Since the launch of Disney+, Marvel has completely reshaped its presence on television. What started with early hits like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, and Hawkeye has since expanded into a much larger slate that includes Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, Agatha All Along, Wonder Man, and, currently streaming new episodes of its sophomore season, Daredevil: Born Again. These series have not only deepened the MCU’s bench of characters but also made Marvel television feel far more essential to the larger universe than it did in its early days.
That shift makes it even easier to forget that, not too long ago, Marvel’s TV efforts existed on the fringes, with only loose or inconsistent connections to the films. Agent Carter, starring Hayley Atwell, is one such series that got lost in the shuffle of the MCU’s early TV phase. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely — longtime MCU writers credited for writing the first two Captain America films — created the series. But sadly, the show got swept under the rug, only lasting two seasons because of low viewership, and ending on a massive, unresolved cliffhanger.
Yes, an alternate version of Agent Carter gets another chance in the MCU series What If…?, but that does not absolve the cancellation of this show. For what it’s worth, the show deserved a chance to finish its ending, not only for the great lead performances but also for the over-the-top entertaining espionage mixed with sci-fi pleasures, representing a unique period in Marvel lore.
What Is ‘Agent Carter’ About?
The series centers around the titular Agent Margaret “Peggy” Carter following World War II. She is still serving the United States, working for the Strategic Scientific Reserve (S.S.R.), a wartime agency that later became a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. The first season has Carter grieving the loss of Steve Rogers, trying to prove that Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) is innocent of treason with the help of his butler, Edwin Jarvis (James D’Arcy), and showing herself a worthy agent to the sexist S.S.R. brass. The second season has Carter traveling to Los Angeles to investigate a scientific anomaly and a massive corporate conspiracy involving an actress, Whitney Frost (Wynn Everett), and a secret organization of wealthy elites.
The show also features a fantastic supporting cast around Atwell. Shea Whigham — who does great work in almost everything he is in, by the way — plays S.S.R. Chief Dooley, who conveys both the stresses of dealing with the job and his family life and the growth in trusting Carter. Enver Gjokaj is fantastic as Agent Daniel Sousa, an S.S.R. employee who was injured in the war and is supportive of Carter. Chad Michael Murray sells the brutish, cold, tough side of Agent Jack Thompson, while also subtly portraying the heartbreaking attributes of the character; he has a great monologue with Carter about his failures during WWII.
On a lighter side, James D’Arcy is delightful as Jarvis, serving as a comedic foil to Carter in several instances while also being a useful assistant (he deserved that cameo in Avengers: Endgame). In Season 2, Reggie Austin comes in as Dr. Jason Wilkes, a charming scientist who helps Carter with her investigation and serves as a brief romantic interest and conflict after he comes in contact with zero matter (which will be explained shortly).
‘Agent Carter’s Fantastic Villains
The first season introduces Leviathan, a Russian organization fighting back within the Cold War. They are represented by two figures: The first, Dotty Underwood (played brilliantly by Bridget Regan), is a sleeper agent who originally moves in next to Carter while watching her and the S.S.R. The other is psychiatrist Johann Fennhoff (Ralph Brown), who tricks Carter and the S.S.R. into trusting him to get access to Stark’s weapons, hypnotizing several agents. The sequences when Fennhoff deceives several people are some of the most compelling scenes in the series, taking the characters into these dreamlike places away from the cold, dark reality of the situation.
The second season introduces Whitney Frost, a name used as an alias for Madame Masque in most Marvel comic series. Frost is an actress and a scientific genius (her story is based on that of Hedy Lamarr). She comes into contact with Zero Matter, an implosive substance described as “more dangerous than anything we’ve ever seen.” Frost is taking control of her life for the first time after years of working in the background, showing up to a film with an artificial smile. The only shame is that she is stripped of her powers by the end of the season, but Everett makes the most of her time as the character.
So, Why Didn’t ‘Agent Carter’ Last?
The series did get convoluted at points, trying to explain each character’s backstory and tie every moving part together. And to an extent,the show tends to move in circles before getting to exciting parts of plot. Each season works through several villains that manage to die within episodes of their introduction. There are also multiple diversions over course of series from Peggy’s theater friend Angie (Lyndsy Fonseca ) to sloppy Agent Krzeminski (Kyle Bornheimer ), that force talented actors into forgettable stereotypical roles.
The show has some shortcomings but overall,Agent Carter is still special series. It holds interesting place in MCU’s history that may not have garnered audience it deserved but forever provided outlet for Peggy Carter to shine.
Agent Carter is now streaming on Disney+.
