Warning: This article contains spoilers for episode 3 of Agatha All Along.
Since his first appearance, the internet has been aflutter with theories about the identity of Joe Locke’s character in Agatha All Along. Named “Teen” because of a sigil that stops witches from learning his identity, he is so far shrouded entirely in mystery.
The Heartstopper star has brought joy and delight to a show already packed with it. Teen makes himself known to Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) when she is still under the mental trap that Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) left her in at the end of WandaVision. A prisoner in her own mind for three years, Teen comes along to free her so they can embark down the Witches’ Road. A supernatural quest that grants the traveler whatever they desire (should they survive and make it to the end), the Road is dangerous and full of trials. If Agatha were able to hear who Teen is, perhaps she would understand why he wants to travel down the Road so badly.
As it currently stands, Agatha agrees to shepherd the eager burgeoning witch so she can regain the powers she’s lost and maybe even help him with his goal. The secrecy surrounding Teen has motivated many a Marvel fan to hypothesize who he is and where he comes from, but one fan theory has blown the rest out of the water.
Rumors of Teen’s identity may only be half right in Agatha All Along
The easiest conclusion to jump to is that Teen is Wanda’s son, Billy, AKA Wiccan. In the comics, Wiccan is one of Wanda’s sons who takes after the magical side of the family. Teen has dropped enough hints that this could be the case. After all, he has a dead mother and has admitted that something disturbing happened to him at a young age. Could his interest in the dark arts stem from being borne of the Scarlet Witch, who created him out of her grief?
One fan theory says… maybe. Episode 3 raised another interesting possibility: that Teen could also be Nicholas Scratch, the doomed son of Agatha who she allegedly sacrificed to obtain the Darkhold. But one Reddit user has arguably the grandest theory of them all: that Teen is not either Billy or Nicholas Scratch, but both.
This fan argues that Teen is Nicholas, who was traded for the Darkhold, but when the book was destroyed, Nicholas returned as Wanda’s son. This argument is extremely convoluted, but then again, so are Marvel comics. The theory adds even more mystique to what Teen is searching for on the Road and raises questions about what he knows and doesn’t know about his own situation. Could he be searching for Wanda, who appeared to have been crushed at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Or does he want to resurrect Tommy, his twin from the Westview reality?
There are many points to consider, and sadly, no answers as of yet. The only thing that is clear is that Marvel doesn’t introduce characters only to just throw them away. Their projects might not all be perfect, but they’re smart enough to know a worthwhile character opportunity when they see one. Nicholas Scratch has to see some character development in some way, and Wiccan’s place in the Young Avengers lineup seems to have too much potential to be squandered.
It’s also entirely possible, of course, that Teen is none of the above. These whimsical and inventive series have a habit of keeping fans on their toes, which means viewers should stay tuned to Agatha All Along every Wednesday to experience what magic has yet to unfold. Who knows ⏤ maybe episode 4 will give us our best look yet at Aubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal and answer our burning questions about who she really is and what shenanigans she’s really up to.