Maybe the third time’s the charm for this spinoff to seal the deal with an all-new brand new logo and title!
The fifth phase of Marvel Cinematic Universe is in full swing on Disney+, and soon, there will be more additions that the studio intends to release in the coming months. One of them is the most anticipated spin-off series, which will be based on the Marvel Comics character Agatha Harkness, played by Kathryn Hahn, who will be reprising her role. She became a fan favorite character as soon as we got to meet her in WandaVision, and the fans are excited to see how her character will be treated within the shared universe.
The series is being created by Jac Schaeffer, and it is intended to share continuity with the films of the franchise, which seems like a great opportunity to incorporate more of this powerful witch with superheroes that can bring a new twist to the MCU. Moreover, the filming took place from mid-January to late May 2023 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and since then, the series has undergone a number of subtitles, first being announced as Agatha: House of Harkness, then changing to Coven of Chaos in July 2022, before being renamed Darkhold Diaries in September 2023.
Certainly, there have been many title changes, but no official reason has been provided so far. These changes are nothing new, as we speculate the post-production might still be taking place, due to which the studio has decided to rename the show Darkhold Diaries. The official title and logo changes happen very often, and these modifications shouldn’t surprise or worry the fans in the slightest because Agatha: Darkhold Diaries is still scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in the fall of 2024, and it will consist of nine episodes!
Fortunately, there have been no delays in the scheduled release window, which is a good sign. In addition to this, Schaeffer will serve as head writer and the series’ lead director. The series is also produced by 20th Television. The listing of cast and crew also shows Jac Schaeffer as a director and also name-drops part of the cast, which also includes Aubrey Plaza as Rio, Joe Locke, Patti LuPone as Lilia, Sasheer Zamata as Jen K, and Ali Ahn as Alice. Other cast members include Emma Caulfield Ford, Maria Dizzia, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Okwui Okpokwasili.
A number of additional actors from WandaVision will also reprise their roles in Darkhold Diaries, as do members of the production team, such as many of the writers and the music team. Schaeffer, Gandja Monteiro, and Rachel Goldberg were also confirmed as directors in early 2023 ahead of filming.
In addition to this, a short description of the first episode of Agatha: Darkhold Diaries was made available through the U.S. Copyright Office Public Records System, which gives a little glimpse into the premise of the series as it states, “In the first episode we see Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) finally break out of a spell she has been trapped in,” reads the description. “She can’t wait to go back to her old murderous ways only to find that she is powerless. The only way forward for her is to embark on a perilous quest to get her powers back with the help of an unlikely friend or two.”
While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Plaza referred to the series as being a more “elevated” take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Coven of Chaos was so fun. I wanted very much to work with Kathryn Hahn, I think she’s so great,” Plaza said.
“And without saying anything really, I had a blast. I loved my character in that as well, and I think it’s the most elevated Marvel material that’s out there. So, it was cool to jump into that world with those people specifically.” Hahn also spoke a little bit about the character of Agatha Harkness, “I love her so much. I love a witch. I feel like this is exactly the part I should be playing at this stage in my life,” Hahn said, “and I gotta tell you, we’ve got the hottest coven on the planet in this show. I’m very excited for you all to see this coven.”
Lastly, while making an appearance on The View earlier this year, LuPone also teased a little bit about the series, saying, “It’s a coven of witches, and I play Lilia Calderu, who apparently is in the Marvel world. I researched her, she’s hot, she’s really hot, she’s got a great body and hair,” LuPone said. “I didn’t know there were witches, I didn’t know anything about the Marvel world. There are witches in the Marvel world. So, we are a coven of witches and the witches are: Kathryn Hahn, Aubrey Plaza, and [a] Familiar — if anybody knows Heartstopper — is Joe Locke.”