Posted in: Disney+, Movies, TV | Tagged: agatha all along, Marvel Studios

Agatha All Along: Joe Locke on MCU Trolls; Staying "Small and Twink-y"

Agatha All Along star Joe Locke (Heartstopper) on expecting pushback from MCU trolls, staying "small and twink-y" for the role, and more.

With only three weeks to go until Showrunner Jac Schaeffer's Kathryn Hahn-starring Agatha All Along works its magic across Disney+ screens, we're getting a chance to hear more from Heartstopper star Joe Locke regarding his character, "Teen." To say that there have been a ton of rumors, gossip, and speculation that Locke's character is actually Wiccan – Wanda Maximoff's (Elizabeth Olsen) grown-up son who we first met during 2021's WandaVision – would be an understatement, especially for MCU fans who would see that move as another step towards a live-action "Young Avengers" series/film. In a recent profile interview with Variety, Locke shares how he was worried that a previous Marvel-related comment could hurt his chances with "Agatha," how he was essentially told that he would be staying "small and twink-y" for the role, and how he's ready for the social media hate to get worse once the show premieres.

Locke Worried Past Comments Would Hurt "Agatha All Along" Chances: In June 2022, Locke had this to share during an interview with Soho House: "I'd love to play the first queer Disney prince or Marvel superhero. I'm dreaming big here. We're in a time when this isn't something to dream of for much longer; it should be a reality quite soon." By the time the interview hit, Locke had gotten a callback for "Agatha" – and that had him worried. "I was like, 'Shit, shit, shit, shit. They're not going to cast me now because I've said it!;" Locke shared – finally securing the role after eight auditions.

Locke Didn't Have to Stress Hitting the Gym: "I thought you get cast in a Marvel show, you get paid to get really muscly and hence [British term for "buff"]. "'We want you to stay small and twink-y' is basically what they said, in a very corporate way," Locke shared about learning that he wouldn't need to bulk up for the role.

Locke on Knowing Social Media Hate from "Fans" Is Coming His Way: "I'm fully aware that the Marvel fandom is far less nice than the 'Heartstopper' fandom. There's going to be a lot of people that just hate everything about the character and everything about what I've done with it, and I just have to be OK with that," Locke shared – while also showing a willingness to pushback on the hate. "Marvel fans are very open with their opinions. But they're not in a Marvel show, so… [blows out a raspberry]. I'm doing the one thing that they really wish they could be doing. Sorry!"

Locke on "Too Campy" Complaints from LGBTQ Community: "It was like, 'Oh, why has Marvel done this campy gay stereotype?' It really annoyed me because I was like, 'You can't ask for authentic casting and then be upset if you have a camp character.'"

With a two-episode premiere set to hit Disney+ on September 18th, here's a look at Hahn, Joe Locke, Patti LuPone, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Aubrey Plaza, and Debra Jo Rupp performing the original song "The Ballad of The Witches' Road" – live and in-person – during Disney's D23 fan expo

In a previous interview with Empire, Schaeffer offered some insights into the "disparate, mixed bag of witches" that viewers can expect – including Patti LuPone's Lilia, Sasheer Zamata's Jennifer, Debra Jo Rupp's Sharon, and Ali Ahn's Alice. "What they have in common is that they're covenless witches. Witches are defined by deception, treachery, villainy, and selfishness. What do you do when you have a group of witches who [demonstrate] those notions, and you need them to work together?" A whole bunch of chaos magic, you'd expect," Schaeffer shared.

In terms of the music that viewers can expect from "Agatha All Along" songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Schaeffer notes that a number of aspects of witch lore will be targeted. "[Where] 'WandaVision' played with the form of classic TV sitcoms, [here] we do a lot of playing with what the assumptions about witches are. Like, what are the shorthand visuals for witches?" And what about our lead witch? Should we expect her wicked ways to get even more wicked? It looks like we're going to get a chance to see some other side of Agatha. "We certainly didn't want a one-dimensional nasty witch. We will have moments where we see Agatha's true heart," the series creator added.

In addition to Hahn, Agatha All Along stars Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Okwui Okpokwasili – with Debra Jo Rupp, Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza. The executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Mary Livanos, and Jac Schaeffer – with Jac Schaeffer, Rachel Goldberg, and Gandja Montiero directing.

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