Warning: This article contains spoilers for Agatha All Along episode 4, “If I Can’t Reach You/Let My Song Teach You.”
Agatha Harkness' history with the Darkhold and her connection to Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch in theMCUchanges drastically in a shocking newAgatha All Alongtheory. While her debut as Agnes and Agatha Harkness inWandaVisionwas hugely popular, 2024’sAgatha All Alongseries has developed Kathryn Hahn’s original Salem witch in much more detail. While much ofAgatha Harkness' history in the MCUis still a mystery, huge events have been alluded to, including the birth and apparent death of her son, Nicholas Scratch.
Agatha All Along’spremiere revealed thatAgatha Harkness had a son, Nicholas Scratch, but this elusive character is yet to appear in the Phase 5 series. In Marvel Comics, Scratch turns against his mother when she leaves the magical community of New Salem to nanny for the Fantastic Four, andthis familial animosity may have also been explained in the MCU thanks to a revelation inAgatha All Alongepisode 3. However, a new MCU theory suggests Agatha’s history with Nicholas Scratch is more unexpected, which also changes theScarlet Witch’s own MCU history.
Agatha Harkness Was Fascinated With Wanda Maximoff’s Resurrection Ability In WandaVision
Wanda Maximoff Actually Didn’t Bring Anyone Back To Life In WandaVision
This new MCU theory relies onAgatha Harkness and Wanda Maximoff’s connectionin 2021’sWandaVision, which first introduced Kathryn Hahn to the MCU as Wanda and Vision’s nosy neighbor, Agnes. Prior to revealing herself to be a formidable witch, Agnes became a close family friend to the Maximoffs, and one moment sticks out as being particularly interesting. When Agnes reveals that Sparky, the Maximoff family’s new pet dog, had unfortunately passed away inWandaVisionepisode 5, “On a Very Special Episode…,“Wanda’s kids urge her to"fix dead,“much to Agnes' fascination.
The MCU’s Changes To Agatha Harkness' Comics Origin & Character Explained
Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness is visibly different from her comic counterpart, as the MCU made a significant changes to her origin and backstory.
Agatha Harkness later urged Wanda Maximoff to reveal how she had brought Vision back to life and established her Hex around Westview, New Jersey. She does mention necromancy, butAgatha seems more interested not in playing with the dead, but actually reversing death altogether. While it was revealed that the Scarlet Witch hadn’t actually resurrected anybody inWandaVision, Agatha Harkness' interest and fascination with the idea of this being possible perfectly set the stage forAgatha All Alongto explore her own history.
Theory: Agatha Harkness Did Not Sacrifice Nicholas Scratch
Rumor Has It Agatha Harkness Sacrificed Her Son For The Darkhold
A new theory shared byReddituser johndelvec3completely changes how viewers look at Agatha Harkness' history prior toWandaVision, and explains her fascination with reversing death. The theory suggests that Agatha Harkness did not sacrifice Nicholas Scratch in exchange for the Darkhold, as Jennifer Kale hinted at during theWitches' Road’s first trial inAgatha All Alongepisode 3. Instead,the theory implies that Agatha may have walked the Witches' Road to acquire the Darkhold in an effort to save her son from a life-threatening illness.
The details Agatha Harkness' last journey down the Witches' Road haven’t been revealed, though it has been suggested that she walked the Road in an effort to gain more power. However, given Agatha’s tendency to steal power from other witches, this mission doesn’t really make sense. It’s far more likely that Agatha Harkness walked the Witches' Road in the hopes of acquiring theMCU’s Book of the Damned, and an ailing son would be fantastic motivation. This theory drastically changes what audiences know about Agatha Harkness in the MCU.
Agatha All Along Theory Explains Agatha’s Hatred For Rio Vidal
Agatha Harkness & Rio Vidal’s Relationship Is Very Complicated
Despite dabbling in the dark magic of the Darkhold, it seems as though Agatha Harkness was not successful in saving her son from his illness.According to a popular new theory concerning Aubrey Plaza’sAgatha All Alongcharacter, this also explains Agatha Harkness' animosity towards the Green Witch. While Plaza’s MCU character is currently known as the witch Rio Vidal, a popular theory suggests she is actually theMCU’s depiction of Lady Death, which means she would have been the one to take the deceased Nicholas Scratch from Agatha.
There have been many hints that Aubrey Plaza is playing Lady Death in the MCU. She looked at home in the morgue inAgatha All Along’spremiere, was"in the neighborhood"following Sharon Davis' burial in episode 4, was impatient to get her"bodies,“and was urged not to go near “Teen” after he became injured by Alice Wu-Gulliver’s generational curse.
Agatha Harkness and Lady Death’s relationship would have been strong prior to this, with Agatha stealing the power from other witches and leaving them for Death to collect, almost like romantic gifts. Rio Vidal explained inAgatha All Alongepisode 4thatshe had betrayed Agatha Harkness by simply doing her job, giving weight to the idea that she took Nicholas Scratch following his death. This clearly explains why Agatha Harkness hates her inAgatha All Along, and brings Kathryn Hahn’s witch closer to Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch.
MCU Theory Makes Agatha Harkness’ History Even More Tragic
Agatha Harkness & The Scarlet Witch Are The Same In This Dark MCU Theory
This theory means that everyone’s perception of Agatha Harkness is wrong. Yes, she has spent centuries stealing power from other witches, leaving them dead, butthis could have been in an effort to give Lady Death new bodies, hoping that she would return her own son. Jennifer Kale also revealed inAgatha All Alongepisode 3 that"everyone says"Agatha traded her son for the Darkhold. This has become a well-known and much-believed rumor, painting Agatha in a heartless and selfish light, when this may not actually be the case.
Agatha All Along Has Already Brought Scarlet Witch’s Children Back According To Interesting MCU Show Theory
An eagle-eyed viewer noticed a clue that the Scarlet Witch’s children, Wiccan and Speed, already made their return to the MCU in Agatha All Along.
This also massively changes Agatha Harkness' actions inWandaVisionand her connection to the Scarlet Witch in the MCU.This theory turns Agatha Harkness into a desperate mother seeking a way to resurrect her son, just like Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch. Neither Agatha nor Wanda are really villains, and both have the same purpose and mission, with the same twisted methods, too, as both use the Darkhold in hopes of finding their children. These similarities between Agatha Harkness and Wanda Maximoff may be confirmed inAgatha All Along.
Agatha All Along
Cast
Agatha Harkness, after the events of “WandaVision,” seeks to regain her magical powers. Joining forces with unexpected allies, including the son of an old adversary, she battles new mystical threats while uncovering hidden secrets in the magical realm.
