Though Marvel Studios has been keeping details aboutAgatha: Coven of Chaosunder wraps, one Marvel Comic character has been confirmed to appear: Lilia Calderu. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has employed magic users in theDoctor Strangemovies, but now, the types of magic used in the MCU are expanding in this series, which is said to feature a coven of witches.Agatha: Coven of Chaoswill help expand the more supernatural arm of the MCU, just asWerewolf By Nightdid andBladeis set to do.
Agatha: Coven of Chaosis a spin-off of the Disney+ seriesWandaVision. The titular Agatha Harkness, played by Kathryn Hahn, was last seen trapped in her “Agnes” persona in Westview, the small town where Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) tried to make a home for herself. It’s not clear ifAgatha: Coven of Chaoswill be a follow-up to the series or a prequel of sorts for Agatha and magic as a whole in the MCU. What is clear is that the MCU will introduce new comic book charactersalongside the familiar MCU faces, like Lilia Calderu.
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Who Is Lilia Calderu In Marvel Comics?
Lilia Calderu is a powerful witch who made her comic book debut in 1973. Created by Steve Englehart, Mike Friedrich, and Frank Brunner, she made her first appearance in aDoctor Strangestory inMarvel Premiere. Lilia died in the same issue but was brought back in Doctor Strange’s solo series, and in the modern day, to flesh out thebackstory of Scarlet Witch.
Her first appearance in comics saw Lilia use her magical abilities to place Doctor Strange under her control so that she could make him help her go up against Baron Karl Mordo. She wanted to get theBook of Cagliostrofrom him, which he had stolen from her after romancing her. Lilia felt deeply betrayed by Mordo and wanted to do anything to get revenge. She and Strange eventually worked together without her controlling him, but Lilia ended up dying in the process while Doctor Strange retrieved theBook of Cagliostro. (The same book appeared in the firstDoctor Strangemovie in the library of Kamar-Taj.)
Though Lilia might have been betrayed by the modern Baron Mordo, she’s actually a descendant of the first Baron of Mordo, making the betrayal all the worse.
How Powerful Is Lilia Calderu?
Lilia calls herself “Queen of the Gypsies” because she is the powerful leader of a group of Romani travelers, but she’s also a witch with the power to see the future to a degree. Her first appearance in comics, however, didn’t reveal all of that information. Her first appearance only revealed her ability to control others, not unlike whatWanda Maximoff does in the town of Westview in the MCU’sWandaVision.
Lilia is very powerful in comics, able to use both theBook of Cagliostroand the Serpent Crown effectively. The Serpent Crown is an ancient artifact in Marvel Comics from the land of Lemuria, one of the oldest civilizations in the comics, and underwater in the modern day. It was lost in a pocket dimension for thousands of years before being retrieved and making its way through Atlantis and other magical communities. Lilia only had access to its power briefly before it was banished to a pocket dimension again.
In addition to her knack for wielding powerful magical objects, Lilia foretold the rise to power of Wanda Maximoff, understanding the magnitude of a Scarlet Witch being born. She also enjoyed shape-shifting. Though she appeared as a young woman, she enjoyed making herself seem elderly so people would take her status as “Queen of the Gypsies” seriously.
Who Is Playing Lilia Calderu In The MCU?
Though Marvel Studios hasn’t officially revealed Lilia Calderu’s presence in the MCU, the actor playing the character has. Patti Lupone is playing Lilia inAgatha: Coven of Chaos. WhenLupone appeared onThe Viewto talk about another project, she was more than happy to give the audience a hint at what to expect from her time in the MCU.
Lilia, according to Lupone, is a “450-year-old Sicilian witch whose power is divination and whose trial is tarot.” It sounds like Lilia will retain her ability to glimpse into the future that she has in the comics, which could certainly be useful for Agatha Harkness with Lilia as part of her coven. Lilia also teaches young witches in the comics, which could come into play if she’s an older witch than the others in the coven of the show title. Lupone did reveal that the coven includes witches played by actorsAubrey Plaza, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, and of course, Kathryn Hahn.
