When the recent deluge of network TV cancellations was finished, ABC’s Agent Carter had washed away with the rest, leaving in its wake a population of disappointed and angered fans clamoring for its return. No other outlets have come forth with a plan to make Season 3 happen, but the show’s stars are definitely down for more Marvel-scented intrigue in the future. Dominic Cooper in particular is all but guaranteeing that Howard Stark, along with Peggy Carter, will be back for more adventures leading up to the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Yeah, and I think they will. [Peggy and Howard]’ll come back somehow – whether it’s on that network or another, or whether it’s that show or a different type of show, you’ll see them again somewhere, I have no doubt about it.
Now, we know that Dominic Cooper isn’t as powerful as Howard Stark and might not have the same kind of connections that the Stark family amassed over the decades, but Cooper probably knows someone with an ear against a wall to a room where conversations are happening. I know Agent Carter’s ratings weren’t spectacular or anything, but considering we’re living in an era of entertainment where people are insatiably hungry for comic-related properties, it seems like some network (or Netflix) exec out there would have a foolproof plan in mind on how to spin this crafty and cunning spy drama into can’t-miss viewing and not just a midseason replacement.
So yeah, ABC may be done with Agent Carter and its characters, but the actors who portrayed them have invested too much of their personal attention to just let them go like that, especially knowing that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is fond of keeping its miles-long list of characters handy in case there’s a way to fit one or some into the many projects consistently in development. (If you watched Captain America: Civil War, then you know how they worked Peggy Carter into that story.) Here’s a bit more hardcore optimism Cooper shared with EveningStandard.
There’s something inside me that definitely says that character’s not over with. I adore playing him, he’s great fun.
So maybe we won’t get Agent Carter Season 3, but something else entirely. That doesn’t have to be the worst thing in the world. What if we get a spinoff series (or miniseries or whatever works) that really digs into the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D., with Howard and Peggy playing either central roles or recurring roles? Obviously, the more involved they are, the better, but if certain lines have to be drawn because of Cooper’s work on AMC’s Preacher or Hayley Atwell’s time on her new ABC drama Conviction, and that’s the only way to make any of it work, I’ll take it. And yeah, if it has to happen in a movie and not a TV show, I guess I can allow that as well.
Only time will tell if Howard Stark and Peggy Carter will one day grace our small screens. But in the meantime, check out our summer TV schedule to see everything that’s definitely coming to TV in the next few months.
