Agatha All Along's secret weapon might surprise Marvel fans

Spoilers ahead: If you haven't watched the latest episode of “Agatha All Along”, don't even think about traveling this witches' road.

If the general audience has a certain amount of skepticism about the coming of “Agatha All Along”, no one can blame them. On paper, a spin-off series for a mainstream show himself Spin-off movies from the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe haven't exactly inspired hope – or originality. But it's a testament to showrunner Jake Schaefer and his writing team that, in fact, a coven of misfits has turned out to be as fun and entertaining as it's ever been in hopes of gaining ultimate power on the road to wizardry. “WandaVision” mostly just hinted at the supernatural happenings within the confines of Wanda Maximoff's (Elizabeth Olsen) hex. For fans, the chance to go full camp and pay tribute to one of our most misunderstood magical mediums is worth the price of a Disney+ subscription. But when you dig deeper, that's not the defining factor that sets “Agatha All Along” apart from everything that's come before it in this franchise.

For the past decade and a half, the MCU has dominated pop culture, and its success with the interconnectedness of this superhero universe goes all the way back to 2012's “The Avengers.” Recent years have seen the novelty factor wear off dramatically, especially with a succession of high-profile flops and poorly received shows. Perhaps the same issue that once plagued comics reared its ugly head once again.

In light of that, “Agata All Along” (the witch) may be exactly what the doctor ordered. By taking place in a circumscribed segment of the MCU and not having any major franchise obligations, the series is able to tell its story entirely on its own terms.. And no less authoritative than Schaefer admits.

Somehow, against all odds, “Agatha All Along” has become a haven in the midst of the MCU's storm of cameos, callbacks, and self-indulgent references that connect every little detail to the franchise's overall canon. In episode 5, titled “Darkest Hour/Wake Your Power,” the only obvious instances of parent series “Wandavision” connective tissue are Wanda Maximoff's misnomers and the amusing addition of Debra Jo Rupp's Mrs. Hart. (er, make Sharon Davis) … until her sudden death last week, that is. However, the actual plot of the series is not affected at all by the new situation established at the end of the multiverse shenanigans of “The Marvels” or “Deadpool & Wolverine”. That's the main difference between this and “Wandavision,” if you ask showrunner Jake Schaefer.

The Hollywood Reporter explained in a recent interview:

“We don't have the burden of rehashing any canon. Both in 'Wandavision' [Vision actor Paul Bettany] And [Elizabeth Olsen] There was a lot of background between them and each other […] So we wanted to underline those moments and fill them in more. We had a big Scarlet Witch burden of the Infinity Stone and that sort of thing.”

Granted, it would be remiss to ignore how much “Agatha All Along” still enjoys teasing all kinds of “wonders.” The larger mystery surrounding the false Mephisto references and even the identity of Joe Locke's unnamed teenager, has just been revealed. But the difference between these relatively minor crossovers and the upcoming “Captain America: Brave New World” could be a chasm as “The Incredible Hulk” reunion tour. Everyone knows the freedom from the MCU “burden” Schaefer refers to here.

There is a telling moment during a crucial scene in the latest “Agatha All Along” episode. As the Seven of Despicable Salem follow and we learn that Agatha is the vengeful children of the witches who killed her hundreds of years ago, Dean comes up with the bright idea of ​​using various branches on the road as makeshift brooms so they can fly to safety. This harebrained (and mildly stereotypical) scheme works incredibly well, but only for brief teases. While flying above the tree line, our coven of misfits suddenly feel pulled back to the path of wizards by an unseen force – almost as if the MCU itself warned them. too Original and independent. No matter how high-flying the series is, the scene seems to imply, the franchise's obligations always threaten to drag things back down to earth … literally.

Even five episodes in, it's too late to tell if “Agatha All Along” is landing or not. The results so far have been pretty promising with an earworm of an original song or basically anything about Aubrey Plaza's enigmatic maniacal Rio. To date, nothing about the series has given any indication that Kevin Feige ordered last-minute reshoots to set up some random, I don't know, “Avengers: Doomsday” or “Armor Wars” or what have you. More often than not, these unique wizards can exist within the MCU, but separate from the ever-complex storylines lurking. Just Outside the magical realm of the Wizards' Road. Let's hope this magical ride doesn't crash anytime soon.

New episodes of “Agatha All Along” stream every Wednesday on Disney+.