Thanos’ MCU Return In Agatha All Along Explained: Is There A Villain Theory?

The Mad Titan’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been widely speculated to be due to Agatha All Along’s true villain. Episode 3, “Through Many Miles of Tricks and Trials,” of Marvel Television’s Agatha All Along has left viewers with even more unanswered questions.

There is a widely held belief that the true antagonist of Agatha All Along has not yet made their appearance, but they have already been glimpsed and could drastically alter the MCU.

The first scene of Agatha All Along, “Seekest Thou the Road,” revealed an old rivalry between Agatha and the enigmatic Rio Vidal, played by Aubrey Plaza, in addition to reintroducing Agatha Harkness as played by Kathryn Hahn. Rio Vidal is considered a Green Witch, but there has been some debate regarding her real identity.

According to a widely accepted theory, Aubrey Plaza may have entered the MCU as the most sinister character ever, and she has a peculiar bond with Thanos. This could lead to some dramatic and touching scenes in Agatha All Along’s future episodes and beyond.

Lady Death Is Rio Vidal?-Explained

The most widely accepted theory is that Agatha All Along, played by Aubrey Plaza, is Lady Death from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. First appearing in Captain Marvel #26 of 1973, Marvel Comics introduced Lady Death, also known as Mistress Death or just plain Death.

From then on, she was portrayed as one of the most strong and intimidating characters in the Marvel Universe. Lady Death would be fantastic in the MCU as the antithesis of Eternity, who made her debut in Thor: Love and Thunder in 2022.

In the first three episodes of Agatha All Along, there have been numerous indications that Rio Vidal might be Lady Death. In Agatha All Along’s opening episode, Vidal most famously declares that her heart is black and implies that Agatha Harkness had been hiding from her—possibly by stealing the life force from other witches.

Though Death is mentioned in the lyrics of “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” and appeared in Lilia Calderu’s hallucination in Agatha All Along episode 3, there is one more believable tease.

Agatha All Along’s Tarot Cards Back Up This Wild Rio Vidal Theory

A number of tarot cards that connect to the main characters of Agatha All Along—who band together to form Agatha Harkness’ new coven—were highlighted by Marvel Studios before the film’s premiere.

The Queen of Cups, the Tower, the Three of Pentacles, the High Priestess, Death, and the Three of Swords were among these cards. Though some highlight the grief of Agatha Harkness and Alice Wu-Gulliver’s separation, the coven’s unity, Lilia Calderu’s precognition, or Jennifer Kale’s spirituality, Death is arguably the most striking figure.

The tarot card features Death as a hooded figure, and in Agatha All Along episode 1, Rio Vidal enters Agatha Harkness’ house wearing a stylish hooded costume.

In promotional footage for the series, she has also been seen wearing several different hoods, but her weapon is the one that most closely resembles Death. Rio Vidal’s and Death’s knives have the same shape, with a distinguishable curve in the center. This clearly indicates that Agatha All Along star Aubrey Plaza is playing Lady Death.

Aubrey Plaza would be ideal as Lady Death in the MCU

Aubrey Plaza is well known for being drawn to the darker, stranger, and more enigmatic characters ever since she won critical acclaim for her performance as April Ludgate-Dwyer on Parks and Recreation.

Because Aubrey Plaza can give her MCU characters so many nuances and layers, Lady Death fits this description perfectly. She is seductive, sexy, dangerous, and captivating. Her previous Marvel persona, Lenny Busker, also known as the Shadow King from Legion, is similar to this.

Aubrey Plaza is a perfect fit for the twisted persona of Lady Death, having written, produced, and starred in several experimental thrillers and black comedies, including Black Bear, The Little Hours, and Ingrid Goes West.

Working on the former with Scarlet Witch actress Elizabeth Olsen, Plaza has a strong rapport with Kathryn Hahn, evident from their time together on Parks and Recreation. Being a major contribution to the MCU, Plaza deserves a role as important as Lady Death, especially since it opens up the possibility of her working on several upcoming projects with some unexpected characters.

Lady Death’s Debut Would Support Thanos Returning To The MCU

In Marvel Comics, Thanos is the one who is consistently infatuated with Lady Death, even though Agatha Harkness may have developed a romantic interest in her, thanks to Marvel Studios.

During his teenage years, Thanos developed an interest in nihilism and entropy, which led to his obsession with Death. The six Infinity Gems and eradicating half of the universe’s population were the ultimate results of his love for Death. There’s a chance that Thanos’s return is appropriate, given that Agatha All Along introduced Lady Death to the MCU.

Josh Brolin hinted that a return of Thanos to the MCU was possible back in February (via Comicbook). Though there’s been no indication of this happening thus far, Marvel Studios could easily connect Rio Vidal and Thanos, resurrecting the Mad Titan, if Rio Vidal turns out to be Lady Death in Agatha All Along.

In Marvel Comics, Lady Death also develops relationships with Deadpool, Loki, and Spider-Man; Aubrey Plaza will have many chances to return to this thrilling role following Agatha All Along.

Agatha All Along is an American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character Agatha Harkness. A spin-off from the series WandaVision (2021), it is the 11th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, via its Marvel Television label, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. Schaeffer serves as showrunner and lead director.

Kathryn Hahn reprises her role as Agatha Harkness from WandaVision, with Joe Locke, Debra Jo Rupp, Aubrey Plaza, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Okwui Okpokwasili, Patti LuPone, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, and Miles Gutierrez-Riley also starring. Development began in October 2021, with Schaeffer and Hahn attached, and the series was formally announced the next month. Schaeffer, Rachel Goldberg, and Gandja Monteiro were set as directors in early 2023 ahead of filming, which took place from January to May 2023 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and in Los Angeles. Cast and crew returned from WandaVision, including the series’ musical team. Several different titles were announced for the series as part of a marketing campaign before the official title of Agatha All Along—referencing the song of the same name from WandaVision—was announced in May 2024.

Agatha All Along premiered on Disney+ on September 18, 2024, with its first two episodes. The next five episodes are being released weekly until October 23, and the final two episodes are set to be released on October 30. The series is part of Phase Five of the MCU.