Jac Schaeffer details Agatha Harkness' return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the new Agatha All Along TV show. Following the ending to WandaVision, Kathryn Hahn is just getting started in the MCU, as the Marvel witch is returning to the silver screen this month. Set as the next Phase 5 TV show, Agatha All Along is putting a bigger focus on the fan-favorite antagonist.
With Hahn leading the Agatha All Along cast, the spinoff series picks up after her battle with Scarlet Witch in WandaVision, as Agatha forms a new coven. Agatha All Along will also explore the supernatural side of the MCU timeline at greater depth but from the perspective of a former villain. Like most MCU TV shows, Agatha All Along has been keeping a lot of mysteries under wrap, from characters like Joe Locke's "Teen" to Aubrey Plaza's new player, Rio Vidal.
Screen Rant recently sat down with Schaeffer about taking on her latest MCU adventure, but this time with Agatha as the leading character. Throughout the interview, the showrunner spoke about how Agatha All Along was actually conceived and how Hahn's character forms new dynamics along the way. Schaeffer also explores some of the major influences that helped inform Agatha All Along as a new entry in the MCU.
Jac Schaeffer Previews Agatha All Along & The Future Of The Witches' Coven
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Screen Rant: It's such a great follow-up to WandaVision, and I get the elements of, like, Hocus Pocus, Wizard of Oz with a little bit of horror and a little bit of comedy wrapped in a musical for the MCU. Kathryn Hahn quickly became a fan favorite during WandaVision before she got this show. Was there a moment or anything she did in WandaVision that sparked the idea for her to get Agatha All Along?
Jac Schaeffer: It wasn't during WandaVision because I tend to not really dream the things that I want more than anything. The idea of doing a spinoff or doing a show on her didn't happen during WandaVision. But she did do things during WandaVision that made it clear to me that there was so much more story to tell, and it was really about her relationship with Wanda, like the way that she clearly was in attack mode, and she was the villain. She was the antagonist but small moments made it clear that what she really wanted was a partner, someone to connect to, like there was hunger there for another witch. That really became so much of the seed for this story for Agatha All Along,
Explaining Agatha Harkness' Relationships With Teen & Rio Vidal
"They had such terrific chemistry and, most importantly, they had the comedic chemistry and the banter."
Speaking of relationships, one thing we get to explore is Agatha's relationships with the Coven, but also Teen. Can you talk about her relationship with Teen and how we see that evolve throughout the series?
Jac Schaeffer: First of all, Kathryn Hahn and then Joe Locke, [who] is such a terrific talent...When he came in for the chemistry read, it felt so right. It was so real. They had such terrific chemistry and, most importantly, they had the comedic chemistry and the banter. But we had him do a scene from later in the show that has a different color, and it was tremendous. Where we start them is...his identity is a mystery.
But what we know, and what is true is that he loves witchcraft, and by extension, he is a fan of Agatha Harkness. He really has that kind of fanboy energy, he sees her as an icon. So that dynamic of him, kind of like puppy dog eyes with her and her kind of constantly with her biting one liners are so delicious. But it's just the beginning, the relationship really does evolve in this show.
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Speaking of delicious relationships, I have to ask about Rio and Agatha, because every single time they're on screen together, their chemistry just pops. They've worked together before, but this is a whole new dynamic to them. Can you talk about the relationship between Agatha and Rio, and how we see that take shape throughout the series?
Jac Schaeffer: With WandaVision and with Agatha All Along, I've always been interested in how can the antagonistic force be unexpected? With Aubrey's character, as we've seen in the trailer, there's some tussling and some fearsomeness, so it's that thing of, 'Is she going to attack? What do we want from her? Are we afraid of her? Do we want to ask her on a date? Do we want to play with her hair?' Agatha and Rio really have that. You really don't know what the connection is going to be, what the interaction is going to be and it feels very combustible.
Jac Schaeffer Reveals The Inspirations For Agatha All Along
"It really is anything where witches have been featured in this wrong way, and where we have sort of iconic witches."
I feel like when we're on the Witches' Road, it reminds me a little bit of The Wizard of Oz. Can you talk about some of the inspirations you guys drew from to help inform Agatha?
Jac Schaeffer: Our inspirations are vast, but the sort of guiding light, the North Star is witches. It really is anything where witches have been featured in this wrong way, and where we have sort of iconic witches. Of course, the OGs. there's Wizard of Oz, but then we're also looking at the old Disney, which is Sleeping Beauty, Snow White. We're looking at the 90s, we're looking at The Craft, we're looking at Buffy. I thought The Witch was incredible, like, truly, deeply scary and rattling There's [Robert] Zemeckis' The Witches, it's all of it. It's Season of the Witch, and it's Suspiria, it's all of those things kind of in a big blunder.
Will The MCU Ever Adapt Children's Crusade?
I love that this show adapts a Wanda story in the comics, which is the Witch's Road story. Another show or project that I'm curious about is a Children's Crusade [adaptation.] Is it possible that we can see that as a Disney+ series at some point in the future?
Jac Schaeffer: I can't speak to other Disney properties as much as I would like to. [But] yeah, I can as a fan...please! [laughs]
About Agatha All Along Season 1
In Agatha All Along, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches' Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they're missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road...
Check out our other Agatha All Along interviews with:
Joe Locke Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, and Debra Jo Rupp Brad Winderbaum (Executive Producer) Mary Livanos (Executive Producer)
Agatha All Along premieres on Wednesday, September 18 with the first two episodes, only on Disney+.
Source: Screen Rant Plus
Agatha All Along
Agatha Harkness, after the events of "WandaVision," seeks to regain her magical powers. Joining forces with unexpected allies, including the son of an old adversary, she battles new mystical threats while uncovering hidden secrets in the magical realm.
Cast Kathryn Hahn , Patti LuPone , Miles Gutierrez-Riley , Aubrey Plaza , Emma Caulfield , Debra Jo Rupp , Joe Locke , Maria Dizzia
Release Date September 18, 2024
Seasons 1
Streaming Service(s) Disney Plus
Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe
Showrunner Jac Schaeffer
Main Genre Adventure
Number of Episodes 9
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