Last spring, we weren’t even certain if ABC would give Agent Carter a second season or quietly fold the series. Fast forward six months and Agent Carter not only has a winter timeslot and a second season coming, but the show is already signing on some big names for round 2. This morning, we learned that Kurtwood Smith has signed on to Agent Carter in a major recurring role.
We don’t know a ton about the gig, yet, but unlike a lot of Marvel castings, Smith’s upcoming gig isn’t exactly shrouded in secrecy. He’s set to play a character named Vernon Masters who also happens to be a veteran of the War Department. THR reports the character will have a “keen understanding” of the system. Presumably, he’ll also work with Peggy Carter in some capacity and it would make me tickled pink if he calls her or one of her peers a dumbass at some point (fandoms collide!)
Kurtwood Smith has been in the acting business for years, popping up in movies like Dead Poets Society and Broken Arrow before becoming a household name during his time on That 70s Show, where he called his son and their friends dumbasses and generally was a curmudgeon with a soft side. He’s unlikely to play the same sort of character on Agent Carter, although the show does reunite him with showrunners Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, who also cast the actor in Resurrection. Unlike Agent Carter, that drama that didn’t get good news from ABC this past spring, leaving Kurtwood Smith free to take this gig.
Some big stuff happened at the end of Agent Carter Season 1. We got an intriguing cameo, Peggy Carter finally said goodbye to Captain America in her heart, and the S.S.R. lost their chief when he was hypnotized and strapped a bomb to his own body. He then jumped out of a window, killing himself to protect the other members of the S.S.R. It was a really solid last couple of episodes in a season that admittedly started a little slow, and we’re glad to see a some big names signed on for Season 2.
Smith isn’t the only new name to join the cast of Agent Carter. A few weeks ago, we learned that Outlander’s Lotte Verbeek signed on to Ana Jarvis, aka Jarvis’ wife. We also know that Peggy Carter will face off against villain Madame Masque when Agent Carter heads to Los Angeles at midseason.
ABC hasn’t announced an official premiere date at this juncture, as various networks are still rolling out their fall premieres. However, we do know that Agent Carter is set to air in the same timeslot as last year, filling in for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. after that show goes on hiatus this winter. As soon we get a premiere date, we’ll be sure to let you know. For now, here’s what has yet to come out this fall.
