S.W.O.R.D and Haywood are covering up a secret!

Marvel Studios have created a lot of buzz with their first Disney+ exclusive show, WandaVision. The series has kick started phase 4 where we are set to be introduced to an array of new heroes and villains. But, we have also been introduced to a new organisation, that being S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division). This new organisation is led by acting director Tyler Haywood (Josh Stamberg), who let’s just say hasn’t given us the best first impression. In fact most fans are expecting hidden motives from the director which will be uncovered during WandaVision, motives which have also been hinted at during the series and may have even been discovered by the lead character Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen).

One of the noticeable changes with S.W.O.R.D. from the comics is the acronym. The ‘W’ in the comics refers to ‘World’, whereas in WandaVision and the MCU it has been changed to ‘Weapon’. During episode 4, Haywood discusses what S.W.O.R.D has been doing with Monica (Teyonah Paris). He explains that the focus has changed to “robotics, nanotech and AI”. This helps explain the name change from ‘World’ to ‘Weapon’ yet also makes the organisation look shady.

What we have to ask is why the sudden change. Haywood explains that they have moved away from manned missions, which is quite a big switch in focus. It is like NASA suddenly deciding to focus building guns. This is why Haywood and all of S.W.O.R.D. seem to have a secret that they are covering up. There has to be a reason as to why they are no longer focusing on manned missions. Even Monica is confused by the change after her return from the blip. She says that their role is not create, which Haywood just brushes off by saying the world has changed. There was still was no real explanation as to why suddenly S.W.O.R.D has switched their focus.

The inclusion of ‘Weapon’ in S.W.O.R.D’s name is important to understand what their role in the MCU will be and why manned missions are no longer the organisations focus. During episode 5 when Haywood is briefing everyone he shows everyone footage of Wanda breaking into S.W.O.R.D. headquarters and stealing the corpse of the Vision (Paul Bettany). However, the footage shows Vision being taken apart and worked on by S.W.O.R.D. scientists. There is no mention of what they are doing with Vision but we can infer that the scientists were not just there to watch the corpse; instead they could have been using Vision as a weapon, which would explain the name change.

During the briefing Haywood explains that Vision never wanted to be weaponised in the event of his death, which he uses as a means to point the blame at Wanda whom stole the corpse. There is still no explanation as to what S.W.O.R.D. was doing with the corpse or why they had access to it. Rather, Haywood choses to focus on Wanda calling her a terrorist and the “principal victimizer”, even with Jimmy Woo’s (Randall Park) efforts of telling the full story. Haywood seems to be using his power to create Wanda as a scapegoat in order to avoid any questions being asked on his work on Vision’s corpse.

Furthermore the question has to be asked as to why Wanda stole Vision. The easy answer is that Wanda stole him because of her grief; whereas Haywood is sticking with the fact Wanda is a terrorist. Alternatively what would also make sense is that Wanda stole Vision because she discovered the work that was being done on her lover’s corpse. This is completely glossed over but has to be thought about. Both the work being done on Vision and Wanda stealing his corpse seems too connected not to be relevant to the plot and for us to learn about what Haywood has been doing.

Moreover, Haywood seems to be covering something up by how he acts when S.W.O.R.D. send the 80s style drone into Westview. Haywood overrides Monica and orders his men to take the shot at Wanda. Now, this is not only reckless but is an act of someone wanting to remove something quickly. The fact Haywood wants Wanda taken out at the first possible opportunity he gets suggests that Wanda knows something about Haywood, possibly the work that was being done on Vision. Even if that isn’t the reason, the abrupt action by Haywood was not fitting of a director that is doing the best for everyone; it was the action of someone in power wanting to cover something up. We wouldn’t have seen Nicky Fury doing this!

The theory that Wanda knows what S.W.O.R.D. has been doing is also implied with the intense encounter between Wanda and S.W.O.R.D. Wanda speaks directly to Haywood and even calls him director. How does Wanda know he is the director? We know WandaVision is set around 3 weeks after the blip, so Wanda will have had to learn about Haywood and S.W.O.R.D. within them 3 weeks, which could be how she learnt about the work being done on Vision that Haywood, was in control of.

Questions still remain about Haywood and S.W.O.R.D. We have only just been introduced to the organisation so everything could be explained over time as we learn more about the role S.W.O.R.D. takes up. That being said it hasn’t gone unnoticed how Haywood has been acting. His reckless and rather dictatorial type of leadership is not something we have come to trust in the MCU and the fact he doesn’t explain actions he has taken does mean he is hiding something. No matter what is being hidden we expect it to be important to the plot of WandaVision and potentially the entire MCU, as we expect S.W.O.R.D. to become a big part of the future of the MCU.

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