WandaVision creator reveals how the show's best line came to life

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The "What is grief, if not love persevering?" line was originally different

WandaVision what is grief
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

"What is grief, if not love persevering?" Vision's verbal shoulder to cry on captured the hearts and imaginations of Marvel fans everywhere in WandaVision. Now, the show's creator has revealed the surprisingly less-than-straightforward process behind how that instantly iconic line made it on to Disney Plus.

"In the writers' room, we had intense conversations about grief and loss. We had a grief counselor come and speak to us," creator Jac Shaeffer told The New York Times on the initial move that would lead to the line that sparked a million memes – and a great deal of introspection.

But Vision's words didn't arrive in a vacuum. The original line that the creative team arrived at was slightly different. "So I came up with a line that was something along the lines of, 'What is grief but love surviving?' We agreed that wasn't quite it and we were turning it over and trying to figure it out," Schaeffer explained.

Then, a solution: Schaeffer's assistant, Laura Monti, came up with "persevering" and, thus, a legend was born. Most importantly for Schaeffer, though, it was a collective effort: "We all believe that the line was born of the enormous amount of collaboration and unity on the show. So many talented women, specifically, came up with it."

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.