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Agatha All Around: The MCU now belongs to the witches

Vaseline Posted on October 31, 2024

Yes, some of it has to do with the leads. Fandom no longer just belongs to straight white guys decades ago – and they, like everyone else, seem tired of seeing the same story over and over again – and anyone who doesn’t fit into that demographic is just waiting for their respective genres of choice to catch up. But it goes deeper than whose faces we see in the lead roles. It also matters who tells the stories, which cultures those stories touch, and how they can reach beyond their particular demographic to show people the magic that can happen when we start looking at stories beyond what we know. It can and has been done in the MCU – Black Panther was remarkable in every way. But it also literally took us ten years in the franchise epic to get there. Captain Marvel would achieve the same success a year later, but (rightly) to less critical acclaim.

But what does all that have to do with witches? Everything actually.

For some, witchcraft is a religion, for others it is a symbol of female authority and resistance to male domination, and for many it is both. For the MCU, it’s a story angle that has saved its ass twice now. When WandaVision debuted, it was because they needed Disney+ to succeed and to get their television offerings off to a strong start and keep them afloat until theatrical releases came back into play (when Shang-Chi came out later that year). Now? Now it’s because fans need to be reminded that the franchise is more than a traditional bag of tricks. special after MCU leadership returns to the Russo Brothers and Robert Downey Jr.

Because the point is that it’s not just about telling a good story. It’s about telling a story that people connect with, that fans crave, and that opens up brand new worlds of possibilities. WandaVision did that with an innovative storytelling method that kept things fresh while connecting with a beloved character working through grueling grief. Agatha All Around does the same through an emotional and hilarious look at the complications and true meaning of coven, alongside the catchiest tune since the Hex Girls’ “Hex Girl” in “Ballad of the Witches Road.”

In fact, Agatha All Around captured early on what makes witch stories so broadly appealing with Mrs. Heart of Debra Jo Rupp. It doesn’t matter if you’re a craft-obsessed weirdo like me or an empty housewife, we all have a little witch inside of us. Member of a student association? You’re part of a coven, honey. (Witches think about mega-covens the same way most Christians think about mega-churches, but that’s not what you’re here for that discussion.) Every woman can identify with the witch archetype on some level, because every woman, on some level, knows what it’s like to be considered inferior, treated differently or even persecuted because of our gender. Just because things have gotten better over the years doesn’t mean that systemic sexism doesn’t remain a major problem in the modern world.

The fact that systemic sexism still exists can be frustrating to read for some. It’s certainly a frustrating experience! But whether it’s something you accept or something that annoys you, the truth remains that witch stories have been in vogue for over a century, women will connect with them for another century, and right now Agatha All along reminds people reminded that the old dog that is the MCU still has new tricks.

But what about? the boys?! Yes, I hear you. I’m also really happy to see the MCU eschewing its traditional masculinity to reach more men! Bringing in the story of Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke) is an absolutely inspired way to speak to men who don’t fit the archetype the franchise has built for their gender.

Billy brings a certain balance to the series, both in perspective and skill level. And balance is exactly what will save the MCU if it needs saving. Sometimes when people read these stories of mine, they get the feeling that I don’t also love stories like Daredevil: Born Again, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. What I and fans like me need is not for every story to speak to us; we just want some stories to do that. Marvel must find a balance between being something new and avoiding falling back into the same thing it created over a decade ago. I like Phases 1-4, but I did that too seen Phases 1-4. I hope they show us something new every now and then.

And it is not without reason that balance is also crucial in witchcraft.

See you after the final!