This article is about the original character. For the character who assumes his identity, see Wiccan.
- “You don't need to be a psychic to see that you're a good egg.”
- ―Lilia Calderu to William Kaplan[src]
William Kaplan is a Marvel Comics character who appears in the Disney+ series Agatha All Along, in the episode "Familiar by Thy Side". He was the son of Jeff and Rebecca Kaplan, and an inhabitant of Eastview. On the day of his Bar Mitzvah, William was accidentally killed in a car accident, as the Hex in Westview began to disintegrate. Following this tragedy, his body was taken over by Billy Maximoff, the son of the Scarlet Witch.
William Kaplan was created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung.
Background[]
William was born in Eastview, New Jersey, to Jeff and Rebecca Kaplan in 2010, and grew up in a Jewish background. During his childhood, he developed an interest in magic.
Role in the series[]
On November 11th, 2023, William Kaplan performed his Bar Mitzvah, a Jewish coming-of-age ritual and at the after-party, William danced with his friends. Seeing his parents, he thanked them. After this, William stumbled upon a palm-reading tent. Inside, a woman named Lilia Calderu read his palm. As she did so, she read something on it that caused her to falter and the lights inside the tent flicker. When they went back to normal, William was told by Lilia that his lifeline was split into two, though she assured him that it was most likely symbolic. Uncomfortable, William motioned to leave the tent, though before he did, he was told by her to enjoy the present. Unbeknownst to him, after he left, Calderu placed a sigil in his jacket, hiding his identity from all witches.
- “Mom, look out!”
- ―William Kaplan's last words.[src]
After leaving the tent, William partied again until his father, Jeff, announced to the crowd that they needed to return to their homes immediately, with the Hex in the neighboring town of Westview becoming unstable. In the car, the sitcom enacted inside of the anomaly jamed the radio. Looking to their left, William and his parents saw the Hex getting smaller, distracting his mother, Rebecca. Looking forward, William warned her, as they were on the path to crash head-on with a pickup truck. Swerving out of the way, Rebecca lost control of the car as it went down a ditch, and the left side of it crashed into a tree at high speed, killing William. As his parents flagged down a police car, the soul of Billy Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff's child in the Hex, entered William's body, resurrecting him, with William's identity being used by him and Jeff and Rebecca being completely unaware what really happened to their son. However, Billy later confessed to being unsure whether he was William Kaplan or Billy Maximoff.
Trivia[]
- In "Familiar by Thy Side", William is shown celebrating his Bar Mitzvar during the Westview anomaly in 2023, at the age of 13, before his death occurs. This means William was born in 2010. "Teen" then backs this up when he mentions to Agatha Harkness that he is 16 in "Circle Sewn With Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate", which takes place in 2026, and again when speaking to Alice Wu-Gulliver during a trial in "Through Many Miles / Of Tricks and Trials".
- In the comics, the name Wiccan was given to William Kaplan instead of Billy Maximoff, who had access to Billy Maximoff's powers when Billy Maximoff's soul was reincarnated into his body. However Jac Schaeffer thought that was too complicated so wanted to simplify the backstory for Agatha All Along, therefore decided to have William Kaplan die instead of Billy Maximoff and swap their stories around, so that Billy Maximoff could take over William Kaplan's body instead of William taking over Billy's, allowing Maximoff to live as Kaplan and become known as Wiccan.[1][2]
- Also in the comics, William Kaplan is the one who dates a boy named Teddy instead of Billy Maximoff, while in Agatha All Along, Billy Maximoff dates a boy named Eddie, while living as William Kaplan.
- It's never actually explained in the series if William was already dating Eddie by the time of his death and if Billy Maximoff continued their relationship while living as the latter. However, from the flashbacks, it does seem very unlikely.
- Also in the comics, William Kaplan is the one who dates a boy named Teddy instead of Billy Maximoff, while in Agatha All Along, Billy Maximoff dates a boy named Eddie, while living as William Kaplan.
- William had various movie posters, placed in his bedroom. These included Alice In Wonderland, The Black Cauldron, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
- Ironically, Joe Locke, William's actor, has the middle name William.
- Joe Locke has described both William Kaplan and Billy Maximoff as the same person rather than being one or the other.[3]
- The paragraph William was saying at his Bar Mitzvar was "ועקריבו לפני יהו אש זרה אשר לא צבה", which translates to "They offered before Adonai alien fire, which had not been enjoined upon them." Joe Locke was actually singing in that opening scene.
- William died on November 11, 2023, which was a year and two days before May Parker's death in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Billy Maximoff Returns: Joe Locke and 'Agatha All Along' Creator on Hiding His Identity, 'Wacky' Fan Theories and Bringing Back *SPOILER* From 'WandaVision'
- ↑ 'Agatha All Along' Showrunner Talks Episode 6: Billy's Backstory, Agatha's Secret and That Cameo
- ↑ "Marvel Studios' Assembled: The Making of Agatha All Along". YouTube, Marvel entertainment (November 14, 2024).
External links[]
v - e - d  | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|