How WandaVision Filmed The Agatha All Along Sequence

WandaVision’s recent “Agatha All Along” song has become a quick hit, and the show’s cinematographer has opened up about how the sequence was shot. The series is nearing the end of its nine-episode run, which has set a high standard for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s other Disney+ shows to follow.

A major twist came at the end of WandaVision episode 7, when it was revealed Wanda’s neighbor Agnes was actually Agatha Harkness, a witch from the Marvel comics. A closing musical montage set to an incredibly catchy tune showed various moments from throughout the show, revealing how each was secretly manipulated by Agatha and her magical powers. Going into the final two episodes, it seems Agatha is the main villain of WandaVision after all.

In a recent interview with Collider, WandaVision cinematographer Jess Hall spoke about the unique elements of filming the series given all its different homages to classic TV. Hall also discussed the “Agatha All Along” sequence specifically, which was shot in pieces due to the dramatic shifts in style, costuming, set design, and aspect ratio seen in WandaVision. With minor exceptions, the sequence’s different shots were filmed in order at the end of each subsequent sitcom era. Read Hall’s quote below.

Because you know, she's in that period costume, there's a transition where she goes from one costume to another, which obviously was a little different, that was shot slightly out of sequence. But generally, we got those shots when we were on those sets, because the sets were dressed period-specific and we didn't want to have to go back and redress a house or redress the street for that period. So we'd try to shift out of our sitcom world at the end of that work, and we'd be like, okay, right now, we're going to do all our "Agatha All Along" moment. I mean, they're very specific shots, they're all single shots, so they often required a type of camera platform or type of crane or some sort of camera move that might not be used in the rest of the episode. It would require a little bit of a kind of shift and methodology for us. But yeah, we largely did them in sequence.

WandaVision Agatha All Along color featured

WandaVision has received high critical praise for its ambitious production approach and varied cinematic stylings. The show’s journey through different eras of American sitcoms included a bevy of Easter eggs and homages, and with them, unique challenges. Overall though, WandaVision has been quite successful in its highly stylized aesthetic, and the jumps between eras and the contrasts with the modern outside world have all helped elevate the show’s underlying tone. It's achieved a Twilight Zone-esque absurdity, creating effective juxtaposition between Scarlet Witch’s fantasy world and the reality beyond the hex.

WandaVision's Agatha Harkness twist has turned a lot of what’s happened in the series on its head. Though Wanda is still clearly using her magic to maintain the barrier and control the people within it, it seems Agatha has been pushing her along from the shadows the whole time. Her actual motivation hasn’t been properly revealed, but the vines in her basement and WandaVision episode 7’s allusions to the “nexus” hint Agatha might be using Wanda to syphon some sort of power from the multiverse. With the WandaVision finale coming soon, it won’t be long before viewers are able to uncover the truth for themselves.

Next: Every MCU Character Who Could Be A Nexus Being

Source: Collider