'Agatha All Along' Kathryn Hahn and Jac Schaeffer: Women of all ages were a 'priority' for witchcraft story

With the new Marvel series Agatha All Along premiering on Disney+ Sept. 18, showrunner Jac Schaeffer and the show's star Kathryn Hahn talk about women of all ages being a "priority" in the storytelling for the series. Additionally, Schaeffer and Hahn spoke to Yahoo Canada about Marvel criticism and comments that Agatha All Along "doesn't feel like Marvel," but maybe a "spicy stepsister" that's still part of a massive universe.

Video Transcript

I think something that works so well is that you have the benefit of all of these women in particular together, all coming from different generations that can bring their own.

It shouldn't be revolutionary.

But I don't think we've been able to see women of different generations in this space and have characters that feel so well constructed and so dynamic.

Was it nice to be able to play in that space?

And why do you think it's important to be able to kind of showcase that and have that really be a lot of the energy of the series?

Um Thank you for that.

It was a real priority to um have uh characters of different ages.

Um I mean, first, it felt correct for the world of witchcraft, you know, the idea of maid and mother crone and, and as a creator, it is always very important to me, you know, women are my priority and, and I, and it's women of all ages.

And um and so that was something that, that we wanted to bring into the circle.

Um So, yeah, it was really fun and really rewarding, but it also just felt absolutely necessary to the story, all of these women from all these different walks of life and this gorgeous witch Joe are able to be still looking for their power and their authenticity.

And I learned so much from all of them.

Like I think we all really learned a lot together and that this show is about that still that's striving for one's authentic voice with each other.

Like a coven really is building each other up and that was uh I think a real huge takeaway for sure.

Well, the, like the, we kept talking about heck it, which includes like maiden mother and crone in one and each of us, like every woman and that felt very alive during this, that we were carrying all three at all times.

Something that people have said about Wandavision.

I think they're going to say about this.

And I heard someone just say outside is that it doesn't feel like Marvel, like, it doesn't feel like what people think Marvel should be.

Do you feel like you're, you know, kind of part of pushing the boundary of what something that's under the MC U banner can really be?

Well, it's interesting because I, this is the only MC U that I know is from wan vision to this.

So I, I've always felt like, oh, Marvel's been really interesting in new storytelling and, and practical magic and, and about the characters, it's been very character driven.

Like I haven't really done that much in front of a green screen or a blue screen.

And, you know, so much of the drama is between the, the humans and these incredible costumes and this, but I will also say, like, you know, Deadpool Wolverine is fabulous.

And so I, I feel like I'm in the middle of like a really exciting period and that this show is, is, is really a pa, a part of that also that there's something different.

Yeah, and also um recognizable in it.

Like, it does feel like it could be this like spicy little, you know, stepsister off to the side.

But I still think it's like rooted in something big and um magical and, and uh just bigger than we are.

There's something exciting about that.

I mean, my time at Marvel has been so fruitful and so much fun and so rewarding to me personally and professionally and, and for me, it's about that they, they are actually always interested in doing the unexpected thing.

Um I know there's been criticism of late and that is sort of the nature of being in a space for a given time.

But my, what I have observed of them and their mission is, is to strive for the unusual thing, you know, they hear what fans are clamoring for and then they try to, to, to sort of deliver that in the most surprising way.

And so I, I really, in, you know, in the Wandavision Space wan division.

And Agatha really took that to heart and was like, how do we satisfy?

But still surprise.

Um And I think, yeah, it's my hope that Agatha, you know, checks that box.