Mary Livanos Talks ‘Agatha All Along,’ Women of Marvel & More – Interview
Witches have returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the debut of Agatha All Along.
Before the series launched, I had the opportunity to speak with executive producer Mary Livanos. We talked about creating the series post-WandaVision, Marvel's female superheroes and their roles, my experience in an escape room themed around Agatha, her wishes for what fans will gain from the series, and a lot more!
Since Livanos was involved as a producer on both WandaVision and The Marvels, I inquired about their experiences on those projects and the return to the well-known character Agatha Harkness in Agatha All Along.
Livanos expressed his excitement about continuing Agatha Harkness' narrative, stating, "I was really excited to pick up where Agatha's story left off. When we were working on WandaVision, I had no idea that this opportunity would present itself. Agatha was quite a lesser-known character until Kathryn Hahn took on the role, bringing a captivating and powerful presence that really resonated with fans. It was her outstanding performance and the enthusiastic reception from audiences that paved the way for us to explore Agatha's story further. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been a part of WandaVision, The Marvels, and these remarkable tales focused on strong women, and it's the fans' love for these stories that motivates us to keep creating more."
After collaborating with some amazing women from the Marvel Universe, I was interested to find out which characters Livanos would be eager to work on if the opportunity arose.
"Wow, that's a fantastic question!” Livanos exclaimed. “I recently read *Next Wave: Agents of Hate*, which deepens the story of Monica Rambeau, a character I really admire. But when you think about it, we have an amazing collection of more than 3,000 characters to choose from. What’s truly exciting about working on these shows is that once we start developing them and select the cast, they transform into something entirely fresh and unique. The possibilities are practically limitless."
You can never predict how fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will respond to a new series or movie upon its release, but Livanos appeared entirely unconcerned.
When I inquired about her hopes for the audience's takeaway from the series, she replied, “What I want people to gain from Agatha All Along is our perspective on witches. Witches can be anyone, and they can embody anything. In our understanding of witch tradition, we believe that within a certain distance, there’s a group of magically inclined individuals who could form a coven. I truly appreciate what this idea represents about sisterhood and the importance of community as a whole.”
