Marvel Studios has kept a tight lid on its upcoming WandaVision spinoff series, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. But this past week finally brought a glimpse at the mystical new show courtesy of a leaked first trailer. Images and behind-the-scenes footage hint at an adventure into spooky new corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The latest video originates from a feature included on the WandaVision Blu-Ray steelbook collection, which only came out. It’s presumably intended to promote the 2024 show, but its appearance now spills some initial secrets earlier than intended.
The trailer offers a first look at Kathryn Hahn back in her fan-favorite role of Agatha Harkness, the powerful witch who’s become more or less the highlight in every scene she’s appeared in since debuting in WandaVision. In it, we see Hahn sporting Agatha’s Halloween witch costume as well as her invented “Agnes” persona’s mid-century suburban garb. The setting of Westview still factors in prominently as well.
New images from the set of #AgathaDarkholdDiaries #MarvelStudios pic.twitter.com/7nbkgLomVg
— Marvel Updates (@marvel_updat3s) November 25, 2023
We also get quick shots of supporting stars such as Joe Locke, potentially playing Wanda’s son Wiccan. Ali Ahn, Sasheer Zamata and the legendary Patti LuPone also feature amongst an ensemble of allies and adversaries. The story will see them go on an adventure traversing the trippy “Witches’ Road” dimension, accessible only to practicing magic users.
This aligns with previous indications that the series would explore Agatha’s origins and quest to regain her formidable mystical abilities following the events of WandaVision. The ending of the show originally left her still trapped in the harmless Nosy Neighbor role that she had assumed to infiltrate Westview. But, as we now know, Agatha’s not going to stay that way for long.
The production values and photography style beautifully mirror the creative aesthetic that distinguished the original Disney Plus series. Showrunner Jac Schaeffer returns to steer the spinoff as writer and director. Thus, the unique tone that made WandaVision such a hit seems intact for this next chapter.
While plot details remain heavily under wraps, the featurette leak signals rising anticipation for the project amongst casual MCU fans. After multiple delays and title changes, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries now eyes a potential Halloween 2024 debut according to co-star Patti LuPone. The creepy holiday launch would fit Schaeffer’s proven penchant for quirky, reality-bending fantasy steeped in suburban satire.
Ultimately, it’s easy to see how Agatha: Darkhold Diaries will surprise everyone with its popularity. The show’s quality or aesthetic aside, the pull that the show’s cast has on casual audiences can’t be underestimated. Similar to WandaVision, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries is expected to cater to the relatively large subset of MCU fans who aren’t big on following the overall big picture of the entire narrative but would love to find out what happened to Agatha. Recapturing the same energy and crowd of WandaVision will do wonders for the MCU, which is in the middle of its worst stretch yet.
If the MCU plays it smart, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries and Deadpool 3 could be next year’s much-needed one-two combo that lets them attract the attention of casual fans again. This isn’t to say that Echo, Disney+’s first TV-MA show, won’t move the needle much. Rather, even among hardcore comic book fans, Echo wasn’t always the most popular character, even much less so compared to Iron Man before Robert Downey Jr. put on the suit.
Still, if Echo reviews well and kicks off the Marvel Spotlight initiative on the right note, 2024 will be better for the MCU.
