Being the spin-off of one of Marvel’s most beloved properties is not an easy shoe to fill. When it’s time for Agatha: Coven of Chaos to debut on Disney Plus, the expectation to reach similar heights as WandaVision will be one of its biggest obstacles. I say “one of” because in addition to following through on Agatha’s storyline, Coven of Chaos also has the monumental task of introducing several new characters, two of whom are on track to receiving solo projects in the MCU.
The first is Billy Maximoff, aka Wiccan, who we met for the first time in WandaVision and then again in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Marvel has not officially confirmed Wiccan’s presence in Coven of Chaos, but since he’s a powerful magical being and Coven of Chaos is filled to the brim with witches, there’s literally no better show for him to make his adult MCU debut. It’s widely believed that Joe Locke, who is confirmed to appear in the show in some capacity, will play the part, but again, nothing has been set in stone as of this writing. (Frustrating, I know). Just last week, a Wiccan TV show was revealed to be in the works at Marvel.
But that’s not the entrée crowding Coven of Chaos’ plate at the moment. Earlier this week, rumor broke that Marvel is rebooting the 2007 hit film Ghost Rider and its sequel. I’m being sarcastic with the word “hit.” There was nothing good about either film, except Nicolas Cage. Just him. That’s all.
For those who aren’t aware, Ghost Rider’s arch nemesis is Mephisto, who is also largely believed to have a presence in Coven of Chaos, although in what capacity, we do not yet know. For those who need a quick history lesson, Mephisto is a horned demon who claims to rule over the Hell dimension, or Hades, but not the hell one thinks of when meditating on the Christian or classical Greek understanding of the underworld dimension. In the Marvel world, Mephisto is the devil in all but name.
So Coven of Chaos not only has the monumental task of capturing our interest the way WandaVision did, but it also must progress Agatha’s story, introduce new witches such as Aubrey Plaza and Patti LuPone’s characters, progress the Wiccan conversation along (if it does so at all), quite possibly give us our first real MCU-official mention of Mephisto, and now open the door for Ghost Rider’s blaze of glory.
That’s a lot to ask of a nine-episode Disney Plus series, and at first glance, it seems too much to handle, especially the Ghost Rider bit. However, earlier last week (I know, a lot happened this month), Coven of Chaos newcomer Sasheer Zamata revealed she is playing Jennifer Kale, a sorceress who — get this — just happens to be Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch’s cousin, both of whom eventually took up the mantle of Ghost Rider.
That’s a lot of first-degree connections to the supernatural skeletal motorcyclist to be just a coincidence. Indeed, the very notion of these many talking points attaching themselves to the show indicates just how much pressure there is for this WandaVision spin-off to stick the landing.
P.S. Coven of Chaos is also a musical, according to Lupone, so there’s that. For more information on the cast, characters, and release window, look no further.