The MCU"s Changes To Agatha Harkness" Comics Origin & Character Explained

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Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Agatha All Along
Agatha Harkness leads her own MCU series in Agatha All Along, which continues to reveal the witch’s backstory and all the changes Marvel Studios has made to her origin and personality. Agatha All Along takes place three years after WandaVision, where the Scarlet witch defeated Agatha Harkness’ by nullifying her magic and casting a spell that left her permanently convinced that she was Wanda’s nosy Westview neighbor Agnes. Naturally, Agatha All Along expands the MCU’s magic lore with concepts such as the Witches’ Road and at least seven new MCU witches.
In the MCU, 2011’s Thor originally introduced magic as highly advanced science. But later on, 2016’s Doctor Strange confirmed that magic is a mystical force available to both magic-sensitive and trained individuals. Avengers: Age of Ultron introduced chaos magic through Wanda Maximoff, and WandaVision introduced Agatha Harkness’ purple magic, which is further explored in Agatha All Along. Although Marvel Studios has stuck close to the source material in terms of magic, the MCU has made various significant changes to Agatha Harkness" origin and powers, as seen in WandaVision and Agatha All Along.
Agatha Harkness Looks And Acts Younger Than Her Comic Book Counterpart Kathryn Hahn's Agatha Harkness Inspired The Comics To Rejuvenate The Witch After WandaVision

The most evident change Marvel Studios made to Agatha Harkness is her age and physical appearance. Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness is a couple of centuries old, but she looks and behaves like a woman in her late forties or early fifties. The action-fueled Agatha All Along episode 1 showcases Agatha’s fighting skills and stamina when she fends off Aubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal in hand-to-hand combat. Therefore, the MCU’s Agatha Harkness may have a lifespan of around 700 years. Agatha’s most distinctive features in the MCU are her voluminous brown hair and her ample wardrobe.
In an instance of MCU synergy, 2022’s Midnight Suns comics saw Agatha absorb magical energy from a demon lord called Valtorr, regaining her youth and vitality
In the comics, Agatha Harkness originally looked like a woman in her eighties. Although her exact age hasn’t been revealed, the comics suggest that she’s much older than 350, as she already looked like an older woman during the Salem Witch Trials. Currently, Agatha Harkness looks and behaves very similarly to her MCU counterpart. In an instance of MCU synergy, 2022’s Midnight Suns comics saw Agatha absorb magical energy from a demon lord called Valtorr, regaining her youth and vitality. This modernized Agatha sports a more tight-fitting costume and brown hair with a single silver strand.
The MCU’s Agatha Harkness Is Sent To The Stake Much Sooner The Salem Witch Trials Are Important To Agatha Harkness' Story In Both The Comics And The MCU Close Agatha Harkness" punishment at the stake is a crucial event in her story, both in the comics and the MCU. WandaVision revealed Agatha"s MCU backstory with a flashback to 1693, when Agatha"s coven captures her and binds her to a post. Agatha"s fellow witches accuse her of acquiring forbidden knowledge and practicing dark magic, which Agatha denies. However, the coven is right, as Agatha"s dark magic allows her to reverse their killing spell and free her. From that moment, Agatha takes off on her own and becomes a full-fledged villain.

Related Who Are The Salem Seven? Agatha All Along Villains' Marvel Comics History & Powers Explained Agatha All Along introduces a new team of magical supervillains based on Agatha Harkness" powerful shapeshifting enemies from Marvel Comics.
In the comics, Agatha Harkness peacefully leaves New Salem and gets hired by Reed Richards and Sue Storm to be Franklin Richards" nanny. The New Salemites consider Agatha"s departure as a betrayal to the town and attack her, but the Fantastic Four arrive just in time to protect her. Nevertheless, Agatha Harkness" son Nicholas Scratch and his children, the Salem Seven, kidnap Agatha and burn her at the stake. Scarlet Witch avenges Agatha, but Agatha"s magic allows her to return in spirit form and eventually resurrect.
Agatha Harkness Makes Her MCU Debut As Scarlet Witch’s Enemy Agatha Harkness Has A Different Relationship With Wanda Maximoff In The Source Material Close Kathryn Hahn"s Agatha Harkness makes her first appearance in WandaVision episode 1 as Wanda Maximoff"s next-door neighbor Agnes. WandaVision soon reveals that Agnes is the only other Westview resident who knows about Wanda"s spell due to her magical nature. In manipulating Wanda and her reality-changing spell, Agatha aims to steal her chaos magic and become the most powerful witch in history. From her punishment at the stake in the 17th century to her failed attempt to rob Wanda of her magic, WandaVision establishes Agatha as an evil witch by nature.
Agatha Harkness is the first person to mention the name "Scarlet Witch" in the MCU.
Agatha is introduced very differently in the comics. Marvel Comics" Agatha Harkness made her comic book debut in 1969"s Fantastic Four #94 Holiday Special, where the titular team hire her to tutor Reed and Sue"s son Franklin. Agatha soon becomes Wanda Maximoff"s mentor. In the comics, it"s Agatha who guides Wanda in trying for children with Vision, though Agatha"s subsequent spell to erase Billy and Tommy from Wanda"s memories following their disappearance inspires the already shaken Wanda to kill Agatha, albeit temporarily. Agatha and Wanda later forgive each other and recover their friendship.
The MCU’s Agatha Harkness Adopts A Different Teen Superhero Agatha Harkness Tutors A Powerful Teenage Non-Magical Superhero In The Comics

Custom image by Nicolas Ayala Agatha All Along episode 1 sees Agatha Harkness escape Wanda Maximoff"s illusion and regain her memories. Although reluctantly, Agatha teams up with the unnamed teen who reveals to her that he found a way to break Wanda"s spell. Agatha is unable to learn the true identity of Joe Locke"s mysterious Teen. However, Agatha All Along suggests that "Teen" is the MCU"s version of Billy Kaplan — the reincarnation of Wanda Maximoff"s son Billy. In the comics, Billy Kaplan develops magical powers and becomes the superhero Wiccan, who creates the Young Avengers alongside other young heroes. It"s possible, however, that Teen is actually Nicholas Scratch.

Related Agatha All Along Episode 1 & 2 Easter Eggs And Marvel References Agatha All Along has premiered its first two episodes on Disney+, and both are full of exciting Easter eggs, Marvel references, and WandaVision ties.
Marvel Comics" Agatha Harkness first comes into the fold as Franklin Richards" nanny, hired by Reed Richards and Sue Storm to teach Franklin how to control his powers. This is a significant task, as Franklin Richards is often considered one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel multiverse. Thanks in part to Agatha"s guidance, Franklin Richards later achieves impressive feats such as creating new universes and dimensions, helping his father restore the multiverse, and taming Galactus. Franklin Richards doesn"t appear in Agatha All Along, but he might be introduced in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

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Showrunner Jac Schaeffer Writers Jac Schaeffer Directors Jac Schaeffer , Gandja Monteiro , Rachel Goldberg Cast Kathryn Hahn , Patti LuPone , Miles Gutierrez-Riley , Aubrey Plaza , Emma Caulfield , Debra Jo Rupp , Joe Locke , Maria Dizzia Release Date September 18, 2024 Streaming Service(s) Disney Plus Number of Episodes 9 Expand Upcoming MCU Movies