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03x02 - What If... Agatha Went to Hollywood?

Episode transcripts for the TV show "What If...?". Aired: August 11, 2021 to present.*
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Reimagining famous events from the films in the MC Universe.

03x02 - What If... Agatha Went to Hollywood?

Post by bunniefuu »

[The Watcher] In the beginning,

before the Six Singularities

and the dawn of creation,

came the Celestials.

[speaking Latin]

Now, with the power of the Eternal

Guardians flowing through me,

let the power of creation

bring forth my rebirth!

[grunts]

My rebirth! My rebirth!

Okay, well, that's

not working. Howard?

And cut!

Okay, let's reset. We'll

do it one more time.

[man] In this universe, Agatha

Harkness' quest for power led her

to discover the Celestial

growing deep within the Earth.

Looking to take its

cosmic energy for herself,

she set out to design a

spell to siphon its power.

But pulling off a ritual of that scale

would require an equally big production.

So, she turned to a blossoming

industry that had built its reputation

financing the big dreams

of even bigger egos.

Hollywood.

Where upstart mogul, Howard

Stark, was happy to foot the bill.

Agatha, darling, those in-camera effects,

I still don't know how you do it!

Just a little bit

of "movie magic."

But it's not working. This

spell is just not working!

In the scene, that is. We

may need to, uh, re-stage.

Fantastic! That's

lunch, everyone.

Now, where's my

AD? Jarvis? Jarvis!

Don't tell me. Not

more new pages.

We have already re-shot the

Third Act set piece five times.

And we'll sh**t it a hundred

more, if that's what it takes!

To add what? Another

mind-numbing action spectacle?

Big fights? Bigger explosions?

I think we've seen it.

- You know, you're right.

- I am?

- He is?

- We need to expand this picture

to give it that

oomph I'm missing.

We need more star power.

- A co-star!

- How can I steal the show

when there's no one

to steal it from.

Of course! The Capulets had the

Montagues. The Hatfields, the McCoys.

My auntie had the recluse

in the apartment upstairs.

You need a foil! A perfectly

placed grain of salt

to complement the seasonings

simmering in the pan!

Anything but more actors.

I can see it now. Our Cosmic Queen is

sitting on a hand no one else can beat.

That is, until a mysterious

new player blows into town,

hot on her lofty ambitions.

Yes, yes. Do they fight?

Do they fall in love?

No, they'll dance. With dozens

of backup dancers on each side.

And we'll lift the lighting rig so

the sets can be three times as tall.

- Yes!

- Wait. No. No, no.

Jarvis! It's about time you

caught the creative bug.

- I wasn't

- That is just genius.

- It's a disaster.

- Who we thinking?

Bogie? Gable? Cary Grant

does owe me a favor.

No, no, there's only one actor on

Earth who can complete our picture.

I thought I could do it

without him, but now I see.

I need him.

Kingo.

[The Watcher] Time.

Space.

Reality.

It's more than a linear path.

It's a prism of

endless possibility.

Where a single choice can branch

out into infinite realities,

creating alternate worlds

from the ones you know.

I am the Watcher.

I am your guide through

these vast new realities.

Follow me and ponder

the question

"What if?"

[Jarvis] Mr. Kingo.

I'm Edwin Jarvis, Mr. Stark's

personal butler and second AD.

Welcome to Stark Pictures.

[Kingo] Wow!

And I thought we did things

over-the-top in Bollywood.

I've always been partial to

the axiom that "less is more."

But for Mr. Stark

More is just the opening offer.

Kingo, it's an honor

to have you onboard.

Now, this number we've put together

is off the charts. Literally.

I've got enough dancers in there

to light up a Richter scale.

You ready to cross steps

with our leading lady?

Howard, something tells me this

is a part I was born to play.

[Howard laughs] The lights

are hot, cameras loaded,

and safeties removed from

all our pyrotechnics!

What? I'm sorry, what?

Is there anything else you need?

- I'm more than ready.

- What about the choreography?

- Was it up to snuff?

- Yes. The moves are great,

but I assume there's room

for a little improvisation?

Absolutely! Absolutely! Kingo,

I'll be honest with you.

This one's gonna be a

doozy. A real barn burner.

The biggest scene ever

captured on celluloid.

Don't worry, Howard.

I've been preparing for our

showdown for quite some time.

Okay, people! This is it.

Our big musical number.

- I want glitz. I want glamour.

- [indistinct chatter]

I want emotion!

