Marvel Might’ve Just Cast New Gay Young Avengers Hero In the MCU – The Direct
Joe Locke’s casting in Agatha: Coven of Chaos may have revealed that Marvel Studios might be looking to introduce an important member of the Young Avengers that has ties to the MCU’s Scarlet Witch and WandaVision.
While Coven of Chaos is set to expand on the story of Kathryn Hahn’s titular witch, the upcoming Disney+ series will also potentially highlight more important figures from Marvel Comics, such as an older version of Billy Maximoff aka Wiccan.
A previous casting call may have revealed that Wiccan alongside his partner from the comics, Hulkling, may be included in Coven of Chaos, leading fans to speculate how the gay superhero couple will fit in Agatha’s next chapter.
Now, with Locke seemingly set to join Hahn’s Disney+ series, the Wiccan fan theories are gaining steam.
Coven of Chaos Might Introduce a Young Avenger
Following the news that Joe Locke joined the cast of Agatha: Coven of Chaos as its male lead opposite Kathryn Hahn, Deadline noted that the actor is set to play “a gay teen with a dark sense of humor,” lining up with Wiccan in Marvel Comics and the aforementioned casting call that was uncovered by Murphy’s Multiverse.
In the comics, Wiccan is described as being sarcastic yet kind and caring. The character is also future-oriented and intuitive.
In addition to the casting call, Locke appears to match up in terms of his appearance, mainly because he looks similar to WandaVision actor Julian Hilliard who portrayed Billy Maximoff in the Disney+ series.
Hilliard even teased the possibility that Locke could be playing an older version of his WandaVision character by sharing a GIF of Agatha winking at the camera:
In an exclusive interview with The Direct, Hilliard admitted that he’d be more than happy to reprise his role as Billy in Coven of Chaos if Marvel were to ask him to come back:
“Uh, yeah! Like I said before, I’m a big fan of everyone involved on that show and would love that. All they have to do is ask.”
Aside from being one of Scarlet Witch’s sons, Wiccan is also an important member of the Young Avengers and has a wide range of superpowers like reality warping and elemental manipulation.
Is Joe Locke Portraying the MCU’s Wiccan?
It seems that all signs point to Joe Locke becoming the MCU’s Wiccan during the events of Agatha: Coven of Chaos, but it is still unknown how the character would fit in the Disney+ show’s story.
At the end of WandaVision, Tommy and Billy Maximoff disintegrated when Wanda decided to lift the Hex from Westview. Although the twins returned in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, they are Variants from Earth-838.
Now, it looks like Agatha Harkness will be the key to the twins’ return, at least for one of them.
In Marvel Comics, the twins are resurrected when their souls are reincarnated into two boys named William Kaplan and Thomas Shepherd.
The pair only began to suspect their spiritual familial connection once they were recruited to join the Young Avengers, and they were eventually reunited with their mother, the Scarlet Witch, in the Avengers: The Children’s Crusade storyline.
It’s possible that Agatha might have found a way to successfully tap into Chaos Magic, similar to how Wanda used it. This would likely result in her bringing the twins back, but Billy’s strong connection to magic could be the reason why he is the only one who first returned.
As to why would Agatha bring back the twins, it’s likely that she wants to find out if the Scarlet Witch is alive, and it seems that the only way for her to come out of hiding is for Tommy and Billy Maximoff to emerge.
Agatha: Coven of Chaos is aiming for a late 2023 release on Disney+.