I know I’m not alone in hoping that Agatha Harkness returns to the MCU soon after her Agatha All Along success, but I’ve just realized one detail that makes it especially important. Agatha Harkness is a relatively minor character in Marvel Comics, debuting as a nanny to Franklin Richards, the son of Reed and Sue Richards in Marvel Comics. She goes on to train Wanda Maximoff with her magic, making her MCU characterization as her nemesis a stark departure from comic book precedent.This isn’t the only way the MCU significantly changed Agatha Harkness. While Kathryn Hahn is arguably one of the MCU’s best-loved actresses and an excellent casting decision for the most part, she looks nothing like her comic book counterpart (at least, right up until Agatha regained her youthful appearance in 2022). Thankfully, the Agatha All Along finale rectified this glaring discrepancy – but it speaks to a longstanding issue in Marvel Movies that now makes Agatha’s continued involvement in the MCU more important.
Agatha Harkness’ Ghost Is One Of The Only Older-Appearing Women In Marvel Productions
White Hair And Wrinkles On Women Are A Rarity In The MCU And Beyond
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Agatha Harkness has appeared as an older woman in Marvel Comics for decades. Making her appear much younger by casting Kathryn Hahn in the MCU, however, simply continues a trend within Marvel movies in which roles for prominent older female characters are given to younger-looking actors. Examples of prominent characters that appear younger than they do in the comics include the following:
Female Characters From Marvel Movies And Shows Who Appear Younger Than In The Comics
Character
Actor
Debut Movie or Show
Age Upon Release
Agatha Harkness
Kathryn Hahn
WandaVision
48
Aunt May
Marisa Tomei
Captain America: Civil War
51
Madame Web
Dakota Johnson
Madame Web
34
Cassandra Nova
Emma Corrin
Deadpool & Wolverine
28
The Ancient One
Tilda Swinton
Doctor Strange
56
Agatha All Along has flipped the script by debuting the fan-favorite Lilia Calderu in a prominent role, with her arc even addressing the unfortunate habit of society setting aside older women. Additionally, Agatha’s ghost, with her flowing white hair, now more closely resembles her comic book counterpart as the magic she was using to stay youthful has seemingly faded. Another stand-out older woman in the MCU, of course, is Janet Van Dyne, portrayed by the now-66-year-old Michelle Pfeiffer – one of the oldest actresses in the MCU.
Many of the MCU’s older women tend to embody minor roles, such as the aged-up Peggy Carter in The Avengers .
With Janet Van Dyne holding the fort when it comes to the representation of older women, it’s now important that her future appearances are bolstered by Agatha. It’s worth noting, of course, that the ages of the aforementioned characters are explicable, especially in the case of Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May, who falls in the right age range for a teenager’s aunt. Still, the fact that Marvel makes a habit of avoiding gray hair and wrinkles on women is becoming particularly noticeable – and it doesn’t seem to be an issue that affects the male characters of the MCU.
The MCU Disproportionately Casts Older-Appearing Men Than Women
Some Characters Are Even Older Than Their Comic Book Counterparts
Setting aside the general age gap between the MCU’s main male cast and their female counterparts, the MCU seemingly has no qualms with casting male actors who appear more comic-accurate. Older-appearing male characters have appeared as early as Iron Man. Rene Russo’s Frigga, meanwhile, appeared alongside Anthony Hopkins’ Odin (who is 17 years her senior), and was of a relatively accurate age – though the MCU’s Frigga still doesn’t sport the silver hair of her comic book counterpart.
Male Characters From Marvel Movies And Shows Who Appear Of A Similar Age To The Comics
Character
Actor
Debut Movie or Show
Age Upon Release
Nick Fury
Samuel L. Jackson
Iron Man
Odin
Anthony Hopkins
Thor
73
Erik Selvig
Stellan Skarsgård
Thor
60
Chester Phillips
Tommy Lee Jones
Captain America: The First Avenger
65
Ego
Kurt Russell
Guardians of the Galaxy
63
Adrian Toomes/Vulture
Michael Keaton
Spider-Man: Homecoming
66
Hank Pym
Michael Douglas
Ant-Man
71
The Grandmaster
Jeff Goldblum
Thor: Ragnarok
65
President Thunderbolt Ross
Harrison Ford
Captain America: Brave New World
82
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There are, of course, examples of male characters being aged down as well – with He Who Remains being a recent example. Still, it doesn’t detract from the general trend seen in Marvel movies that older-appearing men are seen far more often than older-appearing women. Furthermore, some older actors are cast in roles that appear aged up from the comics, such as Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce. Kathryn Hahn already captured two “firsts” in her Agatha All Along appearances – and I’d like to see her continue pushing boundaries by appearing as an older woman in the future of the MCU.
Where Agatha Could Next Appear In The MCU
The Agatha All Along Finale Set Up Agatha’s Return
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It’s safe to say that Agatha All Along set up the return of Ghost Agatha in a future MCU installment with its ending. Now that she seems to be accompanying Billy in a role that resembles her relationship with Wanda in Marvel Comics, she will likely appear when Billy next appears. This is most likely going to be in the upcoming solo Vision series, as that show will round out the trilogy of shows that began with WandaVision and continued with Agatha All Along spotlighting Wanda’s family.
Another possible appearance will be in Avengers: Secret Wars as it promises to feature a who’s-who of MCU characters. Other possibilities include unconfirmed but rumored projects featuring the Young Avengers and a solo Scarlet Witch movie. Whatever the case, I think Agatha All Along made it clear that Agatha isn’t done yet, and I think that’s a great thing for representation in addition to the fact that Agatha is a fan favorite that deserves even more screen time.
