In the 20 years since The State introduced the world to a new super-squad of comedic minds, actor Ken Marino has made us laugh in just about every role he’s taken. But he’s got something rather different in mind for his next gig, as he’s taken on a bad guy role in the upcoming Season 2 of ABC and Marvel’s spy thriller Agent Carter. That’s right, the man who wants to “dip his balls in it” is going to be a Marvel villain. I love this world.
Marino won’t be a superpowered evildoer wielding a huge scepter or blasting energy beams out of his hands. He will instead play mob boss Joseph Manfredi, the top dog in the Maggia crime syndicate. Marino has been great at playing meatball characters in the past, but something tells me Manfredi is going to be a little more vicious than stereotypically goofy. While it’s not clear from Variety what specific things Manfredi will be dealing with, we know that he’ll be working with those working against Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter, and he’ll be helping them in their dastardly efforts. Sounds more like a middle man than a big boss, but I won’t let him hear me say that, for my own safety.
It’s no mere coincidence or feat of random nature that Marino finds himself on Agent Carter. Showrunners Tara Butters and Michele Fazeka were the pair who created the totally underrated CW horror comedy series Reaper, on which Marino played the demon Tony, a former neighbor of Sam and widower to another demon played by fellow The State member Michael Ian Black. Butters and Fazeka are both quite happy to get an available Marino for the role, and they both think he’s got an incredible character range. We can’t wait to see how he chameleons his way into this show.
Season 2 of Agent Carter has moved the action over to Los Angeles for Peggy to investigate a murder. We’ll still get to see the likes of James D’Arcy, Enver Gjokaj and Dominic Cooper, and other new cast members include Kurtwood Smith, Currie Graham, Reggie Austin and Wynn Everett and Whitney “Madame Masque” Frost.
Marino has been as busy as ever recently on the small screen, as he’s wrapped up the shortlived NBC sitcom Marry Me, co-starred in the Netflix revival series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and the Adult Swim comedy Childrens Hospital, and also appeared in Maron. Axe Cop, Golan the Insatiable and Life in Pieces. On the big screen, he appears in Goosebumps and will next be seen in Jared Hess’ caper comedy Masterminds with Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson.
Fans can expect to find the 10-episode Season 2 of Agent Carter hitting ABC at some point early in 2016 as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. takes its winter hiatus.