I want commotion!

I want you to wow me

with your razzle-dazzle.

I want Busby Berkeley to see this

and contemplate becoming a realtor!

[man] Quiet on set!

- [alarm ringing]

- [Howard] Lights!

Camera!

[man] TR 62, take one.

And

action!

[gongs sounding]

[door opens]

[Bollywood song playing]

[music fades]

[jive music playing]

The challenge has been made. Will

our Cosmic Queen heed the call?

Move in, Camera A.

She answers!

There she is.

There he is.

It's all led up to this.

The final Eternal champion

arrives at the zero hour,

in a last, desperate bid to

stay the queen's cosmic hand!

[jive music continues]

[shoes tapping in unison]

[Bollywood music playing]

[jive music playing]

[Bollywood music playing]

[jive music playing]

[Bollywood music playing]

[jive music playing]

[Howard] Will she defeat

him? Will he defeat her?

Will they dance?

They will!

You're the missing piece I've

been waiting lifetimes for.

Oh, I know. But I'm here

to put your vanity project

into turnaround.

So, you "know" know. [chuckles]

And you still had the

stones to show up.

Someone needs to stop you.

Oh, honey, I'm just out

here making blockbusters.

You and the Eternals are the

ones who wanna destroy the world.

You have no idea what

forces you're meddling with.

Right back at ya.

A little advice, one

hoofer to another.

In this town?

Never mess with Number

One on the Call Sheet.

Okay, Kingo. Make

this look good!

Hot dog! That was

out of this world!

[jive music ramps up]

[pants] Okay. Show's over.

Time to break out the big g*ns.

[pulsing, expl*si*n]

Oh, that's not in the script.

Is that in the script?

Are these blue pages?

Shush, Jarvis! It's

great! Keep sh**ting!

Uh, I'm sorry. Your powers

are "finger pistols"?

Okay. No.

I fire energy. Projections.

Ah, right. From your

fingers. Pew! Pew! [chuckles]

Okay. No Stop with

your hands. Stop!

Listen, these powers are cool.

A lot of people think

these powers are very cool.

- [laughs]

- [shield whirring]

What? Those powers are Thena's!

And Makkari's and Gilgamesh's

and everyone else's.

[pulsing]

- Oh!

- Yes!

- [fire roars]

- Ah!

Yes!

Ow!

Whoa!

Oh!

[Kingo groans]

[music fades, stops]

[Howard] And cut!

[bell ringing]

Wowza! That chemistry was

hotter than the Hindenburg!

I really believed you two

wanted to k*ll each other.

Oh! [chuckles] No, no,

no. We're just acting.

Totally just acting.

Both of us just acting

so hard right now.

Oh, really? I'd say one of us

is acting really bad right now.

This calls for a celebration!

After-party! My place!

- Jarvis, give 'em the deets.

- Fine.

Top of the hill, everybody. Just

above the Hollywoodland sign.

It's the house that will make you

question the decency of capitalism.

[door rumbles]

If you mean to k*ll

me, be forewarned.

I know several heart-wrenching,

dying monologues,

and I will regale you with them.

Oh, Kingo. You've pegged me as

the villain of this picture,

but you've got it all wrong.

I'm the hero.

You k*lled my friends,

stole their powers.

Relax. I didn't k*ll anyone.

I "borrowed" their powers.

I assure you, your friends are

all safe and sound in storage.

The backlot has a creature shop.

They blend right in. [chuckles]

Agatha, release them.

Swear on the Oscar I

plan to win, I will.

Once I have saved my world

from that Third Act surprise you've

got brewing in the center of the Earth.

But

[sighs] And this

is the hard part.

I can't do it

without you, Kingo.

I need your energy to complete my spell,

to save everything I know and love.

Arishem made me the

new Prime Eternal.

I need to protect Tiamut

and the billions of lives

his Emergence will create.

Sorry, scout, but I

can see you reaching.

There's no way

Arishem won you over

with some golden ball and top

billing on a doomed planet.

You aren't like

the other Eternals.

And what makes you say that?

Because you haven't just

lived among humanity,

you have lived as them.

Oh!

[Agatha] Seeing the beauty,

telling their stories

showing them who they really

are as only an actor can.

Oh, that is true.

Acting is the most noble

profession on Earth.

But do you really expect

me to betray Arishem?

Forsake a mission I've

dedicated eons to?

Never going to happen.

- Never.

- I can get Howard to offer you

- a three-picture deal.

