WandaVision’s Kathryn Hahn was announced to lead her own series from Jac Schaeffer and Marvel Studios has given the Disney+ live-action project the title of Agatha: House of Harkness. They also announced two new animated series, Marvel Zombies and Spider-Man: Freshman Year.
Here’s how Marvel Studios describes the projects:
Agatha: House of Harkness will reveal more about the character first introduced in Marvel Studios’ WandaVision. Jac Schaefer, who served as head writer and executive producer on WandaVision, returns for Agatha: House of Harkness. Be sure to hide all dogs named Sparky.
The animated series from Marvel Studios reimagines the Marvel Universe as a new generation of heroes battle against an ever-spreading zombie scourge. Directed by Executive Producer Bryan Andrews and written by Executive Producer Zeb Wells.
The animated series follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming Spider-Man in the MCU, with a journey unlike we’ve ever seen and a style that celebrates the character’s early comic book roots. Written by Executive Producer Jeff Trammel.
Another spinoff series is reportedly in the works at Marvel Studios and Disney+, this new one will apparently include actress Kathryn Hahn reprising the Agatha Harkness role that was introduced in WandaVision.
Variety reports that untitled Marvel series is said to be a WandaVision spinoff coming from head writer Jac Schaeffer, who signed an overall deal with Marvel Studios and 20th Television earlier in the year.
Hahn would reprise the role of Agatha Harkness in the series, which is described by sources as a dark comedy, though exact plot details remain under wraps. WandaVision head writer Jac Schaeffer would serve as the writer and executive producer on the project. Should the spinoff go forward, it would be the first project Schaeffer has set up with Marvel since she signed an overall deal with them and 20th Television in May.
In WandaVision, Hahn started out playing the role of Agnes, Wanda and Vision’s nosy neighbor, before it was revealed she was in fact Agatha, a powerful witch. In the Marvel comics and the series, Agatha is shown to have survived the Salem Witch Trials and is more than a match for Wanda, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch. When viewers last saw her in the finale of WandaVision, Wanda traps Agatha in Westview by using her powers to force her revert to her Agnes persona.
However, it’s not clear what the “dark comedy” Marvel show actually is and they don’t mention a title or concrete plot details.
When the S.W.O.R.D./Nick Fury series was first announced in separate trade reports they weren’t aware it was going to be an adapation of Secret Invasion. It’s possible the show could another project with multiple key MCU characters coming together. We also aren’t aware if this series leaves room for other established magic users like Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange or Benedict Wong’s Wong will be involved.
We should be getting a lineup update on new and upcoming Marvel Studios projects at Disney+ Day on November 12.
While their future fates in the Marvel Cinematic Universe seem to be up-in-the-air, WandaVision actors Paul Bettany and Kathryn Hahn are willing to return if eventually called upon by Marvel Studios.
Kathryn recently spoke with The New York Times, revealing she is indeed open to the idea of Agatha’s return but hasn’t heard anything from the studio.
Will we see more of Agatha Harkness in the Marvel universe?
HAHN: “I have no idea. They keep it really tight.“
Well if it’s something you want, I hope you get that opportunity.
HAHN: “Oh, me too. I want to. Now that I have a taste of it, I’m like, ahh. I really, really love it.”
Paul Bettany was a little more blunt when asked by Esquire if he’d be willing to play Vision forever.
Are you going to play Vision forever?
BETTANY: “I love Vision. Yes, I’m in.”
Spoilers ahead.
The Disney+ series ultimately ended with Hahn’s Agatha Harkness being stuck in her nosy neighbor role Agnes in Westview, New Jersey. Bettany’s Vision was erased when the Hex came down and Hayward/S.W.O.R.D.’s reanimated version of Vision (white version) simply flew into the clouds, his return seems extremely likely given he didn’t get a conclusion and Wanda might attempt to resurrect her family via The Multiverse.
Kevin Feige confirmed not too long ago they don’t have current plans to give WandaVision a second season, so we would have to assume the pair might show up in the films down the line.
We know that Wanda’s journey as the Scarlet Witch will be continued into Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, which is currently filming in the United Kingdom at Longcross Studios.
Last week, it was finally revealed that everything bad that was happening withing the Hex bubble was Agnes, who was rumored during production is actually Agatha Harkness. Not exactly a villain in the comic books, but seeming is a villain in the MCU. Episode 8 starts off showing her in the 1600s killing her own coven of witches including her own mother and potentially stealing their powers after they accuse her of using dark magic.
