Agatha All Along's Lady Death Theories: Is Rio Vidal the Marvel Villain In Disguise?

Agatha All Along fans think Aubrey Plaza's witch is hiding a big secret.

By Sam Hargrave Posted:
Rio Vidal, Death Marvel Studios

Disney+ subscribers tuning in to Agatha All Along are spinning theories that Aubrey Plaza's Rio Vidal may secretly be the Marvel villain Lady Death.

Parks & Recreation star Plaza joined the MCU with Agatha All Along as Rio Vidal, a green witch with a romantic history with Agatha Harkness.

But before discussing why Agatha All Along viewers think Plaza's Rio Vidal is hiding a gloomy secret, it's first essential to establish who Lady Death is.

Who Is Marvel's Lady Death?

Lady Death Marvel
Marvel Comics

In Marvel Comics, Lady Death is a cosmic being and the personification of death itself, usually taking the former of a cloaked female skeleton.

She is usually portrayed as the enemy of life, and her brother Eternity, who already joined the MCU in Thor: Love and Thunder as Gorr the God Butcher, sought to find the cosmic being to grant his one wish.

Those familiar with Marvel Comics' Infinity Gauntlet storyline, which was the basis for Avengers: Infinity War, should be aware of Lady Death's important role in Thanos' motivations for wiping out half the universe.

While the MCU's Thanos was motivated by a desire to tackle the universe's declining resource problem, the Mad Titan of the pages snapped his fingers to impress Lady Death as he was infatuated with her.

Why Fans Think Rio Vidal Is Lady Death

Aubrey Plaza as Rio Vidal
Marvel Studios

In the opening minutes of Episode 4 of Agatha All Along, Agatha and her coven summon a replacement Green Witch to the Witches' Road after Mrs. Hart's death to allow them to complete their quest. 

That witch ended up being Rio Vidal, but the manner of her entrance was certainly intriguing, as Plaza's Marvel character emerged from Mrs. Hart's grave in undead zombie fashion.

One conversation between Rio and Agatha was particularly interesting as the former gushed over watching the titular witch "kill all the witches around [her]" before adding her excitement to "get [her] bodies:"

Rio: "I get the pleasure of watching you do what you do best."

Agatha: "Which is?"

Rio: "Kill all the witches around you, one by one."

Agatha: "Then what?"

Rio: "You get your power, and I get my bodies."

Rio's enthusiasm for the death surrounding Agatha and her desire to collect the bodies of the fallen only add to the theories of her being Lady Death in disguise.

This may help explain why Agatha is so familiar with Lady Death. Having racked up a rather high kill count over the years, Rio is bound to be a fan of her work, which potentially sparked their long romance.

After completing the latest trial of the Witches' Road with a catchy musical number, Joe Locke's Teen (who may or may not be a secret important Marvel Studios character) was left bleeding and hanging on the brink of death.

This became noteworthy as Agatha turned to Rio to plead with her, simply saying, "Don't." This suggests the titular witch is aware her Green Witch cohort is secretly Death in disguise and was pleading with her not to take Teen.

Aubrey Plaza's MCU Future Possibilities

Aubrey Plaza as Rio Vidal
Marvel Studios

According to a rumor posted by DanielRPK, Aubrey Plaza "will appear in more Marvel projects" after Agatha All Along. As such, fans may see more of Rio Vidal in the years after her Disney+ debut.

If Plaza were playing an original witch created for Agatha All Along, it would be strange for her to have such a bright MCU future. But if she was revealed as Lady Death, an important player in Marvel, her return would be more explainable.

As Marvel Studios continues to expand the supernatural corner of the MCU, there will undoubtedly be plenty of room for Lady Death in the future.

Projects such as Blade, Scarlet Witch, Midnight Sons, and Moon Knight Season 2 could find room for Lady Death, with Agatha All Along possibly just beginning her journey in the MCU.

Read more about what a Green Witch is in Marvel and what this means for the character of Rio Vidal.


The first four episodes of Agatha All Along are streaming on Disney+, and new episodes premiere every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.

- In This Article: Agatha All Along
Release Date
September 18, 2024
Platform
Actors
Joe Locke
- About The Author: Sam Hargrave
Sam Hargrave is the Associate Editor at The Direct. He joined the team as a gaming writer in 2020 before later expanding into writing for all areas of The Direct and taking on further responsibilities such as editorial tasks and image creation.