“Agatha All Along” didn’t spare its characters from some pretty traumatic and horrifying deaths; it is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s creepiest entry to date, after all. In the end, Lila (Patti LuPone) allows herself to be impaled on a spiked ceiling to save the coven’s lives, Sharon Davis (Debra Jo Rupp) drinks poison, and other horrible exits for the coven occur. When it comes to the literal embodiment of Lady Death, Rio Valdez (Aubrey Plaza), her own demise must occur before she can be reborn on the Witches Road and start her journey. And so, after being buried alive, she emerges with her teeth and jaw visible, and her nose missing. It’s a gruesome cross between “Fallout” star The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) and an “Evil Dead 2” poster.
Plaza’s appearance as Death is the result of a practical make-up appliance that was no CGI trick, but something that was cooked up by makeup artist Erin LeBre and SFX makeup artists Addison Clarke Foreman and Heather Beauvais. In short, the star looked as spooky in real life as she does on your television screen. As LeBre recounts on her Instagram, she worked on Lady Death’s eyes and brows while Beauvais and Clarke Forman applied the lower mandible and nose prosthetics to the actor. There’s no word as to how long the process took, but it’s clear they put a lot of effort into making Rio’s transformation look all too real. And the effort paid off; it looks like the look was a big hit among the fans replying to LeBre, while in other corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the show’s audience has had nothing but praise for their work.
Fans thought Rio’s look was credibly scary
MCU fans have gathered on social media to express their love for Lady Death’s look. “As a die hard Marvel fan, you and the team single handedly displayed one of the coolest characters in the comics EFFORTLESSLY. I hope you guys are proud of your work!” juust.nn replied in the comments of Erin LeBre’s Instagram post. “THAT S*** WAS PRACTICAL!?!?!?!?!? I applaud your talent,” added that._one_.collector, echoing many other fans who had believed the appliances were simply CG inventions, while others stated their hope that the makeup team will win an Emmy for their work.
A number of people who love to create makeup looks based on Marvel creations also spoke up to express their appreciation of LeBre’s team’s efforts. Some of them are already making plans for their next cosplay or costume. “I know what I’m doing for Halloween next year!” said GulfCoastMystic. “Can’t wait to recreate some of them,” agreed makeup influencer Lu Tirado. With so many fans loving Agatha’s journey, hopefully there will be more to come from the late spellcaster — even as she embraces Death in a non-metaphorical way at the end of the Witches Road.