WandaVision: Kathryn Hahn Explains Why Agatha's Ending Is a 'Nightmare'
At the start of 2021, Marvel Studios kicked off its first round of releases in Phase 4 with Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany's WandaVision, which ran on Disney+ for eight weeks with nine episodes. The story helped the MCU expand into the streaming world for the first time while giving more depth to the adventures of Wanda Maximoff and the Vision.
The show utilized the efforts of returning stars like Randall Park's Jimmy Woo and Kat Dennings' Darcy Lewis, while also introducing new powerful players like Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau and Kathryn Hahn's Agatha Harkness. Hahn's villain in particular stole the show every week as the classic sitcom nosy neighbor personality before unleashing magical hell against her newly discovered rival.
In the end, Episode 9 concluded with Wanda leaving Agatha stuck in the town of Westview and unable to use her powers for the foreseeable future after the chaos the villain caused. The latest interview with the star behind this role shed some light on how this may not be the best thing for either Wanda or Agatha.
"NO IDEA WHAT YOU'VE UNLEASHED."
WandaVision star Kathryn Hahn spoke with AV Club about the ending of Episode 9, particularly regarding the end of Agatha Harkness' story.
Referencing a March interview with the New York Times in which she spoke about Agatha "(needing) to rest for a hot second," Hahn clarified that she was actually joking with that statement. In reality, she admitted that "it's kind of the worst" having Wanda "clip her wings," and called it "a nightmare" to be stuck in Westview without her powers:
"I’m glad you brought that up because I actually don’t. I think it’s kind of the worst. I kind of was making a joke when I said that. I actually do think it’s kind of the worst. I mean, to clip her wings and put her somewhere like that with boring people and not have anything to do. It’s the worst, it’s a nightmare. Yeah. I mean, [Wanda] basically lobotomized her."
Looking at Wanda's actions at the end of the show, Hahn confirmed further that Agatha wanted Wanda to know that she "(has) no idea what (she) brought" upon Westview. Before being forced into her sitcom form, Hahn's villain seemed intent on trying to get Wanda to "understand the ramifications," feeling that "this girl has no idea what she's doing":
"Well, exactly. I say like, 'You’re cruel. You have no idea what you’re doing.' Yeah, by the very end, I’m like, 'You have no idea what you brought.' I’m really trying to get her to understand the ramifications. Yeah, exactly. By the end, this girl has no idea what she’s doing."
HAHN SETTING THE NIGHTMARE STRAIGHT
Wanda Maximoff certainly put the town of Westview into a horrible situation through her feelings of grief over losing Vision in Avengers: Infinity War. Even though Agatha's actions were similarly harmful, and even sinister on another level, the villain seems to understand full well just how powerful Wanda is and the damage she caused in alternate reality-centric prison.
Wanda may have progressed well on her own personal journey to become the Scarlet Witch, but it came at the expense of a town full of people who were forced into an experience none of them expected. While Wanda and Agatha teaming up for something better may not have actually been in the cards, it's clear that Wanda's action are going to have lasting ramifications.
The biggest question now is how long it will take for the world to accept Wanda again as she moves on to her next adventure with the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The events in Westview are undoubtedly going to remain fresh in Wanda's mind, although it will be thrilling to find out how she uses the experience to better her own growth.
All nine episodes of WandaVision are available to stream on Disney+.
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