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MCU stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reveal the surprising origin of WandaVision’s most emotional line
The story behind WandaVision’s “What is grief, if not love persevering?” makes the line even more powerful.
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WandaVision gave us so many iconic moments, but the most heartfelt one might be a line from Vision in the penultimate episode. “What is grief, if not love persevering?” Vision tells Wanda during a flashback.
If you’ve ever lost someone, it’s a line that hits hard. It not only ties WandaVision together thematically, but it also describes the complicated feelings surrounding loss, love, and acceptance. I’ve spoken with people who have buried their loved ones, and they’ve told me that line perfectly described their emotional journey. Simply type the line into any online search engine, and you’ll be heartened at how it helped many people feel seen and feel comfort.
With all that in mind, it’s amazing to think that WandaVision’s most iconic line wasn’t even in the original script.
“That was a line that was something else, and I can’t remember what it was,” Elizabeth Olsen says during a panel at Space Con 2025. “Paul was like, ‘I think we really need to figure out this line. I feel like there’s something we’re missing.’ And then he and the showrunner’s assistant really landed on that line.”
“[Jac Schaeffer’s] assistant walked in with a coffee, and I can’t remember what I had got to,” Paul Bettany says. “It was like, ‘What is grief, if not love, something.’ And she came in and said, ‘Persevering.’ And we were like, ‘That’s it.’ I get lots of love for that line, but when you watch it, you’ll see that the entire thing actually plays on Lizzie’s face.”
WandaVision is available to stream on Disney+.
Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:
About Spacecon
SPACECON is America’s newest comic con created by PMX Events. Attendees will see celebrity guests from the likes of Star Wars, Star Trek, Guardians of the Galaxy and other intergalactic movies and TV shows. Con goers will discover an immersive show experience to get up-close and personal with their favorite celebrities, voice artists, and comic artists with hundreds of exhibitors and special attractions to exhilarate any fandom.
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