The review embargo for Agatha All Along lifts this evening and we'll be bringing you our verdict on the first four episodes soon (you'll want to check back here at 6pm PT/9pm ET).
In the meantime, a new promo for the Disney+ series has just dropped which features some early praise from critics - presumably based on social media or post-screening reactions - and our biggest hint yet at the identity of Joe Locke's Teen.
As you can see below, his unnamed character is shown powering up in a blue pentagram almost exactly like the one Billy Kaplan/Wiccan uses in the comic books.
On the page, Billy is openly gay and will be portrayed as such in the MCU. Sasheer Zamata, who plays Jennifer Kale, recently talked to Variety about Agatha All Along's LGBTQ representation, saying she agrees with the description of the show being "the gayest project Marvel has ever done."
"You'll see when you watch. Witches are queer, inherently, just because we are outcasts and set aside for many reasons. This show shows a really good representation of different types of people and that we can all use the power we have within to go forward and be great."
Locke, who plays Teen, added, "It’s got many layers and gay is one of them. That’s one of the great things about the show. Teen is a queer guy on the show, but it’s not the driving force, which I think is really great. It’s really nice to just have these positive queer characters."
It's possible everything we've seen of Locke's character is a misdirect and he won't be revealed as Billy after all. That would arguably be a mistake on Marvel Studios' part, though there are other exciting possibilities from the comics (Nicholas Scratch, perhaps).
Check out that new promo for Agatha All Along in the X post below.
In Agatha All Along, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches' Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing.
Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road.
The series stars Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Okwui Okpokwasili, with Debra Jo Rupp, with Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza.
The executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Mary Livanos and Jac Schaeffer, who is also the head writer and directed three episodes. Rachel Goldberg and Gandja Monteiro each direct three episodes of the original live-action series.
Agatha All Along premieres on September 18 at 6pm PT/9pm ET, with the first two episodes, exclusively on Disney+.