As one of the more compelling tendrils of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Agent Carter has spawned a loyal following who are all invested in the covert operations of one Peggy Carter. And so, after a brief cameo in Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man last month, fans are keeping one eye trained on 2016 in anticipation of season 2. We’ve long heard of Marvel’s plans to introduce more villains with the show’s sophomore outing, though during a recent interview with /Film, Executive Producers Tara Butters and Chris Dingess revealed how they are putting their own spin on the villainous Madame Masque.
Though Masque didn’t make her bow in the comics until ’69, Butter and Dingess confirmed that the antagonist will be reworked to mesh with the rest of the story, telling fans to expect a devious movie actress who harbors the darkest alter-ego in all of Tinsel Town.
I think we’ve changed the look of her a bit obviously. We’ve made her an actress, which is very Hedy Lamar. She was a ‘40s siren actress who was also a scientific genius, so that’s part of what we’re mining with this character.
Known as Whitney Frost, Madame Masque was initially a villain for Tony Stark’s Iron Man, and recently played an instrumental role in Matt Fraction and David Aja’s recent Hawkeye comic series. In this instance, she’ll act as Peggy’s biggest threat. Speaking of which, Butters and Dingess went on to discuss the female lead and how she’s evolved in the time that has lapsed since the first season – which itself took place in the fallout of Captain America: The First Avenger.
The nice thing is, I feel like by the end of the first season, she had decided emotionally that she needed to move on. I think that when we start season two, the nice thing is you will see a much lighter Peggy, one who is ready for the adventure of her job and potentially the adventure of a new relationship. She’s not going to be mourning the loss anymore. It’s still someone she absolutely loved but the fact is she knows she has to move forward in her life.
Running for 8 episodes, the maiden season helped establish the style and tone of Marvel’s period spinoff, but with season 2 encompassing an extra two episodes, Butters and Dingess also touched upon the expanded creative headroom.
Less likely that there’ll be a standalone episode but I definitely think it allows for more character, because we can have more personal stories built into the framework of the overall arching mystery, which I like. I like seeing these characters and seeing their relationships to each other.
Hayley Atwell will reprise her role as the beloved Agent Carter when Marvel rolls out season 2 of the hit show in early 2016.