Agatha All Along brought Joe Locke's Billy Maximoff back into the MCU, although Locke disagreed with one big decision for his character in the Disney+ series.
Agatha All Along Episode 6 finally gave fans Billy Maximoff's full backstory, giving Joe Locke the chance to recount what happened before his encounter with Agatha. From William Kaplan's Bar Mitzvah to the car crash while watching Wanda Maximoff's Hex dissolve, that moment was life-changing for Locke's hero.
Fans saw a deep look into Wiccan's life pre and post-accident. Agatha All Along potentially introduced Hulkling in Billy's boyfriend Eddie as well as a peek into the hero's home life.
Joe Locke Disagreed with One Billy Maximoff Choice
Speaking with Variety, William Kaplan/Billy Maximoff star Joe Locke addressed one choice about his character in Agatha All Along that he disagreed with.
Locke looked at the various film posters that were seen in William Kaplan's room before and after his transition to Billy Maximoff, which included Carrie, Saw, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz.
When asked if he got a say in the poster selection, he admitted that he did not agree that the posters in Billy's room were films that he may have watched.
While he did not name the specific movies Billy may not have watched, he teased that those titles included on the posters had "very good representation for that time" before things evolved into the modern era:
"There were a few film posters up there that I didn’t necessarily think that he would have watched. I’m not going to name the films of those film. Like, very good representation for that time, but we’ve moved on from that sort of thing.
One of those posters was even replaced with a "Trans Lives Matter" flag.
Additionally, he pointed out a sticker in that room that said, "Not a phase" underneath a rainbow, noting that he was not a fan of that prop either:
"And so we replaced one of them with the 'Trans Lives Matter' flag. There was one — I mean all respect, our set dressers and prop department were so amazing, and there was so much incredible stuff there. But there was one sticker in Billy’s room, and it was like, the moon phases in a rainbow, and it said, 'Not a phase' underneath it. And I was like, 'This is great, but it has to go. I’m really sorry, but this has to go.'"
Even with his minor complaints, Locke was impressed by the bedroom set, calling it one of his favorite sets he saw during production:
"But you know, that set was probably one of my favorite set of all of them, because it’s so witchy, and there’s many candles, and you know, all of the posters."
Following Agatha All Along Episode 5's long-awaited Wiccan reveal, this set was an essential piece in revealing the full origin story for William Kaplan/Billy Maximoff in the MCU.
The MCU's Increased Trans Representation In and After Agatha All Along
Along with Joe Locke's Billy Maximoff being the latest addition to the MCU's roster of gay characters, this move helps push the franchise's LGBTQIA+ representation to new levels.
This was furthered by the inclusion of the "Trans Lives Matter" poster in Billy's room, making that representation more tangibly visible.
However, Marvel Studios is set to go even further on that front in the coming years.
Most notably, Zoe Terakas will be the MCU's first-ever trans actor on screen when they appear in Disney+'s Ironheart, although their role has not been revealed yet.
Ironheart was also teased to be seeking out a trans woman for an undisclosed role alongside Terakas and star Dominique Thorne. No updates have been provided on who will portray that role or what the role is as of writing.
While LGBTQIA+ characters were not utilized often in the MCU's Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios is making strides towards rectifying that with characters in the Multiverse Saga. The only real question now is when fans will see those actors on screen after the numerous delays multiple Multiverse Saga projects have faced.
The first six episodes of Agatha All Along are now streaming on Disney+. Episode 7 arrives on Wednesday, October 23 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
