Warning! This article contains spoilers for Agatha All Along.
Agatha All Alongincluded the reveal that Teen is Billy Maximoff and raised many questions in the process, chief among them what happened to the Maximoff twins in the MCU. The question ofJoe Locke’s Marvel identityhas been common sinceAgatha All Along’s premiere, with many theories and rumors circulating about his character. Thankfully,Agatha All Alongepisode 5’s endingput an end to these rumors by confirming him as the son of Wanda Maximoff, Billy Kaplan.
However, to those uninitiated with Marvel Comics, this reveal may come as a shock. The question of how Billy can be depicted as he is afterWandaVision’s endingis undoubtedly a valid one, butAgatha All Alongepisode 6explains further. As thecast ofAgatha All Alongcontinues to dwindle in populace but increase in intrigue, the history of Billy and Tommy comes into full question, as does how one or both of the twins are now active once more in the MCU.
WandaVision’s Tragic Ending For Scarlet Witch’s Sons Explained
Wanda’s Twins Were Never Real In The Mainline MCU
Billy and Tommy Maximoff were first introduced to the MCU in 2021’sWandaVision. The show centered around the titular characters living out their fantasy world via a series of sitcom episodes, though was later revealed to be much darker in nature. FollowingAvengers: Endgameand her immeasurable grief after Vision’s death, Wanda journeyed to the town of Westview where her synthetic partner was planning to buy them a home.In an outpouring of grief and chaos magic, Wanda enveloped Westview in a Hex, which enslaved all the townsfolk as “cast members"in Wanda’s idyllic TV show.
Midway through this show, Wanda used her magic to create two children. These children were twins named Billy and Tommy. The former was created to manifest Wanda’s powers of magic, while the latter had his uncle Pietro’s powers of superspeed. Eventually, Agatha Harkness broke Wanda’s Hex by alerting the newly-crowned Scarlet Witch to what she had really down in enslaving Westview’s citizens. Wanda decided to break the Hex to free the townspeople, but this meant her dream life fell apart.
As the Hex dissipated for good, Billy and Tommy disappeared as they were only ever a figment of Wanda’s magical powers…
The final house to leave the Hex was Wanda and Visions, who said goodbye to their children. As the Hex dissipated for good, Billy and Tommy disappeared as they were only ever a figment of Wanda’s magical powers.WandaVision’s ending then led into the story ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswhere Wanda tried to retrieve her children using the Darkhold, resulting in theScarlet Witch’s MCU death.
How Billy Is Back In Agatha All Along Explained
The Multiverse, Marvel Comics, & Other Methods That Could Explain Billy’s Revival
With the reveal that Joe Locke’s Teen is Billy, came the burning question now is how he is back. As explored, the Billy Maximoff ofWandaVisionwas never real. Regardless, he is part ofAgatha All Along’s witch coven, and the MCU could have several explanations concerning how he is back.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessconfirmed that Billy and Tommy are real in the multiverse, with other variants of Wanda Maximoff having children. As such, the simplest explanation was always thatAgatha All Along’s Billy is one from another universe, but episode 6 blows that theory out of the water.
InAgatha All Alongepisode 6, William Kaplan and his family are shown in a car crash just outside Westview as Wanda’s spell over the town comes to an end. William’s mother is distracted by the hex over Westview and crashes the car into a tree, killing her son (crucially, neither she nor William’s father witness his death as they rush off for help). But as William’s life fades, Billy Maximoff’s soul takes over his body after Wanda uncreates him and Tommy.
Who Is Wiccan? Scarlet Witch’s Son Explained
Scarlet Witch’s son officially debuted in the MCU three years ago, but Wiccan is suddenly a very important part of Agatha All Along.
Billy awakens in William’s body, unclear on how it happened, but focused on one thing: Tommy. He says his brother’s name as he awakens, and later confirms he can sense his brother’s presence, though not where he is. Billy then lives William’s life for 3 years, before his research leads him to Agatha Harkness and Evan Peters' Ralph Bohner, who returns after his appearance inWandaVision.He also confirms that what he seeks at the end of the Witches Road is Tommy, not Scarlet Witch.
So how exactly is it even possible? Could it be that Wanda used her waning magic before her death to actively preserve her children’s souls? That would create some pretty big questions about why she then hunts for them in the Multiverse. It would seem more logical that Billy and Tommy’s souls persisting after they’re willed out of existence is accidental, and Wanda simply doesn’t understand what she’s done.
The Darkhold was a pathway to many dark abilities after all, but it was also incredibly powerful and incredibly volatile. Trusting something so dark to offer simple answers without caveats is a little foolish at best. The most likely theory that explains how Billy is back actually comes from Marvel Comics. We’ll get to that afterthe other big question Agatha All Along poses about Wanda’s kids.
So Where’s Tommy Maximoff?!
The Other Maximoff Twin Remains Hidden
Before exploring the comic book origins of Billy and Tommy, it should be pointed out that the MCU has yet to give any hints about the latter. Billy’s confirmation inAgatha All Alongepisode 5 makes Tommy’s absence all the more intriguing as theMCU seemingly builds towards the Young Avengers. As ofAgatha All Alongepisode 5’s ending, it is unknown where Tommy is.
In short, we don’t know where Tommy is, or even if he can be revived, given how specific Billy’s resurrection was. It could be that Tommy’s soul was trapped in another dead kid of the same age, in the same area, but that seems like a remarkable coincidence. That said, there are a few hints from Marvel Comics that could answer this mystery, and hint at the two twins being reunited in the future of the MCU should the source material be followed.
How Marvel Comics Answer The Mystery of Billy & Tommy
The Origins Of The Maximoff Twins Explained
It appears that the MCU is indeed following the comics, and revealing that Billy and Tommy being part of the live-action universe stems from the concept of reincarnated souls. In the source material, Wanda’s creation of Billy and Tommy was similar to how it was presented inWandaVision, only with one notable difference. In the former, Wanda used two lost souls to physically create the twins, something that was not mentioned inWandaVison.The devil Mephisto then claimed the souls back, only for them to escape and be reincarnated into two boys: Billy Kaplan and Tommy Shepherd.
WandaVison could be retconned to explain that Wanda used two lost souls to create Billy and Tommy, thus explaining how their reincarnation in the MCU.
The reincarnated soul of Billy eventually discovers his magical powers and also finds out that his boyfriend, Teddy Altman, is a Kree-Skrull hybrid. The two tell each other about their powers and eventually join the Young Avengers. Teddy was also teased inAgatha All Alongepisode 2, with Teen/Billy receiving a call from someone saved in his phone as “Boyf.” Eventually, it is through the Young Avengers that Billy is reunited with his reincarnated twin, Tommy.
Eli Bradley/Patriot
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
While Billy was uncovering his magical powers in New York, the reincarnated soul of Tommy Shepherd was doing the same in New Jersey. Tommy accidentally vaporizes his school using his superspeed and is thus imprisoned and experimented on. After some time, the Young Avengers free Tommy and he joins the team as Speed. After several adventures, Billy and Tommy discover they are the reincarnated souls of Scarlet Witch’s twins, confirming their fraternal bond.
As alluded to, Tommy is nowhere to be seen inAgatha All Along. This could mean that Tommy’s story is left off for an MCU future after the show ends, potentially tying him with the Young Avengers or Vision Quest. In a Young Avengers story, Billy could free Tommy and the missing half of Wanda’s twins could be confirmed for an MCU future beyond the story ofAgatha All Along. That would, of course, require Billy to fail his Witches' Road mission, though.
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.
