Why Agent Carter Probably Won't Return On Netflix
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Back before the Marvel Cinematic Universe included nearly a full dozen shows (some of which were admittedly bigger hits than others), the MCU on the small screen consisted of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter on ABC. While Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is still going after five seasons, Agent Carter got the axe in 2016 after only two, and many Peggy Carter fans have been hoping for a renewal or revival ever since. Netflix seems like a natural fit for another Marvel show, but Agent Carter writer and producer Jose Molina weighed in on why an Agent Carter revival probably wouldn't work on the streaming giant, saying this:
I think the creative team would all line up to return -- the cast, the writers, etc. -- it would just be a matter of finding an outlet interested in airing the show. Given the series' ratings when it aired on ABC, finding that outlet seems like a bit of a long shot. It would be lovely to think that Netflix (home to so many awesome Marvel shows) would pick it up, but their shows all share a common universe and timeline that Carter doesn't share. Creatively, these shows tend to be very dark, and Agent Carter just doesn't have dark and brooding in its DNA.
Although Netflix has become the place to be on TV for whole bunch of Marvel shows thanks to Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders, and The Punisher, Jose Molina's comments to Den of Geek indicate that he doesn't believe Agent Carter would fit with the darkness of Netflix's superhero shows, and he has a point. Sure, the Marvel Netflix shows have their moments of levity and I know I got some laughs out of The Defenders in particular, but there was a lightness to the Agent Carter adventures when it was on ABC that definitely isn't present on the streaming superhero shows. Besides, Peggy's adventures take place decades before Daredevil and Co. starting fighting crime. If Agent Carter does come back, it probably will not be on Netflix.
Of course, this isn't the first time that the prospect of a Netflix revival was more or less nixed. Months after Agent Carter was cancelled in 2016, Netflix boss Ted Sarandos weighed in on why the streaming service didn't snap up the show despite the success of Daredevil and Jessica Jones by that point. Sarandos said that Netflix was looking for "truly original brands to own" and the Marvel shows coming to Netflix were originals. There were also global distribution issues that could have gotten quite complicated. Two years ago, Agent Carter on Netflix was unlikely, and that doesn't seemed to have changed. If anything, there are new reasons why not.
That said, we don't necessarily need to rule out a potential return of Peggy Carter and Co. to the MCU. In fact, the time has never been better for more Peggy. Since she lived and died before the events of Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel could use another round of Agent Carter to deliver a dose of MCU action with characters who weren't affected by Thanos' snap. It is a shame that Peggy died circa Captain America: Civil War, though, given Hayley Atwell's suggestion for how Peggy would have dealt with Thanos.
Hayley Atwell has reprised her role a few times on projects other than MCU movies and her own Agent Carter, with contributions to the animated series Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She's also been spotted hanging out at Marvel since Agent Carter ended, and Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb recently said that Atwell has been on board with returning, and they just need to find a network.
Given what we know about what Agent Carter Season 3 would have tackled, we have to cross our fingers that the folks at Marvel find a way to bring Peggy back, even if only for a television special. In the meantime, you can relive both seasons of Agent Carter streaming on Hulu now. For some other viewing options, swing by our summer TV premiere schedule.
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