Agatha All Along, with its four episodes released on Disney+ so far, continues to perform exceptionally well and rank at the top of the streaming viewership charts. More surprisingly, however, it is also reigning in the production department asAgatha All Alongis the lowest-budget Marvel TV show produced since 2020.Now it has added another accolade thanks to metrics showing that the show has taken the top spot as the Marvel show that has retained the most viewers week on week. This means that more people are sticking with Agatha’s journey down the Witches' Road than any other Marvel story told so far on Disney+.
This is just one of several impressive milestonesAgatha All Alonghas achieved in the last few weeks, proving that despite arriving as a black sheep - with many questioning why anyone needed an Agatha series - Marvel Studios was right to pursue the popularWandaVisioncharacter. All of this comes just a week after the series was revealed to be one of the lowest-costing shows to have been developed for the MCU.
In a recent interview withVariety, Brad Winderbaum, head of streaming, TV, and animation for the studio, stated that making shows on a reasonable budget has allowed them to tell more poignant stories and take more swings on unique concepts.
“I can tell you it’s our least expensive show, and I think that was by design. We are looking to make these shows for a responsible cost. Frankly, it gives us a little bit more freedom creatively when we can bring them in at a reasonable budget. Like [Agatha All Along], for example, the show has minimal CG, way less than we’ve ever done before. It’s mostly practical effects, and I think you’re able to feel it in the show.”
At a fraction of the cost of their cinematic output,Agatha All Alongmanaged to attract over 9.8 million viewers in its premiere week alone, with the numbers growing steadily ever since. This success not onlyhighlights a promising shift in Marvel’s strategybut also signals how interested fans are in embracing low-key, character-focused and small-scale Marvel stories.
Agatha All Along Isn’t Marvel’s First Character-Driven Story
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has long been known for its spectacular visual effects and ensemble casts. The aim has always been to entertain a broad demographic and dive into as many individual stories as possible. The Infinity Saga, for example, remains endlessly rewatchable and quotable among fans. However, the phase heavily relied on continuity, making it necessary for viewersto watch a bunch of moviesto fully grasp the plot and characters. While this approach has its merits, it also presents a challenge for casual viewers to follow every installment.
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WithAgatha All Along, Marvel is shifting its focus to more accessible, character-driven stories. But this change is not entirely new; the Disney+ showEcho, which is Maya Lopez’s origin story, also solved Marvel’s “homework” problem by offering a standalone narrative that does not require extensive knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. TheMarvel Spotlightbanner alsotells stories with little to no connectionto previous Marvel movies. In this regard, Winderbaum stated last year,
“Marvel Spotlight gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen, and in the case ofEcho, focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity. Just like comics fans didn’t need to readAvengersorFantastic Fourto enjoy aGhost Rider Spotlightcomic, our audience doesn’t need to have seen other Marvel series to understand what’s happening in Maya’s story.”
All said and done,Agatha All Alongproves there is still an appetite in Marvel’s storytelling. The fresh perspectives and strong viewership numbers ensure the fandom will stay devoted for years to come.
Agatha All Along
Starring Kathryn Hahn as the titular Marvel witch, Agatha All Along reveals how Scarlet Witch’s enemy broke Wanda Maximoff’s binding spell at the end of WandaVision. Aubrey Plaza, Joe Locke, Emma Caulfield, and Ali Ahn join Hahn in the MCU Phase 5 spinoff series, released on Disney+.
