Agatha All Along Episode 3 Changes the MCU Forever
Let the theories commence (again).
Agatha All Along hasn't been shy about acknowledging its WandaVision roots. From its Mare of Easttown-inspired opening to its bursts of suburban humor, Marvel's latest Disney+ series has been eager to remind fans of the fun they had watching its parent show three years ago. Thanks to certain lines and moments (see: one character's assertion that Wanda Maximoff is "definitely dead"), Agatha All Along has even poked fun at the Marvel Cinematic Universe's fandom and its theory-crafting tendencies.
In its latest episode, titled “Through Many Miles / Of Tricks and Trials,” the series takes that playful spirit further by indirectly acknowledging the biggest incorrect theory from WandaVision's original nine-episode run. In doing so, Agatha All Along has confirmed the existence of one particular demonic comic book figure in the MCU.
Spoilers ahead for Agatha All Along Episode 3.
Mephisto and Agatha All Along
Mephisto laughs in Loki: Agent of Asgard #4. Published in 2014.
Early in Agatha All Along Episode 3, Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata) drops a bomb on both the audience and Joe Locke's Teen when she reveals that Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) “traded her own child for the Book of the Damned.” Seconds later, while discussing the rumors about what fate befell Agatha's son, Jennifer adds, “They say no one really knows what happened to him. They say he might be dead. Others say he might be a demon… or an agent of Mephisto." The latter name should immediately set off alarm bells for anyone who was tuned into the many fan conversations that occurred when WandaVision was first airing.
Mephisto, a malevolent red-skinned demon who rules over a dimension that he pointedly refers to as “Hell,” is the closest figure that the Marvel Universe has to the Devil. He isn't the Devil of Christian faith, but he does use his appearance and abilities to exploit human beings' fear of said figure by passing himself off as Satan. He also, notably, makes deals with superheroes, creates visions, invades the minds of others, and just generally speaking conducts himself in an extremely Devil-like fashion.
Shortly after WandaVision premiered, comic book fans became convinced Mephisto was secretly orchestrating the show's story behind the scenes. Many fervently believed that Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda was being manipulated by him or that her entire life with Vision in Westview was the result of an offscreen deal she made with Mephisto. When neither of those theories turned out to be correct and Mephisto never appeared in WandaVision, a lot of fans were disappointed. Everyone involved in WandaVision has since stated that Mephisto was never even discussed when its story was being conceived.
That makes Jennifer Kale's mention of him feel like yet another tongue-in-cheek nod to the MCU’s fans on the part of WandaVision and Agatha creator Jac Schaeffer. There’s more to it than just its metatextual significance, though. Jennifer speaks Mephisto's name so nonchalantly that we're left to assume he very much is a real figure in the MCU — one that witches like Kale and Agatha are already very familiar with. That’s noteworthy for several reasons, not the least of which is that it opens the door for Mephisto to appear in either Agatha or a future MCU title.
Mephisto vs the Fantastic Four?
Will the Witches’ Road lead Agatha Harkness and her coven to Mephisto’s door? Or is his introduction being saved for a later date?
Mephisto isn't just any other Marvel villain. He's a character whose very presence resets — as Dwayne Johnson would say — the entire hierarchy of power within the MCU. Over the years, he has rewritten reality itself in the comics, made powerful deals with certain heroes, and been at the center of some iconic stories. He's an immensely powerful, conniving villain with memorable comic book connections to not only existing MCU heroes like Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker but also forthcoming characters like the Silver Surfer.
He's someone who could end up playing a role in anything from The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: Doomsday to a future Doctor Strange sequel or a version of the Midnight Sons team-up movie that has been rumored for years now. He's also a character Marvel Studios could — as it had for years until this week — completely ignore. It's impossible to know.
Either way, Agatha All Along's mention of Mephisto is far more significant than its blink-and-you’ll-miss-it inclusion suggests. It may very well end up going down as one of the most important moments in Marvel TV history, depending on what Mephisto’s role in the MCU turns out to be.
New episodes of Agatha All Along premiere Wednesday nights on Disney+.
