Posted in: Disney+, Marvel, Movies, Preview, TV | Tagged: agatha all along, disney plus, Marvel Studios, WandaVision

Agatha All Along Star Joe Locke Discusses MCU Series, Teen's Sexuality

Agatha All Along star Joe Locke (Heartstopper) discussed the Marvel Studios series, properly representing Teen's sexuality, and more.

In Marvel Studios and Showrunner Jac Schaeffer's Kathryn Hahn-starring Agatha All Along, Agatha Harkness (Hahn) finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen (Joe Locke) helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches' Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they're missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven and set off down, down, down… The Road. Before we go any further… we're not the only ones thinking that Locke's "Teen" is going to have a serious connection to WandaVision, are we? Setting that aside for now, Locke had some insights to share regarding the September 18th-debuting streaming series, explaining why it's not like what you've seen from the MCU in the past. The series star also touches upon Teen and how the series approaches his character being gay.

"It's a dark comedy about witches. It's not what you would usually expect from a Marvel series," Locke shared during an upcoming interview with Rolling Stone UK. "We gather a coven and a very unlikely group of women and me — which is my life in general — get on the Witches' Road. Then magic, fun, and mystery prevail." Soon, the newly-formed coven finds itself facing "many twists and turns" on their journey – and viewers will also have some twists and turns thrown at them as well, expectations-wise. "In the same way 'WandaVision' goes through all these different subgenres of comedies, 'Agatha' does that in a different way," Locke explained. "It's definitely darker. It's actually a little bit scary, which is good. I think it's a great start for a new journey within the MCU of exploring different types of characters that aren't like Iron Man or Captain America. It's a new type of superhero, which I think is exciting."

Confirming that his character identifies as gay, Locke shared that he appreciated how Teen's sexuality was handled by the show's creative team – much in the same way his character was handled in the hit Netflix series Heartstopper. "The way it's explored in the show is very truthful and very positive," Locke explained, noting that while his being gay is an important part of him as a person, it's not the sole aspect that defines him as a whole person. "His sexuality is just one part of the character," he added.

In a recent issue of 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. Now, here's a look at Hahn's monologue from her time guest-hosting ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with her musical tour of the MCU kicking in at around the 6-minute mark:

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.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!