Back in WandaVision, a particular standout proved to be Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness. Or, as we knew her then, Agnes – Wanda and Vision’s nosy Westview neighbour who couldn’t help but intrude on the couple’s lives as they flipped through decades of sitcom domesticity. As it turned out, Agnes was Marvel’s notorious witch Agatha all along, pulling strings on Wanda’s TV-infused emotional breakdown – and come the end of the season, the Scarlet Witch left Hahn’s cackling villain trapped in the remains of Westview, unaware of her true self or her power. Until now.
“Then, this mysterious goth teen [played by Heartstopper’s Joe Locke] shows up in her life,” showrunner Jac Schaeffer – previously behind WandaVision – tells Empire of Agatha All Along, in which Harkness will break loose again. His arrival into Agatha’s world will send Wanda’s former foe on a dark and dangerous quest, bringing her face to face with all kinds of other magic-users. “It’s his idea to travel the Witches’ Road to get her power back,” Schaeffer continues. “But in order to go on the Road, you’ve got to get a coven together. So how does a witch that no-one’s going to trust get a band of sisters together?”
According to Locke, his character was only known in the script as ‘Teen’ – but whatever his true identity, he’ll be key to helping Agatha get her groove back. “He’s a familiar; he’s like the assistant to the coven,” he explains. “Teen is a big fan of witchcraft and witches, so for him to be taken under Agatha Harkness’ wing and form a coven and go down the Witches’ Road is his dream. He’s fanboy-esque, and in his element. Which is very fun — because I was [too]!” Though the series will feature dark magic, elements of horror, and – if reports are to be believed – the odd musical number, it was another tone that Locke picked up on during production. “Jac sent Kevin Feige a picture of the Witches’ Road set and he replied, ‘Oh my God, we’re making The Goonies’,” he recalls. “That’s what I’d been saying — that we were making this adventure series.”
That journey down the Witches’ Road will reveal yet another side to Agatha that audiences haven’t yet witnessed. “We’ve seen her with all her bravado and crazy confidence,” explains Hahn. “So much of Agatha is performance. It was exciting to get to the kernel under the sass and sarcasm and taking pleasure in other people’s pain. There’s something broken under that, big-time.” Prepare to fall under Agatha’s spell all over again.
Read Empire’s full Agatha All Along feature – speaking to Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone, Jac Schaeffer and more about their witchy MCU adventure – in the Joker: Folie À Deux issue, on sale Thursday 1 August. Order a copy online here. Agatha All Along streams on Disney+ from 19 September.