The last time fans saw Peggy Carter in Captain America: The Winter Solider, she was old, frail, and seemingly suffering from some form of dementia. A far meeker version of herself, it was hardly the way that fans wanted to remember the once strong and beautiful British officer.
Fortunately, however, audiences will soon have the opportunity to watch the bombshell during her heyday as a kick-ass agent on a weekly basis. Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Solider) reprises her role as the intense and intelligent Peggy Carter for ABC’s hyped new action-adventure series, Agent Carter. Set to debut Jan. 6, the premise of the show follows agent Carter as she continues her work for the Strategic Scientific Reserve while conducting secret missions for Howard Stark.
While we won’t know the exact direction the show will take until we’re a few episodes in, there are a few things that fans can count on once the season gets rolling.
It Will Serve as an Effective Supplement for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Agent Carter‘s premiere date is consciously scheduled during the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D season 2, mid-season break, in order to attract what is sure to be a nearly identical viewing audience given the two shows’ similarities. The premise of Agent Carter was even previously explored in a November episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., “The Things We Bury,” during a flashback covering some events post-Captain America. The congruency between the Marvel worlds and the way the new series concept already fits in nicely with the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D storyline makes it likely they’ll be created with a similar style in mind.
New Games
Not all of Marvel’s recently revamped characters go on to inspire in-depth console games, but at the very least fans can expect Agent Carter to stay on par with the online entertainment generated by most of the brand’s previous projects. Betfair’s online casino already hosts games based off The Avengers characters, as well as several other Marvel franchises such as X-Men, Spiderman, and Fantastic 4. With less popular characters like Ghost Rider even claiming their own game, it’s safe to assume we’ll see a game created in Agent Carter’s image as well. In the same approach as the other slot-based games, perhaps Carter’s will require matching symbols of her Walther PPK sidearm or always prominent ruby-red lipstick.
Constant Speculation on Carter Family
There is a lot of time missing between the 1940s when Peggy and Steve were a brief item, and the modern setting when Captain American became involved with Sharon Carter—known to fans of the comics as Peggy’s niece. Given the relation of the two female characters, fans will undoubtedly take a strong interest in Peggy’s family, including the events leading up to Sharon taking on a similar line of work.
Also, Den of Geek explains that the series could be crucial in building Sharon’s backstory when you consider how she won’t be in line for a stand-alone film anytime soon. And it’s a narrative that fans can refer to when she’s featured in future Marvel projects. However, without any other characters but Peggy listed with the last name Carter on the show’s IMDb page it could be an early indication of disappointment for some.
Some critics, such as those at Screen Crush, are already predicting that Agent Carter will be better than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Writer Ryan McGee wrote that “Hayley Atwell is fantastic here as Peggy Carter, and every moment’s she’s onscreen (especially with James D’Arcy as Howard Stark’s butler Jarvis) crackles with energy, life, and intelligence.” Of course, fans can always expect Atwell to give an amazing performance. After all, Peggy Carter is a character that she’s been able to perfect over the years. But the real question is, can we count on Marvel writers and producers to give the character the story she deserves?
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