Marvel’s latest show, Agatha All Along, is here. As we’ve previously written, a lot of Marvel films and shows have so much backstory that it can be difficult to keep up, even if you’re a long-time fan. And it can be really difficult to follow if you’re just starting out with a new film or show.

The best MCU films and shows stand on their own, even if there is a lot of backstory: a good example of that would be Deadpool and Wolverine. That film had a lot of backstory, but it turned out to be a great story; even without a lot of previous knowledge, it still worked. Most viewers could probably figure out what was going on even without having seen the many films and shows that tied into it.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is another good example of a film that had a lot of backstory, but worked on its own. There were two previous films in the Guardians franchise, and the Christmas special. But the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame had a major effect on the Guardians’ story. Even if you hadn’t seen any of those, you could still enjoy the story.

Loki season 2 was similar: there was a lot of backstory there, too. But the story held up as its own tale. And if you couldn’t follow parts of it, that’s what the internet is for: there are always great recaps and explainers that you can find on YouTube to help fill you in.

Sometimes, the extra work doesn’t pay off: we love Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, but his show, Secret Invasion just wasn’t that great.

But we have high hopes for Agatha All Along. The main character, Agatha Harkness, played deliciously by Katherine Hahn, debuted in 2021’s Wandavision (which is probably Marvel’s best Disney+ show to date). She gave us this amazing song, which inspired the new show’s title. That’s the only time we’ve seen her; Debra Jo Rupp plays Sharon Davis, who also appeared in Wandavision. The rest of the cast are new to the MCU, including other witches played by former Saturday Night Live cast member Sasheer Zamata, Parks and Recreation and White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza, and absolute legend Patti LuPone, among others.

The nine-episode series premieres with two episodes on September 18 and airs weekly through October 30 with the two-episode finale. And we do think that you can jump into this one cold, but here are a few things you might want to check out this weekend if you want to catch up on the story.

• 'Wandavision' is a must-see

  Marvel’s first (and best) series on Disney+, 2021’s Wandavision picks up three weeks after the events of Avengers: Endgame, but keeps you off-balance for while. Each of the first few episodes is shot in the style of sitcoms from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s and 2000s. Agatha is a main character. It turns out that Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) had not dealt well with the death of the Vision (Paul Bettany) in Avengers: Infinity War. She created her own reality in a New Jersey town called Westview. Framed as the antagonist, Agatha is trying to figure out what Wanda did to the town, and how she did it. Wanda later traps Agatha in her “Anges” persona, and that seems to be where Agatha All Along picks up. If you want to just watch a few episodes, episode 8 (“Previously On”) gives a lot of Agatha’s backstory and the finale, episode 9 (“The Series Finale”) shows what happens to Agatha, Wanda and Vision.

• What happened to Wanda?

  Wanda’s story picks up in 2022’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness. It’s one of Marvel’s worst films; it’s totally tied down by canon and basically ruins the character developement of Wandavision. In fact, rumors have recently circulated that a scrapped script for the second Doctor Stange film would have been a lot better regarding Wanda’s story arc. But if you wondering where Wanda is, this film answers that question. But we don’t really recommend the film.

• Wanda's Origin

  If watching Wandavision left you wanting more, check out 2015’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron. One of the more underrated films in the MCU, it has improved with time. That’s partially due to two factors: one, artificial intellengence has come a long way since 2015; the story of a sentient and self-aware AI is a bit more scary now than it was nine years ago. But also, Wandavision gives parts of the film a bit more context. Age Of Ultron is where we first meet Vision, Wandna, and her brother Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who is often refrenced in Wandavision.

• Vision's End

  2018’s Avengers: Infinity War did an amazing job of tying together storylines from all of the main characters in the MCU and putting them in a coherent, exciting, high-stakes story. It folllowed 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, which was also a classic. Infinity War shows the depth of Wanda and Vision’s relationship and helps explain the anguish that led to the events of Wandavision. Infinity War is follwed by 2019’s Avengers: Endgame; Wanda appears in that film, but isn’t a major charcter although she does have a few great moments. And hey, if you’ve watched Infinity War, you kind of have towatch Endgame. But hey, that’s Marvel for you!

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