Monica's Engineer Revealed - Major Goodner Explained
Warning: SPOILERS ahead for WandaVision episode 7!
WandaVision episode 7 finally unveils the identity of Monica Rambeau's (Teyonah Parris) aerospace engineer, but who is Major Goodner? The episode, titled "Breaking the Fourth Wall," follows Westview in the late 2000s, mirroring popular sitcoms known for mockumentary formats. Following the eventful Halloween night, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) needs a day to herself. While Vision (Paul Bettany) attempts to get back home, Monica receives help from a friend to get back into the Hex, leading to another tense encounter with Wanda.
To give Wanda a break, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) volunteers to look after the twins, Billy (Julian Hilliard) and Tommy (Jett Klyne), for the day. Billy mentions how quiet his mind is in his neighbor's house, a nod to his recently unearthed clairvoyant powers. Agnes later intervenes during a tense confrontation between Monica and Wanda, leading the latter back to her house to calm down. As Wanda searches for her kids in Agnes' house, she heads down to the basement, where she finds a mysterious lair full of vines and mystical objects. Agnes arrives, revealing her true identity as Agatha Harkness, a powerful witch from Marvel Comics who had a deep history with Scarlet Witch. The Agatha reveal, however, isn't the only major talking point of the episode.
During the investigation into Wanda and Westview, Monica had a tendency to bring up her engineer friend. The handful of mentions to this unknown figure stirred up many rumors of who this "friend" could be. After much build-up, "Breaking the Fourth Wall" provides answers by introducing Major Goodner, Monica's aerospace engineer connection. The woman, played by MCU newcomer Rachel Thompson, instantly greets Monica upon her arrival, indicating she is the old friend previously mentioned in the series. Major Goodner and fellow S.W.O.R.D. personnel then provides Monica with a special space rover-type vehicle capable of traveling through the Hex. Though the engineer seems like a loyal ally to Monica, viewers will certainly question her identity.
Ever since Monica mentioned an engineer acquaintance episode prior, viewers predicted WandaVision would bring a well-known figure into the mix. Some cast members have commented on upcoming cameos and secret characters, adding more buzz to the engineer's identity. Some theorized James Rhodes, Victor von Doom, or J. Jonah Jameson's son could pop in as the unidentified figure. Others heavily predicted Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, would appear in the series as Monica's engineer connection. There was even thought John Krasinski would finally join the MCU after years of hopeful fan-casting with the Fantastic Four role. Instead, the series decided to with a brand-new figure that has no known ties to the comics. Other than working for S.W.O.R.D. with a link to Monica, there's nothing known about Thompson's character.
On the one hand, a portion of viewers will be understandably be disappointed by the engineer's identity after the weeks of build-up. Seeing as Major Goodner has no comic book connections, the figure doesn't seem significant to the bigger picture. Then again, viewers should welcome another female character in a position of power, considering most theorized the engineer was an established male character. While Major Goodner might be the long-awaited engineer, WandaVision could still have surprise cameos in store. The engineer reveal in episode 7 could potentially be a red herring for a significant character's appearance still to come.
No comments: