Free yourself from the spell
When we last spoke with Kathryn Hahn, in January 2021, she couldn’t reveal that she was playing a witch in the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV series. She was just Agnes, the friendly but invasive neighbor of Wanda Maximoff and Vision. In the seventh episode of WandaVisionwe learned that she was actually Agatha Harkness, a powerful witch a few hundred years old. Envious of Wanda’s powers, she confronted her in the finale in order to extract her chaos magic. Defeated, Agatha was imprisoned in Agnes’ mind by the newly named Scarlet Witch.
PHOTO CHUCK ZLOTNICK, PROVIDED BY MARVEL TELEVISION
At the beginning ofAgatha All AlongAgatha Harkness, played by Kathryn Hahn, is still stuck in Agnes’ mind.
When Agatha All Along begins, the main character has not yet regained possession of her faculties. “Her state of mind is not good,” confirms Kathryn Hahn. “She has been under a spell that distorts her reality for three years. She does not really know who she is anymore. She does not have her powers anymore. In fact, I think she forgot she had them. She is completely delusional.”
So, in the first episode, Agatha thinks she’s a hardened detective who arrives at the scene of a murder. Like WandaVision, Agatha All Along borrows from television codes to tell its story. “We played it as seriously as possible,” says Kathryn Hahn. I love Broadchurch, Mare of Easttown, True Detectives and all these prestigious police series. It was a dream to be able to launch the series in this way and we had a lot of fun.”
Still in her delirium, Agatha captures a teenager whom she takes to the police station. The next day, she finds him with amazement tied up in a closet, at her home. It is he who will help Agatha to escape from Wanda’s spell.
His name is Teen… for now
PHOTO CHUCK ZLOTNICK, PROVIDED BY MARVEL TELEVISION
Joe Locke plays a teenager simply called Teen.
Joe Locke, 20-year-old Manx actor seen in the Netflix series Heartstopperembodies this young teenager simply called Teen. As soon as he names himself or talks about his origins, a spell comes to sew his lips. His words are muted. “It’s nice to play a character whose identity is a mystery,” Joe Locke says cautiously. Many theories circulate about him. Is he Billy, one of Wanda’s twins, or the demon Mephisto?
His identity in the MCU is one of the enigmas of the series and it is fundamental in the evolution of the character over the episodes. I believe that Teen represents the point of view of the viewers, because he also discovers a supernatural world surrounded by extraordinary witches.
Jac Schaeffer, lead writer of the series Agatha All Along
Agatha will take Teen under her wing. “He is a fervent [fanboy] of witchcraft. For him, taking the Witches’ Road with Agatha is the equivalent for a Taylor Swift fan to going on tour with her.” The only male representative of the group, Teen is a reference in magic despite his young age, thanks in part to the spell book he keeps on him. “He is very helpful and motivated,” summarizes Joe Locke.
A captivating cast
In addition to Agatha and Teen, the group that begins the dangerous journey on the Witches’ Road is composed of Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), a potions specialist; Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn), responsible for protecting the group; Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), a divination expert; and Sharon Davis (Debra Jo Rupp, reprising her role), a simple Westview resident who doesn’t really know what she’s gotten herself into. Actress Aubrey Plaza, seen in the series Parks and Recreations, Legion And The White Lotusis also part of the impressive cast in the role of the mysterious Rio Vidal.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARVEL TELEVISION
Aubrey Plaza plays Rio Vidal.
“They really took to heart the identity of their characters. They identified themselves as a coven of witches [coven]. And they included Joe in all of their camaraderie and playfulness,” says Jac Schaeffer, who also shot the first two episodes. “A lot of the storyline is about the need to be in harmony, symbolically and literally. The harmony of that group of actors was really beautiful to see.”
The world of witchcraft
The witches push the note a few times duringAgatha All Along. For Kathryn Hahn, singing alongside Patti LuPone is one of the accomplishments of a lifetime. “I’m far from being a professional, but I loved it! I realize that as I get older, I’m less afraid of facing these kinds of challenges,” the 51-year-old actress philosophically says.
PHOTO VIANNEY LE CAER, ASSOCIATED PRESS
The creator ofAgatha All AlongJac Schaeffer, and actors Kathryn Hahn and Joe Locke at a special presentation in London on September 10
When they were turning WandaVisionKathryn Hahn and Jac Schaeffer had no idea they would have the chance to explore the world of Agatha’s character further. “Her world is that of fantasy, that of Halloween. It is inspired by The Wizard of Oz, The Witches of Eastwick, The Goonies, The NeverEnding Story, Labyrinth… films that have a particular texture that allows for immersion,” explains Jac Schaeffer.
“I was able to dive deeper into Agatha’s origins as seen in the comics,” Hahn adds. “I met a real witch, who I loved. I also learned about tarot, crystals, and other sacred elements of witchcraft that have been meaningful to so many people for a long time.”
On Disney+, from September 18, 6 p.m.