The Marvel series WandaVision utilized an array of digital visual effects, but its inventive practical effects significantly contributed to establishing it as one of Marvel’s most creatively designed projects. The show employed traditional Hollywood techniques to create a nostalgic feel, with each episode resembling a different classic sitcom while slowly revealing its magical elements.
In contrast to WandaVision’s nods to sitcoms like I Love Lucy and Bewitched, Disney Plus’ new series, Agatha All Along, draws inspiration from supernatural horror films such as Rosemary’s Baby and The Craft. The series follows the story of the parasitic witch Agatha Harkness (portrayed by Kathryn Hahn), who seeks to regain her powers by assembling an unexpected team of allies and adversaries. After being released from a long-standing hex that deluded her into believing she was part of a gritty crime drama, Agatha realizes that her only chance to reclaim her powers is to form a new coven and traverse the Witches’ Road—a magical realm accessible solely by song to groups of magic users.
Given its premise, Agatha All Along might have been expected to involve extensive use of CGI, similar to other Marvel live-action projects known for their sometimes questionable CGI quality. However, during a recent press event, showrunner Jac Schaeffer and executive producers Mary Livanos and Brad Winderbaum emphasized their desire to make Agatha All Along distinct. They aimed to explore the MCU’s mystical secrets through practical effects.
WandaVision’s reliance on practical effects was essential to evoking the visual styles of TV shows from various decades. Schaeffer, however, saw Agatha All Along as an opportunity to honor the big-screen fantasies that shaped her storytelling approach, many of which featured elaborate sets and puppetry.
In WandaVision, the specific shows being emulated dictated the precise nature of the practical effects. In Agatha All Along, Schaeffer incorporated her influences from films like NeverEnding Story, Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth to create a more expansive and imaginative experience.
The mystical ambience Schaeffer references is particularly evident in the third episode of Agatha All Along, titled "Through Many Miles of Tricks and Trials". This episode transports Agatha’s coven from a New Jersey basement to the Witches’ Road, a surreal, twilight realm where the ground itself can become dangerous.
Despite the Witches’ Road being a mystical place featured prominently in the 2016 Scarlet Witch comic series by James Robinson and Vanesa Del Rey, it was created using almost entirely practical effects for the series. According to Livanos, there was "not a single green screen in sight" on that set, and Winderbaum confirmed the extensive practical set design.
Marvel’s propensity for digital effects and green screens has led some actors to voice concerns about the challenges of performing in sterile, digital environments. Elizabeth Olsen, star of WandaVision, expressed her difficulties acting within such contexts. However, Hahn noted that the practical nature of the Witches’ Road set in Agatha All Along provided a genuinely immersive experience.
Hahn described the set as feeling authentically magical, which made it easier to perform without needing to rely heavily on imagination. Schaeffer, favoring stories that highlight physical transformations, ensured that the characters in Agatha All Along underwent significant physical trials. This commitment to practical effects led to the cast enduring real mud and blood effects, with no digital enhancements.
"The cast were such troopers because all of that was real. There’s no adding digital blood and digital mud. These ladies were messed up for a long time. Cold; wet; muddy. Chocolate pudding all over their heads," Schaeffer remarked.
