Agatha: Coven of Chaosis rumored inadvertently render another previously established Marvel Cinematic Universe property non-canon:Agents of SHIELD.
Agatha: Coven of Chaosis a spinoff of the MCU limited seriesWandaVision,which centered around Wanda Maximoff and her reality-altering experiences following the events of 2019’sAvengers: Endgame,with Kathryn Hahn’s portrayal of Marvel comic character Agatha Harkness as the primary antagonist. The show was enjoyed immensely by fans, with a special emphasis on one particular character, making it no great surprise when it was announced thatAgatha Harkness was getting her spinoff series.
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Since the announcement, fans have wondered howAgatha: Coven of Chaoscould connect to the rest of the MCUand what new things the show could introduce when released. While the show hasn’t come out yet, a recent rumor on social media suggests that it might already be set to make a subtle but significant change to MCU canon. According to the Twitter accountScarlet Witch News, the show will confirm that Agatha Harkness had the Darkhold a century before the events portrayed inWandaVision.While this seems like a minor detail considering Agatha’s relation to the powerful artifact and her longevity, it has the unforeseen effect of rendering the Marvel showAgents of SHIELDnon-canon.
Agents of SHIELDwas a well-received series that aired on ABC starting in 2013, following the titular agents of the eponymous organization as they saved the world and thrilled pre-Disney Plus audiences. The series concluded in 2020 with a lastmessage to the fans from the show’s Agent Coulsonand has been fondly remembered since. The show’s fourth season featured the Darkhold prominently, withWandaVisionMatt Shakam confirming that the Darkhold seen in his limited series was the same one seen inAgents of SHIELDdespite the noticeable redesign.
Fans have always fondly consideredAgents of SHIELDas canon MCU material, despite the show predating the start of the MCU’s television shows and being a tad inconsequential to the overall franchise. By contradicting the fourth season’s events via this assertion,Agatha: Coven of Chaoswould effectively use its more privileged position in the MCU timeline and canon to push the older show out, rendering a well-loved property to being another hypothetical, similar to Marvel Studios’What If…?series, which many are hoping does things to enableWhat If… ?season 2 to improveon the first.
While issues with canon events and continuity are bound to come up in a franchise as large and spread out as the MCU, especially when considering media made outside of its now carefully planned out interconnection of projects, this ret-con ofAgents of SHIELDis likely more confirmation for those that feel thatAgatha: Coven of Chaosis Marvel’s most unnecessary project. Whether or not the show proves to be worth the loss of canon status for one of its predecessors remains to be seen.
Agatha: Coven of Chaosis scheduled to premiere in late 2023 or early 2024 on Disney Plus
