It seems as though we have been waiting for Agent Carter forever, but she has almost arrived. The second TV series from Marvel is due to premiere on January 6th, 2015 on ABC, as a seven episode miniseries during Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s hiatus.
Starring Hayley Atwell in the title role, the show will also feature Chad Michael Murray, Enver Gjokaj, James D’Arcy and Shea Whigham, and is headed up by Captain America writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus.
The official synopsis, from Marvel, is as follows:
“Years before Agent Coulson and his S.H.I.E.L.D team swore to protect those who cannot protect themselves from threats they cannot conceive, there was Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), who pledged the same oath, but lived in a different time when women weren’t recognised as being as smart or tough as their male counterparts.
But no one should underestimate Peggy.
It’s 1946 and peace has dealt Peggy a serious blow as she finds herself marginalised when the men return home from fighting abroad. Working for the covert SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve), Peggy finds herself stuck doing administrative work when she would rather be back out in the field; putting her vast skills into play and taking down the bad guys. But she is also trying to navigate life as a single woman in America, in the wake of losing the love of her life, Steve Rogers – aka Captain America.
When old acquaintance Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) finds himself being framed for unleashing his deadliest weapons to anyone willing to pony up the cash, he contacts Peggy – the only person he can trust – to track down those responsible, dispose of the weapons and clear his name. He empowers his butler, Edwin Jarvis (James D’Arcy) to be at her beck and call when needed to help assist her as she investigates and tracks down those responsible for selling these weapons of mass destruction. But Jarvis, who is a creature of habit and sticks to a rigid daily routine, is going to have to make some major life changes if he’s going to be able to keep up with Peggy.
If caught going on these secret missions for Stark, Peggy could be targeted as a traitor and spend the rest of her days in prison – or worse. And as she delves deeper into her investigation, she may find that those she works for are not who they seem, and she might even begin to question whether Stark is as innocent as he claims.”
In addition to being Marvel’s first real female-led project, Agent Carter has the advantage of being a Marvel TV series that doesn’t need to hold itself back to accommodate the cinematic side of its cohesive universe. Being set in the past, events can unfold naturally and at their own pace, while audiences won’t need to wonder where all their favourite superheroes are. At this point in Marvel’s timeline, Captain America is MIA, and the rest of the Avengers have yet to be born.
All in all, Agent Carter – with its apparent mix of drama, action and comic relief – is shaping up to be a very exciting prospect indeed.