It is, indeed, the end of the road for Peggy Carter—in more ways than one. While the character got a funeral inCaptain America: Civil War, that appears to be the last time we’ll seeHayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter onscreen for the foreseeable future, as ABC has brought down the ax and cancelled the Marvel TV seriesAgent Carterafter two seasons. Created byCivil WarandCaptain America: The Winter SoldierscreenwritersChristopher MarkusandStephen McFeely, the spinoff was a promising notion after Marvel’s first TV foray,Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.got off to a rocky start.Agent Cartertook place after the events ofCaptain America: The First Avengerand Steve Rogers' disappearance and focused on Carter balancing life as a secret agent in 1940s America, withDominic Cooper’s Howard Stark andJames D’Arcy’s Jarvis serving as her sometimes cohorts.
While anticipation was high,Agent Carter’s first season failed to impress due to lackluster pacing and storytelling issues inherent in the Marvel TV universe. The show attempted to regroup for the 10-episode second season by moving the setting to Los Angeles, where Carter had to face the threats of the atomic age post-World War II. Ratings continued to struggle even as critical consensus started to turn around, and now ABC—under new presidentChanning DungeyfollowingPaul Lee’s ousting—has opted to bring theAgent Carterstory to an end.
It remains to be seen if Marvel might resurrect the character as part of a One-Shot down the road, should that form of short-film storytelling be resurrected, or some other form of resurrection, or if this is indeed the end for the character’s story. The film and television departments at Marvel have grown further apart since a restructuring movedKevin Feigedirectly under Disney’sAlan Hornand away from notoriously finicky Marvel CEOIke Perlmutter, who maintains oversight over Marvel TV withJeph Loebat the helm. Hey, at least we’ve still gotJessica JonesandLuke Cage, right?
What do you think, folks? Were there other storytelling avenues you wishAgent Carterhad explored? Sound off in the comments below. And for more renewal/cancellation news,check out our comprehensive scorecard.
