it’s been really extraordinary,’ he said.

He added it’s really been the fans who have, ‘made it this phenomenon and I am so thankful for that,’ adding it’s been an ‘incredible ride.’

Absolutely not: When asked if he was expecting it to be as big of a hit as it is, Bettany plainly responded, 'Absolutely not'

Absolutely not: When asked if he was expecting it to be as big of a hit as it is, Bettany plainly responded, ‘Absolutely not’

Ellen mentioned that it’s such a difficult show to try and explain to someone who has not seen it yet, but it’s funnier to hear fans try and explain.

Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss is a huge fan of the show, and Ellen had him try to describe the show himself.

Boss began by explaining the show picked up with ‘two Avengers after the events of Avengers: Endgame,’ adding that Bettany’s Vision died in that movie.

Difficult: Ellen mentioned that it's such a difficult show to try and explain to someone who has not seen it yet, but it's funnier to hear fans try and explain

Difficult: Ellen mentioned that it’s such a difficult show to try and explain to someone who has not seen it yet, but it’s funnier to hear fans try and explain

‘Picking up with them living this suburban life is kind of unexplained at first, and from episode to episode, we revisit different eras of sitcoms, which raises another question: how is this happening?’ Boss said.

Bettany added that Boss’ description was, ‘so accurate’ which made him wonder how the show even got ‘greenlit because that idea is mad.’

When he’s in his full outfit as Vision, Bettany also explained that it can be quite time consuming to get the makeup just right. 

Mad: Bettany added that Boss' description was, 'so accurate' which made him wonder how the show even got 'greenlit because that idea is mad'

Mad: Bettany added that Boss’ description was, ‘so accurate’ which made him wonder how the show even got ‘greenlit because that idea is mad’

‘Well, the Vision look, when we get really practiced with it, we’re about an hour and a half in, and an hour and a half out,’ he added.

The final episode of WandaVision airs Friday on Disney Plus, though Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige recently said there are no immediate plans for a new season.

Elizabeth Olsen’s character Wanda Maximoff (a.k.a. Scarlet Witch) will go straight from this show to film the new Marvel movie Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness with Benedict Cumberbatch. 

Vision look: 'Well, the Vision look, when we get really practiced with it, we're about an hour and a half in, and an hour and a half out,' he added

Vision look: ‘Well, the Vision look, when we get really practiced with it, we’re about an hour and a half in, and an hour and a half out,’ he added