Agatha All Along’s Death Twist Wastes Its Thanos Connection

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Agatha All Along's Death Twist Wastes Its Thanos Connection

Key Takeaways

  • Agatha All Along praised for diversity & magical side of MCU, teases future plot threads.
  • Aubrey Plaza as Death in MCU a big deal, despite lack of comics connection.
  • Potential return of Thanos and Lady Death in the MCU explored, with hope for Plaza’s reprisal.

As a fan who has been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe since its inception, I must say that the recent introduction of Lady Death (played by Kathryn Hahn) in “Agatha All Along” was not only thrilling but also a testament to the showrunner’s commitment to diversity and representation.

The aftermath of “Agatha All Along” is still fresh, and as Jac Schaeffer’s successor to “WandaVision” maintains its status as an outstanding addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the series starring Kathryn Hahn has been lauded for its ‘burst of diversity’ and exploration of a more mystical aspect of the MCU. “Agatha All Along” may have hinted at some significant plot developments for the future of the franchise, but it also seems to have missed a chance in one area.

Together with a talented ensemble featuring Hahn, Patti LuPone, Joe Locke and others, Aubrey Plaza’s character Rio Vidal was highly anticipated. Speculation among fans suggested that Rio might be a pseudonym for a significant character from Marvel Comics lore, and while Funko Pops may have prematurely revealed the secret, it is still exciting news that Plaza will portray Death in the MCU. However, it seems that the series Agatha All Along will not be tying in with this comic book connection for Death’s revelation.

Who is Death in Marvel Comics?

Agatha All Along's Death Twist Wastes Its Thanos Connection

As a fanatic of the macabre, I’ve always found it fascinating how Death has been personified in various forms across different media, from the thrilling series like ‘Final Destination’, ‘Castlevania’, and ‘American Horror Story’, to the inclusion of a literal character of death. Marvel Comics took this concept and ran with it, introducing their own interpretation of Death, or more commonly known as the Grim Reaper, way back in 1939’s ‘Marvel Mystery Comics’ #10. However, it wasn’t until 1973’s ‘Captain Marvel’ #26 that this character truly made her mark.

Because Death is portrayed as female in comic books, she has been linked romantically with several popular characters from Marvel Comics, including Deadpool, but her most well-known relationship is with Thanos. In the movie Captain Marvel, we see Thanos attempting to win Death’s affection, which ultimately leads him on a path to acquire the Infinity Stones, create the Infinity Gauntlet, and carry out his infamous snap to eliminate half of the universe – all in an effort to impress her.

In “The Infinity Gauntlet”, Thanos emerges victorious, but Death teams up with Mephisto, Galactus, and Epoch in an attempt to thwart him. However, Death gets trapped in stasis, and Thanos ascends to the position of Eternity. Eventually, Thanos is defeated by Nebula. The relationship between Death and Thanos became strained after this encounter, yet Thanos continued his pursuit to win her affections. In an attempt to keep Deadpool from interfering, he even cursed him with eternal life.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s storyline of Avengers: Celestial Quest, Thanos and Death’s relationship is delved into more deeply. The narrative becomes complex as they find themselves battling their own children, referred to as the Rot. Interestingly, Death assumes a human form by using Marlo Chandler as a stand-in in Las Vegas; however, this character is typically associated with the Realm of Death. Introducing Plaza in Agatha All Along could potentially serve as a means to reintroduce Josh Brolin’s Mad Titan into the MCU, but regrettably, it appears that won’t happen.

Death and the MCU

Agatha All Along's Death Twist Wastes Its Thanos Connection

The concept of death was introduced as early as the 2012 movie, “The Avengers,” where it was hinted that challenging humans could lead to ‘encountering’ death. Following “Guardians of the Galaxy,” actor Josh Brolin speculated that Death would make an appearance and would be portrayed as a female character, similar to her comic book persona. Director Joss Whedon from “The Avengers” stated that his reference to Death was just a placeholder, but praised the Russo Brothers for deviating from this concept with Thanos. The Russos later disclosed to Business Insider that they contemplated integrating Death into “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Endgame,” but decided against it due to concerns about perplexing fans by introducing a new character with such significant mythology. However, there is a nod to Death in “Endgame” through Ross Marquand’s Red Skull donning a cloak inspired by her comic book appearance.

Previously, fans speculated that Cate Blanchett’s Hela might take on Lady Death’s role in the MCU. However, as shown in “Thor: Ragnarok”, Hela is actually the Goddess of Death rather than a physical embodiment of Death herself. It seems that Lady Death, played by Plaza, will appear again in future installments, but according to Schaeffer’s statements to Inverse, there were no initial intentions to connect her with Thanos like she is in the comics.

In my series, Thanos isn’t present, so I can’t discuss any links related to him. For all the Thanos fans out there, I regret to inform you that I don’t have any responses for your questions.

Following the heart-wrenching scene in the finale of Agatha All Along where I bestowed the kiss of mortality upon Agatha, Death affirmed that harmony had been restored and Billy Maximoff (Locke) was now free to depart. Should someone else utilize Death’s powers to resurrect Thanos, I can only hope so. When it comes to Alison Brie reprising her role, Director Schaeffer shared, “As a fan? I certainly do!

Although a hint about Agatha’s past with Death has been provided through the revelation of Nicholas Scratch’s fate, there are numerous missing pieces in their history and centuries of unresolved feelings as spurned lovers. Introducing Agatha in a romantic relationship with Thanos could diminish the depth and significance of her romance with Death (as well as the MCU’s historic first lesbian kiss). This would be particularly problematic if it were merely a means to revive Thanos.

Thanos continues to appear in various contexts following his death in “Avengers: Endgame”, and given the chaos of the Multiverse, it could be straightforward to introduce a different version of him for a storyline such as “Avengers: Secret Wars”. Actor Josh Brolin himself has expressed interest in reprising his role within the MCU, with his latest comment on the topic being made to Collider.

As a devoted gamer, if I’m to see Thanos return, I’d bend over backwards to comply with whatever the Russos ask of me.

It’s logical to assume that Brolin will rejoin the cast for Secret Wars, along with other potential comebacks like Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) and Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire). However, it’s uncertain which characters might not be included in the likely expansive rosters of the upcoming Avengers films. Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom is predicted to replace Jonathan Majors’ discarded Kang the Conqueror as the main antagonist, potentially leaving no space for Death. Yet, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe expands into its cosmic and magical realms, she could unexpectedly appear at any moment, with or without Thanos by her side.

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2024-11-10 20:05