10 Insane Ways TV Shows Trolled Fans

Generally speaking, it's not good business sense for media of any kind to openly make fun of the very people consuming it, because that's an easy way to lose their precious custom forever, right?

But that doesn't mean creatives can't toy with audiences when the occasion strikes them.

That's certainly true in the fast world of TV, where showrunners have periodically pulled out a sneaky trick or two in an attempt to get one over on their own viewers.

And nothing beats the mind-boggling creativity, ridiculousness, and flat-out insanity of these TV shows, which found unexpected ways to thoroughly troll anyone who dared watch.

From exploiting social media to drum up false hype, to making fans wait (and wait!) for the good stuff, to stringing them along with fake-out storylines, and even making the act of cosplaying a major pain in the ass, these shows knew precisely how to royally screw with their own fans.

Whether they merely gently ribbed fans or genuinely pissed them off, these 10 TV shows all trolled their audience in some extremely left-field, wildly unexpected ways, for better or worse...

In the case of WandaVision, it wasn't so much the show itself as one of its stars, Paul Bettany, who evidently relished hyping fans up to the moon for an upcoming episode, only to reveal he was messing with them all along.

Near the end of the season, Bettany was interviewed by Esquire, where he flat-out stated that a celebrated actor would be making a surprise appearance. He said:

"Truth is, of all of the characters we were trying to keep secret, a lot of them got out through leaks... There is one character that has not been revealed. And it is very exciting. It is an actor I've longed to work with all of my life. We have some amazing scenes together and I think the chemistry between us is extraordinary and fireworks on set."

Naturally, Marvel fans being who they are, they began feverishly speculating on all the possible A-listers who could end up making a shock cameo in WandaVision.

But as it turned out, Bettany was talking about none other than... himself. Y'see, late in the season, Bettany also plays the original, all-white version of Vision, with the two Visions even eventually doing battle.

Basically, Bettany was having a little fun with the fanbase's insatiable thirst for information and fan service, only to rip the rug out when he rather playfully ended up referring to himself.