In the fall of 2024, Marvel Cinematic Universe fans were transported down the Witches’ Road with a coven of the franchise’s finest spellcasters. Acting as a spinoff from Marvel Studios’ first Disney+ show, WandaVision, Agatha All Along saw Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness transcend into her own leading character.
A month after the shocking two-part finale, Hahn is saying goodbye to the role despite a confirmed upcoming appearance.
Kathryn Hahn arrived in Kevin Feige’s MCU over three years ago in WandaVision. At first, she was just Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision’s (Paul Bettany) neighbor, Agnes. However, Hahn was eventually revealed to be the powerful witch Agatha Harkness and the orchestrator of Wanda’s sitcom-style life.
During the finale, which saw Wanda become the Scarlet Witch to best Harkness in the skies above Westview, the former trapped Agatha in the town without her magic, which is where audiences found her in Agatha All Along. Throughout the show, which also starred Broadway legend Patti LuPone as Lillia Calderu and Heartstopper‘s Joe Locke as William Kaplan/Billy Maximoff, Agatha’s history was slowly uncovered to its dramatic conclusion.
Agatha All Along was a big success for Marvel Studios and Disney+, aided by its big social media buzz on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. During its premiere week, it was the most-watched show on Disney+ and, according to Brad Winderbaum (Head of Streaming, Television and Animation, Marvel Studios), had the highest audience retention rate of any MCU series thus far. Agatha was also the least expensive series for Marvel, thanks to its heavy use of practical effects over CGI.
All that said, despite its success, Agatha All Along–created by Jac Schaeffer–is not intended to have a second season, much to the chagrin of fans. However, for those looking for a new dose of Agatha Harkness, there is one coming soon, but will Kathryn Hahn be the one bringing the famous witch to life?
In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Hahn discussed her show and what it meant to bring Agatha Harkness back to the screen.
“Even though obviously now Billy/Wiccan is not her son, there is some sort of hope for her that she’s able to maybe do for him what she couldn’t do for Nicky,” Hahn explained to the LA Times. “I think they do make a great team. Of course, I love this part, and I love Joe Locke madly, and we’ll see what the future holds.”
However, it seems that the actress has already made peace with this being the end of Agatha Harkness. “In my mind, this was a beautiful and satisfying way to say goodbye to this incredible character I had to play,” she told the outlet.
After explaining that she felt Agatha was the perfect part to play in “this period of [her] life,” Hahn felt privileged that Marvel Studios, known for its big and loud endings, gave Agatha All Along something different. “But I do know how proud we are of it and how subversive and radical it felt to have an ending, especially a big Marvel show, be that small and tender and have this little beating heart,” she said.
With Hahn seemingly saying goodbye to the role, where does this leave Agatha Harkness in the MCU?
The witch is next slated to appear in the upcoming third and final season of What If…? Marvel Studios announced the surprise December 2024 release with their recent look ahead sizzle reel, confirming the show will air daily from December 22, in a similar fashion to last year’s second season.
What If…? has been a fan-favorite project ever since its first series dropped on Disney+ in 2021. Exploring alternate realities of the franchise’s popular heroes and villains, What If…? introduced Jeffery Wright’s Uatu, AKA The Watcher, and allowed audiences to see classic events in a new light. From Captain Carter instead of Captain America to T’Challa as Star-Lord, not the Black Panther, the show opened the door for infinite stories the MCU could tell.
As confirmed by the trailer for What If…? Season 3, Agatha Harkness will be featured in at least one episode of the show, seemingly a musical-style episode alongside Kingo, the Eternal played by Kumail Nanjiani in Chloé Zhao’s Eternals (2021). Despite Hahn saying back in June that she had no knowledge of her appearance in What If…? Season 3, the trailer confirms that she is back to voice the witch.
Hahn isn’t the only one stepping back into the MCU; multiple other actors from across the franchise will be reprising their roles for the third and final season of What If…? That said, not all live-action actors will be present. Notably, Robert Downey Jr. will not be voicing Doctor Doom in the show, with a cast list confirming his replacement.
What If…? Season 3 begins airing on December 22, with episodes airing daily through December 29.
How do you feel about the future of Agatha Harkness in the MCU? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
Agatha All Along stars Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness, Aubrey Plaza as Death/Rio Vadal, Joe Locke as William Kaplan/Billy Maximoff, Sasheer Zamata as Jen Kale, Ali Ahn as Alice Wu-Gulliver, Patti LuPone as Lilia Calderu, and Debra Jo-Rupp as Sharon Davis. All episodes are now streaming on Disney+.