- Okay, I'll do it.

Oh. I guess I should've

led with that.

But I'm gonna need full

green light approval,

and my own shingle on the lot.

Ooh. Plus, I've been looking to

transition into indulgent, art house fair.

You know, no plot.

Abrupt, arbitrary cuts. Cut!

Me staring into camera with

no expression on my face.

That last one sounds

like a nightmare.

But for the literal sake of the

world, I guess I'll allow it.

And you have to bring

back my friends.

Very well. Let's get

this show on the road.

[crackling]

[Arishem] Did you think I

would not see your failure?

You have chosen your side.

And now, you will die on it.

[exhales sharply]

Arishem is coming.

It would take the power of

another Celestial to stop him.

Another Celestial.

[laughs]

Fasten your seat belt, honey.

It's time for my makeover.

- [jive music playing]

- [indistinct shouting]

[Howard] Jarvis, this night's

shaping up to be an instant classic.

Yes. I suppose if the relevant

metric is "property damage."

Howard! Hi. You're still

conscious. Can we chat?

Aggie! Kingo! About time!

Jarvis, bust out the grappa!

Sorry, Howard. No

time for digestifs.

Still, maybe pour

it anyway, though.

We had a bout of

creative inspiration.

Is that some kinda euphemism?

Are you two a thing now?

- Sorry. Not my type.

- Sorry. Not my type.

But we do have chemistry.

And with Kingo's help, we've finally

cracked the Third Act set piece.

Amazing! I'll check out

the pages first thing

No, no, no. We can't risk

sitting on these creative juices.

We gotta sh**t this finale

- Now!

- Right now!

Impossible. When Ms. Harkness

opted to rewrite the Third Act,

for the sixth time, I might

add, we broke down the sets.

"Broke down the" What

are you talking about?

Ugh, damn it!

You've no idea how many runes I

had to paint by hand on those sets.

Come on. Think, think, think.

There's gotta be a cursed swamp, a

haunted house, something we can use.

Bingo, baby!

Griffith Observatory.

It should be big enough

for all the runes.

We can sh**t the finale there!

And with what dark magic do you expect

me to pull permits at this hour?

For that kind of production

value, I'll buy the joint.

Load up the limo, Jarvis!

We're doin' a company move!

Actually, let's take our ride.

Oh, my

An alien spaceship.

I gotta hand it to you,

Aggie. You had me fooled.

- I thought you were a witch.

- Yes.

- But he's the space alien.

- Wait. What?

Technically, I'm more

of a space robot.

- You are?

- [laughs]

Howard, you knew?

You knew?

I'm Howard Stark!

I'm the smartest person on

Earth. Of course, I knew.

I also knew I'd save a

hell of a lot of money

on special effects

using actual magic.

Look, everyone in this town has a

secret. It's what makes it interesting.

So, whatever's about to go down, I'm

here for you. Just let me film it.

But once we save the day, I

want a look under your hood.

I am sensing major

patent potential.

Okay, y'all. Let's do it.

Okay. We've got five cameras

set up for maximum coverage.

"A" Camera's gonna

be trained on Agatha.

Um, I think you're gonna wanna swap

out the lens for something wider.

Jarvis!

[Agatha sighs] Jarvis.

Jarvis, please.

The line needs to

be more confident.

This also needs a little touch-up,

okay? Lean into the room's energy.

If you'll forgive

me, Ms. Harkness.

We didn't do a lot of occult

rituals when I trained at Balmoral.

Hey, sassy, I suggested we

bring in the set dec team,

but you said we couldn't

afford the overages.

So, now we're here

with your lame energy.

Aggie?

Is that part of the opening act?

[grunting]

Arishem.

Okay. Then, places,

people! It's showtime.

[speaking Latin]

[enchanting pinging]

Not gonna lie, getting some

ritual sacrifice vibes here.

You look great. Chin

up! Chin up! That's it.

And start making

space for that Oscar.

From the stars in the sky

to the depths of the Earth.

Let the power of creation

bring forth my rebirth!

[rumbling]

[screams]

[screams]

[pants]

Finally, your

power will be mine!

[rumbling]

[expl*si*n]

[screaming]

[gasps] Should we be concerned?

We'll be legends!

[strains, grunts]

- [gasps]

- [gasps]

[both scream]

[crowd gasping]

Oh, she is beautiful.

Are you getting this?

This is the greatest

footage ever shot!

This is gold!

This power, it's everything.

