The 2013 indie hit Short Term 12 managed to gather several notable talents before their careers took off, and one of those individuals is Mary Livanos, the executive producer of Agatha All Along, who has her own Marvel connection to the project.
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| Agatha All Along and Mary Livanos Chuck Zlotnick/MARVEL; Kevin Winter/Getty Images |
In addition to stars like Rami Malek, LaKeith Stanfield, and Kaitlyn Dever, Short Term 12 marked the start of filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton’s ongoing collaboration with Brie Larson, a partnership that now spans four projects, including her cameo as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel in Cretton’s MCU debut, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Interestingly, Livanos was a production assistant on Cretton’s Short Term 12 set in 2012, and has since worked her way up to becoming Larson’s executive producer on The Marvels (2023).
Before her role in The Marvels, Livanos established herself as co-executive producer on Marvel Studios’ highly successful streaming series, WandaVision. Alongside creator Jac Schaeffer, Livanos helped spin off their Emmy-nominated show into a new series centered around Agatha Harkness, with Kathryn Hahn reprising her role.
In November 2021, the series was initially announced under the title Agatha: House of Harkness, but this name underwent several changes, leading to a May 2024 reveal that it was all part of an elaborate joke—the title had always been Agatha All Along.
“Kudos to Jac Shaeffer and our amazing writers’ room for that one, especially on what was probably our best brainstorming day ever, coming up with all those titles,” Livanos shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “It was such a thrill to release increasingly outrageous ones as production continued, and our cast was all in on the fun. The stunt truly embodied Agatha’s spirit.”
In a recent interview with THR, Livanos also discussed how the original song for Agatha All Along, titled “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” plays a very different role compared to the chart-topping “Agatha All Along” from WandaVision.
The fan theories surrounding WandaVision were quite overwhelming, and while that kind of engagement is exciting, some collaborators expressed concerns about possibly disappointing viewers. With Agatha All Along, there’s still plenty of material for fans to theorize about, but did the team take any measures to avoid situations like fans turning an unnamed "aerospace engineer" into Reed Richards again?
(Laughs.) I'd say we approached Agatha All Along with the same joy and enthusiasm we brought to WandaVision. It's wonderful that fans love theorizing, and as a Marvel fan myself, I totally get it. What’s great about this show is that it’s full of reveals, so I think fans who enjoy theorizing will really love the journey as well.
You and your team pulled off an elaborate and clever gag with the ever-changing series title. Whose idea was that?
Hats off to Jac Shaeffer for that one, and to our incredible writers’ room. We had one of our best brainstorming days ever figuring out all those titles. It was a blast to keep releasing crazier ones as production went on, and our cast was totally on board. The nature of the stunt felt very Agatha—very much a liar—so it fit the theme perfectly, and we had a lot of fun with it.
“Agatha All Along” is also the name of the hit single from WandaVision, and you must have known from the start that trying to match that would be a challenge. The Lopezes can write hits effortlessly, but was it still daunting, given the high bar the last song set?
After “Agatha All Along” outperformed Justin Bieber on the charts, we knew we had to work with the Lopezes again. They’re such a joy to collaborate with, and their songwriting added so much to the texture of WandaVision. We definitely wanted to recreate that magic, and we tried our best. But The Ballad of the Witches’ Road grows narratively throughout the show, and I’m excited for fans to see how it unfolds.
In the trailers, Agatha is seen examining a dead body, and Wanda’s name appears on a library card nearby. Will this series finally answer the question about Wanda’s fate?
I can tell you that Agatha is still trapped in Wanda’s spell, and after the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda is off the table. Fans will have to watch to learn more—that’s all I can say for now.
Did you get a chance to shoot exteriors at Warner Ranch before it was torn down?
Yes, we did! We loved filming on Blondie Street at the historic Warner Bros. Ranch. Agatha’s house is actually the same house featured in Bewitched. We were very fortunate to shoot there, and we’ll miss it dearly.
Lastly, I noticed you had a PA job on Short Term 12. Did you ever mention this to Brie Larson while working on Captain Marvel or The Marvels?
(Laughs.) It did come up, but we didn’t cross paths on Short Term 12. I actually got that opportunity while interning at Marvel. I worked at San Diego Comic-Con, met a producer there, and that led to the PA job. I took out the trash, did lockups, and handled a walkie-talkie. Life has a funny way of working out, and the world is truly small.
