MarvelBlog News for September 8th, 2024

This past week, we learned about a new (but long-rumored) MCU program that is in active development.

Also, the hype machine has begun in earnest for Agatha All Along, and the fired guy from X-Men ’97 still won’t shut up.

We spill a lot of tea in MarvelBlog News.

“Revenge Is a Witch”

That’s an actual marketing slogan for Agatha All Along…and a clever one at that.

The last time we saw Agatha Harkness, Wanda Maximoff had punished her enemy.

The Scarlet Witch sentenced Agatha to enslavement as a lifelong resident of the sleepy town of Westview, New Jersey.

As a 17th-century native of Salem, Massachusetts, Agatha had already suffered enough punishment for one lifetime.

Then again, the woman apparently has lived about five lives thus far and is midway through another one.

Of course, that makes a lifetime sentence that much longer and borders on cruel and unusual punishment.

Fortunately for Agatha, she’s made enough frenemies along the way that she has a chance to break out.

Over the years, Agatha met other coven-less witches. They’re ready to form a Coven of Chaos, which was a previous show title.

Agatha All Along will debut on Disney+ on September 18^th, and Marvel is now hyping it to the level it deserves.

After all, we’re talking about the sequel to the greatest MCU series to date, WandaVision.

In recent days, Marvel has released several promos in anticipation of the series premiere.

Here’s the first one, the ad with the “Revenge is a witch” slogan:

Revenge is a witch. #AgathaAllAlong streams September 18 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/VZcy9eVRbS

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 30, 2024

 

The character known simply as The Teen suggests that the person who “walks the road” will get the thing they most desire.

Based on MCU history to date, including the MCU-adjacent Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., that sure sounds like the Darkhold.

We last saw that spell book in the possession of Wanda Maximoff, Agatha’s sworn enemy. So, the story tracks here.

Meet the Coven

How does one create a coven-less coven? It’s a paradoxical concept.

Well, Disney has thought of everything here, as its Marvel Entertainment promotional channel has released this video:

Revenge is a witch. #AgathaAllAlong streams September 18 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/VZcy9eVRbS

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 30, 2024

Meet the witches, y’all! These are the people who hate Agatha Harkness ever so slightly less than they hate everyone else.

I wouldn’t describe this as friendship, but maybe it’s…companionship? Anyway, the team will walk the mystical path.

Should they reach the end, Agatha will presumably gain her heart’s desire and presumably gain revenge on Wanda Maximoff.

Since we’ve already seen the end of Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we know that Maximoff ain’t exactly living the high life anyway.

Agatha Harkness has been trapped in suburbia, though. So, she’s unaware of her recent MCU history.

That’s the setting for Agatha All Along. Since I’m about ten days away from recapping the first episode, I should probably stop there.

Still, you can watch the video to learn the names of the various characters appearing as part of Agatha’s team/coven/wHATEver.

Plus, Disney has provided a 90-second clip of WandaVision to remind you why Agatha won’t be a member of the wedding party for Wanda and Vision.

So, you should be prepped and ready for when Agatha All Along starts next week.

However, don’t be surprised if Marvel adds a few more videos between now and then.

This is the anchor program on Disney+ this fall. It’ll receive the marketing commensurate with a show of such importance.

Also, I cannot wait to see the cosplay that comes out of this show! Eat your hearts out, Sanderson Sisters!

Champagne Super Nova

After decades of infighting, the Gallagher brothers are putting their feud behind them long enough to tour again as Oasis.

I guess any lingering hatred can be set aside for hundreds of millions of dollars.

One of the most famous Oasis songs is Champagne Supernova, and I cannot help but wonder if the renewed hype for the song is influencing Marvel.

I’m mostly joking, but after years of rumors, I cannot help but be amused by the coincidence as a famous super named Nova is finally ready to debut.

A member of the Nova Corps and, in fact, the leader of the Nova Corps, Richard Rider has become an essential part of Marvel lore.

Now, a Nova series is in active development, as confirmed by two people who would know.

One of them is Brad Winterbaum, the head of streaming, television, and animation at Marvel Studios. The other is Kevin Feige…

So, yeah, a Nova series is happening, something I’ve known for possibly as long as five years now.

Then again, with so much in flux at Marvel, nothing is ever sure until filming begins, which explains why we’re all still wondering about Blade.

Nova And What It Says about Marvel’s Future

Anyway, Marvel officials are actually talking about Nova, which guarantees it’s happening, barring something shocking.

What’s fascinating is that Marvel is promising something akin to the reboot of Battlestar Galactica.

For my money, that program is in the conversation for the best serial drama of the 21st century. It’s either that or Breaking Bad.

Winderbaum adds the mysterious tidbit that “Nova is in development right now, but we are developing more than we make.”

He concludes, “This the new Marvel.” I take this to mean Marvel always wants to leave more stories available in case projects prove popular.

That way, Marvel can add more content quickly. This sort of agility has been lacking in recent years.

To wit, the lack of forward movement on Shang-Chi 2 or the spinoff series based on his sister, Xu Xialing, is indefensible.

The executive adds, “We aren’t going to go on a show until we’re happy with the pilot, happy with the bible.”

That’s the crux of this conversation. Every new Marvel title requires a show bible that encourages expansion.

Marvel programs must lay the groundwork for future updates. The content machine must be fed.

Marvel Miscellany

I’m only covering one other story this week, and it’s an annoying one at that.

Recently, former X-Men ’97 writer Beau DeMayo played the victim over his termination.

Soon afterward, stories leaked about his actions as a Marvel employee and, well, they’d be cause for termination anywhere.

If even ten percent of this stuff is true, he should be persona non grata in Hollywood from now on.

That’s the problem from DeMayo’s perspective. He faces ostracizing from the community he needs for gainful employment.

When set back by the consequences of his own actions, DeMayo has taken a decidedly different approach.

Rather than acknowledge mistakes were made, DeMayo has acted like Marvel did him wrong.

Now, after the misconduct allegations leaked, DeMayo has come back again with new, not-so-veiled threats.

DeMayo suggests that he is ready to reveal secrets about his chaotic years at Marvel.

Since that was the time when Marvel was a total trainwreck, he likely knows some stuff that Feige and co. would rather not leak.

Frankly, a corporation never looks good when facing accusations from a queer person of color. Any and all bigotries get exposed.

Conversely, DeMayo appears to be revealing his info via his OnlyFans page, thereby charging fans to hear his gossip.

From a distance, that sure sounds like a scam to me, a way for someone to monetize their past mistakes.

Therefore, no one will escape this situation looking good. For his part, DeMayo feels he has nothing to lose.

So, he’s willing to toss chaos grenades, even if a few of them hit him as well.

Marvel and its lawyers probably need to shut this down before it gets worse.

 

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