One of the most interesting developments from Marvel Studios over the past few years has been the new WandaVision spinoff centered on Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness, which has so far undergone multiple title changes, from House of Darkness to Coven of Chaos to now Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. Joe Locke, who is part of the cast of the new upcoming MCU series, on his first day on set, shared a picture on Instagram where the logo of the show read Agnes of Westview.
You can check out that image that surfaced on Locke’s Instagram below, courtesy of Agents of Fandom. So that’s at least four titles that the show has had so far… But why?
Why Is Agatha: Darkhold Diaries Constantly Changing Its Title?
The new title change was announced in a story by The Hollywood Reporter where the trade shared some intel on what Marvel’s schedule on Disney+ is going to look like moving forward (more on that later). In their report on the same subject matter, Variety addressed the new title change. According to a source of theirs (who sounds a lot like a Marvel spokesperson in disguise), the studios’ constant title changes are just another form of marketing. Apparently, they are saying that “the changing titles are less a sign of indecision on Marvel’s part and more a suggestion that Agatha is up to her old skulduggery.”
In short, this tells us two things about the show. One, we should expect more fourth-wall breaks like we had in WandaVision because the main character is not only aware that she’s in a TV series, but she’s literally changing the name of it as time goes on. Second, this is going to be a very tongue-in-cheek journey, where the audience will have to go along with the joke made by the marketing department.
This is probably one of the ways they are counting on to generate headlines and traffic around the show, raising more attention. WandaVision was beloved by critics and fans alike, but can they really sell you on a spinoff where neither of the main characters is coming back?
RELATED: Captain America 4: Sam Wilson’s Weird MCU Absence Explained Ahead of Brave New World
There’s also no guarantee that this will be the definitive title of the series. We’ve been holding Coven of Chaos as the subheading for a long time, but the truth is that Aubrey Plaza already teased the new name on social media a few months ago — we just didn’t know what she meant. But the marketing also has to consider the degree to which this will be confusing to the audience.
Will all trailers reveal a different title, or will they settle on one once the marketing officially starts? Could they even change the title on Disney+ every week until they settle on the final one by the time credits roll on the finale? There are many possibilities here, but what will they actually go with? Let us know your thoughts on our social media!
What Is Marvel’s Schedule on Disney+ Going Forward?
That Hollywood Reporter article featured interesting details on Marvel’s thought process for their upcoming Disney+ titles. For now, and despite Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles, the studio is sticking with their October 6 release date for Loki season 2. However, Echo was supposed to hit Disney+ in late November, but it’s now apparently been moved to January 2024.
No specific reason was given, though we can guess a couple of them. First of all, Marvel knows they need to spread out their calendar, and in the span of two months they were going to release two full seasons of television (Echo was announced to be dropping all of its episodes on launch day) and a theatrical film in The Marvels (which, as of the posting of this article, is still scheduled for November 10).
RELATED: Here’s How To Watch Ahsoka Episode 5 On The Big Screen
That should be a big no-no after the severe underperformance they have been suffering recently. And if that wasn’t enough, the dual strike halted production on two of their 2024 Disney+ shows, Daredevil: Born Again and Wonder Man. So they need to fill it up with something else.
Before Echo bows in January, though, Marvel will finally release the second season of What If…?, which had once been announced for an early 2023 window, around Christmas Day. This isn’t because it’s Christmas-themed, although there are rumors of a Happy Hogan Christmas episode going around social media. What If…? was going to be one of two animated series dropping this year, along with X-Men ’97. The reboot of the 90s cartoon will now hit at some point in early 2024.
As far as Agatha: Darkhold Diaries goes, The Hollywood Reporter is saying it will come out around Halloween time, with rumors saying it will happen right before a Halloween-centric Special Presentation about the Witches Road, a place that will be introduced in the series. Agatha managed to wrap filming before the strike, as did Ironheart. The Dominique Thorne-led show was once supposed to be released on Disney+ during fall 2023, but it’s now sitting in the post-production bay on a TBD status. Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, under its current title, is currently slated for a late 2024 release. It was originally expected to launch in late 2023, but it’s since been moved back.
What do you make of all the title changes for the upcoming MCU Agatha Harkness spinoff? Which Disney+ title from Marvel Studios are you most excited about? Are there any of these shows not interesting to you? What do you think the schedule will actually look like? Let us know your thoughts about the news on our social media, and stay tuned for more Marvel news!
SOURCE: Agents of Fandom, Joe Locke’s Instagram
KEEP READING: Aquaman 2 Toy Leak Reveals Black Manta’s New Submarine