- [loud rumbling]

- [gasps]

[crowd gasping]

It's him. He's here.

[Arishem] It must feel strange

for such a primitive being

to suddenly possess

a power so cosmic.

Oh, honey, cosmic is just my size.

Haven't you seen the marquee?

I'm a star.

You are a heretic,

Agatha Harkness.

And you will be judged as such.

Oh, yeah? Judge this. Boom!

[Agatha grunts]

Oh, boy! Cecil B. DeMille's gonna

be pissed when he sees this footage.

Film it! Film it!

I'm filming it! I'm

filming it! I'm filming it!

Howard, something tells me she's

got the whole world watching.

Hah!

[Arishem grunts]

Yes!

Your vanity blinds you.

[groans]

[grunts]

- Oh!

- No!

A Celestial creates life.

It does not glorify

its own existence.

When will you see?

You will always be too

human to wield such power.

Oh, that's cute.

You think I missed?

Truth is, I was just getting

you to hit your mark.

What? How did you?

It's called acting, love.

And I'm afraid you are the next

character I'm gonna become.

[Arishem screams]

[screams]

[crowd gasps]

Humdinger. That's a showstopper.

Eddie, tell me

you were in focus.

Yes, I think we've got it.

[Howard laughs] The angles!

Performance of a

lifetime, Agatha.

I think that's a wrap.

Oh, Kingo. The

show's not over yet.

Agatha, what are you doing?

With this power? Anything

I damn well please.

But I thought

That I wanted to save the world

from the Emergence? Please.

I played the reluctant hero for a

hot minute to get what I needed.

- You.

- [gasps]

Now,

kneel before me.

- Yes, my queen.

- Oh, yes!

Savin' the big twist

for the Third Act reel!

[Kingo] Howard,

take it seriously.

With her magic and now the

power of two Celestials,

she can destroy the whole world

and remake it however she wants.

Surely, you've worked with

difficult actors before.

Must be a way to

get through to her.

I mean, all actors

are difficult.

We're all sensitive 'cause we're

opening up our souls, so the

Jarvis, you're a genius.

Agatha, stop.

I would have thought

you'd have realized by now

I'm not an actress who

likes to take direction!

Now, kneel before me.

This isn't you.

You don't know me.

[Kingo] Of course, I do.

Because you're just like me,

and everyone else who

came to this stupid town.

At some point, somewhere in our

lives, the world made us feel small,

so we set out to show them.

But, Agatha, you never

needed all this power.

Because you've always had the only

magic you'd ever really needed

to leave your mark on the world.

Uh-huh, uh-huh.

And what magic is that?

[Kingo] The movies.

The movies are magic, Agatha.

Hell, they're better than magic.

Because they change the

world by changing people.

By making them feel

something real.

And with that kind of power,

you don't have to be feared.

Because you can be adored.

[sentimental music playing]

You can't possibly understand

how long I've worked for this.

Well, I've been on Earth for

thousands of years, so I kinda do.

And if you're anything like

me, maybe all this time,

you've just been looking

for the right collaborator.

So, what do you say?

Wanna change the

world? For real?

[reporter] Reporting

live from Hollywood,

where there's more stars on the red

carpet than there are in the sky.

[woman] Over here. One more!

[man] Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! The

trades are predicting a blockbuster.

What will it mean

for your weapons biz?

Wars, my friend, are a thing of

the past. Cinema is the future.

[indistinct shouting,

cameras flashing]

Kingo and I, we

wanted to make a movie

that would, well

change the world.

And I think we did.

- Some sparks flew, that's for sure.

- [laughs heartily]

Now, just wait for the sequel.

- [man] Hey, Kingo!

- [woman] Agatha!

That sequel could come

sooner than you think.

Since you revived them,

Ajak and the other Eternals

are pretty concerned

that k*lling Arishem has probably

drawn the Celestials' attention.

Hah! Too bad for them.

We thrive on attention.

[chuckles nervously]

Yeah, but this is the

bad kind of attention.

Oh, darling, we can save

that for the sequel.

[chuckles softly]

Oh, my God! It

looks so gorgeous!

This is so beautiful!

[The Watcher] Everyone

has a story worth telling.

Even two lost souls

on the wrong path.

But sometimes, all it takes

is a trip to the movies

to remind you that

anything is possible.

Even a happy ending.

Then again, who doesn't

love a cliffhanger?

[upbeat jazz music playing]

[music continues]

[Howard] And cut!