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Marvel has seemingly pulled a prank on its global fanbase (and the press) by mischievously changing the title of its forthcoming Agatha TV series again.
Yesterday (May 13), the comic book giant evoked its inner Loki to trick fans into believing that its WandaVision spin-off, which will air on Disney Plus, had undergone another name change. Indeed, the Kathryn Hahn-starring TV show's title has been altered three times so far, with Agatha: Darkhold Diaries the latest one it's been given.
That was the case, anyway, until yesterday. Marvel sparked numerous online discussions about another moniker tweak after it seemingly posted a new Agatha title card – Agatha: The Lying Witch with Great Wardrobe – on its official social media channels. You don't need me to tell you that this is a humorous reference (one in keeping with Agatha Harkness' impish persona) at C.S. Lewis' beloved novel The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. You can see the title card in the X/Twitter post below:
The ‘AGATHA’ series has been retitled again to ‘AGATHA: THE LYING WITCH WITH GREAT WARDROBE’Releasing later this year on Disney+ pic.twitter.com/HpEeZzhNHUMay 13, 2024
Hang on, why haven't I used Marvel's official tweet with the new name card instead?
Mysteriously, the Disney subsidiary deleted its own social media posts just minutes after they went live. Unsurprisingly, this sparked a new wave of frenzied conversations, with Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans believing that someone had accidentally posted the Marvel Phase 5 show's new title reveal ahead of schedule. So, what's going on?
A magical marketing campaign
Some fans and reporters think Marvel has made another faux pas and revealed Agatha's new title by mistake, but I don't believe that's the case. In fact, I think it's all part of a playful promotional push ahead of a big Agatha series announcement.
For starters, Disney and Marvel have referred to the show as Agatha: Darkhold Diaries for months, with the duo most recently doing so during Disney's Q2 2024 earnings presentation on May 7. Why would they do that and then change the show's title one week later?
Then there's the fact that The Lying Witch With Great Wardrobe just isn't a very good subtitle. It's a fun bit of wordplay that showcases Agatha's witty and self-absorbed personality, sure, but it doesn't roll off the tongue like the other ones – House of Harkness, Coven of Chaos, and Darkhold Diaries – that Marvel has used.
https://t.co/SrD2GVf9j6 pic.twitter.com/u1K0tfv4HPMay 7, 2024
Oh, and let's not forget that Marvel is slowly ramping up its marketing campaign for one of its confirmed 2024 Disney Plus shows. In December 2023, Disney revealed that Agatha: Darkhold Diaries would be released sometime this year. That announcement came less than a month after one of Agatha's supporting cast heavily implied that it would arrive in time for Halloween 2024 – a spooky holiday that feels fitting for the dark magic wielder. As the Marvel X/Twitter post above teases, that might be when the studio is aiming to release the series, too.
With Disney rumored to deliver some big MCU news at its Upfronts 2024 presentation today (May 14) – so says The Hollywood Reporter, anyway – it's possible that Marvel has cheekily been preparing to reveal Agatha's release date and/or first trailer. With a dearth of MCU projects to look forward to in the coming months – X-Men 97 finishes tomorrow (May 15), while Deadpool and Wolverine, which releases on July 26, is the only confirmed Marvel movie of 2024 – we could do with another Marvel TV series to look forward to.