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Credit: Marvel StudiosWandaVision took Marvel fans by storm when it was released in 2021. The show quickly became one of the most popular MCU projects and skyrocketed Wanda to a fan favorite. The storyline was directly referenced in Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness (2022), with Wanda turning into a villain as she’s influenced by The Darkhold, an evil witch’s book, to find a universe where she can be with her kids.
During the course of the show, it’s revealed that Agatha, who pretended to be her friendly neighbor, was actually the main villain trying to access the book and steal Wanda’s powers for herself. The follow-up series, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, was originally scheduled for a 2023 release but has now been delayed to an uncertain 2025 date.
In the midst of all the MCU delays, Agatha had cast several actors for a variety of undisclosed roles, and as of yet, only some of them have been confirmed. One casting choice, however, is drawing criticism and claims of anti-semitism from fans, as Joe Locke is now rumored to play Wanda’s son, Billy. The announcement was shared via @hollywoodhandle on Twitter, where it met almost immediate backlash in comments and quote retweets.
Joe Locke will be playing Wanda’s son, Billy, in ‘AGATHA: COVEN OF CHAOS’.
(Via: https://t.co/pErjI5pPlW) pic.twitter.com/9lyAUaayQC
— The Hollywood Handle (@hollywoodhandle) April 28, 2023
Locke rose to stardom portraying Charlie Spring in the hit Netflix show, Heartstopper, in 2022. Previously, it was rumored that he would simply be voicing a “familiar” or minor character in Agatha, although it seems his role may have been vastly understated.
Fans are criticizing Disney for the casting, due to the fact that Locke himself isn’t Jewish, but his character is supposed to be. Wanda’s characterization has also drastically differed from the comics and throughout the MCU films, causing fans to claim that the studio is actively working to remove the Jewish history from the story. “Are we reading [sic] surprised at him being whitewashed considering Wanda is literally played by a white woman as well?” asks @That_Melzin.
The decision to cast Locke is seen as yet another decision to support those claims, and @Bex_Oscar claims that it’s another example of “Marvel being antisemitic as always.” Most of the comments on Twitter simply express their despair over the choice, with @Billy_Bossanova stating, “Don’t support this people we need to make sure that they change this casting choice.” “The comic industry was built from the ground up by Jewish creators yet Hollywood continuously commits themselves to disrespecting said creators, and for some reason even more beyond me, fans continue to defend these choices,” said @95IMPULSE.
Disney has faced a lot of backlash lately with various casting controversies, including casting light-skinned actors to portray characters of color in their Parks and being accused of white-washing the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch film. With this latest news still unconfirmed officially by Disney, it’s possible that Locke won’t actually be portraying Billy, but it does draw comparisons to other previous casting flubs.
What do you think of this casting choice? Share your thoughts in the comments below!