How Marvel TV Can Revive Agent Carter

The story for Agent Carter needed to progress to a point that Peggy is seen by members of the SSR, and later S.H.I.E.L.D., as a true leader and a subject matter expert in her field. I mean, she was a part of the selection of Steve Rogers as Captain America for a reason. Opportunities exist to add diversity to the cast with a character we’ve all seen and enjoyed from The First Avenger, Derek Luke as Gabe Jones, the grandfather of B.J. Britt’s tragically lost Antoine Triplett (I still haven’t forgiven you for that by the way, Marvel). We’ve seen that Cap’s Howling Commandos were still involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. in the season 2 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode “Shadow” as well as in the Agent Carter episode “Iron Ceiling”. This isn’t to say that all of these characters should be made regulars; with some of them having moved on to other roles outside of the MCU, it may be best to use some of them as cameos or for later story lines.  But the character of Gabe Jones has already been established as having been a spy at some point in his career after World War II, having been hinted at by Agent Koenig to Triplett. But, let’s seriously talk about Hank Pym, The Original Ant-Man.

The show had great success bringing Dominic Cooper’s Howard Stark back for story arcs and episodes throughout Agent Carter’s tragically short run – but he is not Iron Man, and as much as we love seeing this early version of Tony Stark with an added level of neurosis, he has other parts to play in this universe. Namely finding the wife that will become Iron Man’s mother. But he was, and never will be Iron Man.  So there is an opening for the introduction of another talented super genius with a suit that enables him to do fantastic and amazing things, “Tales to Astonish”, if you will (see what I did there?). Not only that but the characters of Hank Pym and his one day wife, Janet Van Dyne, can have their story told; what got them to the point that she would sacrifice herself to save the world, leaving behind a husband and daughter, who would one day go on to take up her mantel as The Wasp. (Cannot wait for that movie!) Not only that but by introducing Janet there is another female lead character to bear the burden of working in a “man’s world”, which has always been a central theme of Agent Carter.

But at the top – overseeing everything, making the tough decisions, sending Ant-Man on his Cold War-era missions – is their leader, Director Carter.