Agatha, a witch who uses spells, has been trying to figure out how Wanda was able to change reality and resurrect Vision. She uses the twins as a way to force Wanda show her how she was able to change things on such a large scale and I assume steal the power for herself. Yet again, it’s confirmed that Evan Peters version of Pietro isn’t Wanda’s brother and was used to manipulate her. Sorry folks, no Singerverse era of X-Men for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
While Agatha has been meddling, it’s really was Wanda behind the Hex and bringing an entirely new version of Vision out of thin air. Something that completely puzzles/frustrates Agatha as Wanda is able to do such “magic” effortlessly and without spells.
Watching old sitcoms being Wanda’s way of dealing with grief and explaining the homages, as her father Oleg Maximoff used to bring them home as a way for the kids to practice their English. This further illustrates that Magneto won’t be showing up in some secret cameo.
During the flashbacks it’s revealed that Hayward lied in earlier episodes when he said Wanda broke into the S.W.O.R.D. facility and stole Vision’s body parts, as we see see a flashback to her being let in and calmly leaving without him.
We also see the real motivations of S.W.O.R.D. and Director Hayward as they were trying to nudge Wanda to resurrect the dead body of Vision so they could use him as a weapon. Wanda conjures a new version of Vision which is likely why Hayward had been attempting to track him within the Hex bubble. Hayward and S.W.O.R.D. have been trying to figure out how to power-up Vision and in the end credit scene use the Hex charged drone to bring their version of zombie Vision back online. He’s is now ghostly white (a nod to the comic books) and will likely be used as a weapon against Wanda in the next episode.
The episode ends with Harkness holding the twins and calling Wanda the Scarlet Witch as she uses chaos magic, the first time Wanda has ever been referred to her X-Men name.
Episode 9 feels like it’s going to be some sort of standoff and possible establish the events of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness. It’s a smart move on the part of Marvel Studios as people following WandaVision will likely be more inclined to go see the Doctor Strange sequel. The original while a fine installment, but wasn’t the most memorable or anticipated Marvel film to date and didn’t set the box office on fire.
It’ll be interesting to see if further trauma (possibly in Episode 9) pushes Wanda to become a villain herself or if Agatha/someone else is revealed as the main antagonist for the Doctor Strange sequel.
The appearance of Evan Peters as Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver in WandaVision confused Wanda and fans which seemingly was the point according to Marvel’s Kevin Feige. He mentioned today at TCA (via GameSpot) that placing Peters in the series was part of “certain people” messing with Wanda.
FEIGE: “That’s one of the fun things about developing these things are blue skying it in a room. It’s my favorite part of the process. It’s always the very very beginning, when we’re figuring out what something could be and at the very very end, when we’re finally we’re finding it and then putting it out into the world. So there were all all sorts of discussions, but I believe it, we ended up going with what you saw relatively relatively early on in the development process. And just another way that certain people were messing around with Wanda.”
Feige says they landed on bringing Evan Peters in pretty early on, describing it as "Just another way that certain people were messing with Wanda." (he does then indicate that is Agatha, referencing the “catchy song.”) #WandaVision
From this statement from Feige about adding the actor, we can now assume that the choice to add Peters wasn’t a way for Marvel Studios to reinsert his version of Quicksilver or bring the Singerverse to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A theory that has been pushed by fans since the actor’s addition to the series and his subsequent reveal as Pietro.
Showrunner Jac Schaeffer previously mentioned that they really had to convince Kevin about adding Evan on the show.
We’ll likely get more answers with the final two episodes.
WARNING HEAVY SPOILERS FOR WANDAVISION IN THIS ARTICLE
Despite multiple calls for fans ease back on the huge character cameos, fans still believed this episode was going to be an entry point for folks like Reed Richards, Hank McCoy, or even Magneto. That has been dashed as those cameos didn’t happen and Wanda doubled-down on Evan Peters version of Pietro not being real. Sorry, Fox era X-Men fans the show won’t be carrying over the Singerverse to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
One of the earlier character rumors has turned out to be spot-on.
We’ve known for a while that Agnes was possibly going to be revealed as Agatha Harkness, however, we don’t know what the character’s intentions are. Which I have to assume will be touched-upon in the next episode given that she’s outed herself to Wanda. The twins also vanish as they were used by Agatha to lure Wanda into her basement.
They panned over to a book that may or may not be the MCU version of The Darkhold, which could cause a lot of trouble if used incorrectly or for the wrong reasons. As it has deep connections to the horror side of the Marvel Comics universe but with anything shown to us in this show looks can be deceiving. It’s a McGuffin that could be the next Infinity Gauntlet, equally as dangerous too.
Monica Rambeau also seemingly got her powers from entering the Hex, but we’ll see if those hold as things keep changing moment-to-moment in the Westview bubble. The mid-credit scene she discovers the basement and bumps into whoever Peters is actually playing.
THE RONIN 