Full spoilers follow for Agatha Always Already‘s two-episode premiere, WandaVisionAnd Doctor Strange 2. Major spoilers may also be given about Teen’s real identity.
Agatha Always Already has made its enchanting debut on Disney Plus – and like many of you, I’m already tangled up in the biggest mystery of all: who is Teen, the enigmatic character played by Joe Locke?
It will come as no surprise that Marvel doesn’t give us a definitive answer at any point in the two-episode series premiere. In fact, the comic book giant goes out of its way to ensure that Teen’s real name isn’t revealed in the episodes “Seekest Thou The Road” or “Circle Sewn With Fate, Unlock Thy Hidden Gate.” Clearly, there’s more to this particular character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) than meets the eye.
But like any good detective, I combed through everything Agatha Always Already‘s first two episodes for clues to Teen’s true identity. I don’t want to brag, but I think I’ve figured out who he is. So, before you scroll any further, here’s your final warning: potentially major spoilers follow for Marvel’s newest TV show. If you haven’t seen any episodes yet, check out my Agatha Always Already first review and then stream them. Once you have completed both tasks, you should be safe to proceed.
What is Teen’s real name in Agatha All Along? Is it Billy Maximoff?
Directly after the Agatha Always Already‘s debut, the prevailing theory among Marvel fans – myself included – is that Teen’s real name is William “Billy” Maximoff. Yes, one of Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch’s twin sons who first appeared in WandaVision.
There are plenty of signs to support this fan theory. First, Teen wants to navigate the dangerous, sorcery-filled realm known as The Witches’ Road. Those who successfully complete its numerous trials will receive a great reward if they reach the end. With Wanda seemingly dying in Doctor Strange 2‘s final act, what better reason could one of her sons have to successfully traverse The Witches’ Road and save his mother from eternal damnation?
That’s not the only compelling evidence that Teen really is Billy. Early in episode 2, when he’s talking to Agatha Harkness, the latter asks him his name. Teen tries to tell her, but his mouth is covered in a dark magic spell that prevents Agatha—and viewers—from hearing what he’s saying, or even reading his lips to figure out what words he’s saying.
While we can’t decipher his name, there are two hints to Teen’s true identity. The first is the cursive, black-ink lettering that censors Teen’s face as he responds to Agatha’s question. Depending on how you read it, it looks like an upside-down “W” or an “M,” which—surprise, surprise—are Wanda’s initials. The other hint is more subtle, but if you pay close attention to the movement of Locke’s mouth and jaw as he responds to Agatha, it looks like it reads “Billy Maximoff.”
Then there’s the fact that Billy is an incredibly powerful being in his own right in the comics. You can read more about his comic book origins and history in our Billy and Tommy Maximoff explainer, which also goes into more detail about their creation and roles in WandaVision. In essence: Billy, like his mother, is a formidable magic user who adopts the superhero pseudonym Wiccan. His abilities are seemingly limitless, and at various points in Marvel comics he’s been part of superteams including The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Young Avengers.
We already know that Teen is obsessed with the dark arts and witchcraft, and that he’s a Familiar, i.e. someone who acts as a companion to a witch on their journeys. So apparently he has the potential to become a wizard – all he needs is a little push in the right direction to become a Wiccan.
If Teen Billy is Maximoff, how did he survive the events of WandaVision?
When Locke plays an old Billy, it raises one big question: how does he live? As we see in our WandaVision episode 9 summary, Billy and his twin brother Tommy died (read: disintegrated) after Wanda had processed the sad events she experienced Avengers: Infinity War.
Essentially, Billy and Tommy were the manufactured offspring of Wanda and Vision – the latter also being a fictionalized version of the deceased synthezoid Wanda created after his death in one of the best Marvel films. So once Wanda made peace with the original Vision’s death, she no longer needed a manufactured family to keep her company, nor did she have to maintain the extremely powerful Hex spell that she’d accidentally blanketed the town of Westview with upon arriving.
So when Locke plays an older Billy in Agatha Always Alreadywe definitely need a thorough explanation of how he escaped certain death. Not only that, but we also need answers to the following: How did Billy survive if Tommy didn’t? Is it because of his powerful magical abilities or something else? If he gains his own powers at the end of The Witches’ Road instead of being able to save Wanda from certain death on Mount Wundagore, can he use them to save her? And if so, will Agatha Always Already finally setting up Marvel’s Young Avengers film – which may be inspired by the comic book storyline ‘Children’s Crusade’ – after years of rumors about its development?
The other option, of course, is that Teen is Agatha’s own son, who died/was given up for adoption/turned into Nicholas Scratch the rabbit (delete as appropriate), and has been reincarnated or taken human form for reasons unknown. There’s little evidence that this is the case, however, especially regarding the latter, as Agatha’s pet rabbit (as seen in the lead image of this article) is clearly still present in her standalone series.
At this point, all signs point to Teen Billy being Maximoff. Hopefully, the Marvel Phase 5 series won’t keep us waiting until the two-part finale to get a definitive answer.