Heartstopper‘s Joe Locke is having a week. He’s been keeping one of Marvel’s worst-kept secrets for two years, and after the latest episode of Agatha All Along, he can finally breathe a sign of relief. I say worst-kept because anyone familiar with Marvel Comics has known his character’s identity for years. Sure, Marvel could always pull a fast one, but all signs have pointed to Locke’s “Teen” being Billy Kaplan, also known as Billy Maximoff, also known as Wiccan, the Scarlet Witch’s son. Whether you’re shocked by Teen’s true identity or not, Billy’s arrival in the MCU stirs the cauldron into something fierce, especially since we don’t know if he’s a good or bad witch. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Locke opens up about waiting for the reveal and what his place in the MCU could mean for the Scarlet Witch’s return.
“It’s so nice. I feel like I’m breathing. I love it,” Locke tells EW regarding the secret of Wiccan’s identity being out in the open.
At the end of “Darkest Hour / Wake Thy Power,” Wiccan sends Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha, Patti Lupone’s Lilia Calderu, and Sasheer Zamata’s Jennifer Hale into the boggy depths of the Witch’s Road. As he watches the group sink into the dirt, Billie Eilish’s “You Should See Me in a Crown” plays as a blue crown (similar to Wanda’s iconic tiara) sits across his furrowed brow. It’s a significant moment for his character, one of Marvel’s most celebrated LGBTQ heroes.
Talking about the big reveal night, Locke told Entertainment Weekly he took four doses of melatonin to help him sleep. “I’m in the U.K. The episode drops at 2:00 a.m.” he said. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep, so I’m just going to drug myself and then wake up to my phone blowing up, which it did. The thing that I’ve kept so secret, guarding it with my life is now just in the ether.”
According to Locke, Wiccan’s arrival marks a turning point for the series. “The show starts getting real,” he continues. “The show starts with Billy being very much the familiar, the secondary to all the witches. Now we know he is also a witch, and that changes things. Also, we now know that he has the ability to cause harm to them. Therefore, he is now the most powerful person on the Road. What does that change in the dynamic of the group and how does that change the future of those relationships?”
Episode six of the nine-episode season explores Billy’s backstory, including what happened to him when he was 13. Time tends to bend around Billy, with the character appearing at multiple stages of his adolescence throughout WandaVision. “At the end of episode 5, we don’t know what happens to those witches, but he’s not doing a good thing. We played a lot with, does that make him a bad person? Is he a good person? Which then draws parallels to the motherly figures in his life. Wanda does evil things but isn’t necessarily evil. Agatha, questionably, is evil, but there’s more to that, as well.”
In addition to working with Jennifer White, Elizabeth Olsen’s movement coach, to ensure his posture and conjuration are similar to Wanda’s, Lockes says working on Agatha All Along has been a dream. He hopes the role leads to him playing a significant role in the MCU’s version of the Young Avengers, a group hinted at in the after-credits scene for The Marvels. Rumors about Locke’s Heartstopper screen partner, Kit Connor, playing Billy’s boyfriend, Hulkling, continue to swirl, but the jury’s still out.
Does Wiccan’s arrival in the MCU signal Wanda’s return? Does Marvel Studios have big plans for the Scarlet Witch? What happens when she finds out Agatha’s escaped her hex prison? Come on, Marvel, give us the good stuff!