The Marvel Cinematic Universe has made an impact on the big screen since its inception that is now, with the addition of Agent Carter, now being shared on the small screen.
Marvel has crafted a shared universe that contains nine films and now two television series, each working with various characters introduced in the films. “Agent Carter” follows the post WWII exploits of Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), introduced in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” as she adjusts to life after the allied victory and the loss of Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America.
Carter was involved with developing the super soldier program used to transform Rogers into the muscular hero clad in stars and stripes. “Agent Carter” details Carter’s transition from a respected ally in the fight against Hydra to an under-appreciated agent for the SSR.
“Agent Carter” also welcomes the return of Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), another fan favorite from “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Much like his son in his debut film (“Iron Man”), Stark has a difficult time dealing with the consequences of people stealing his inventions. However, the two Stark men differ in their responses to the situation. While Tony donned a suit of armor, Howard was faced with treason chargers and fled the country to find answers.
Stark pleads with Carter to help prove his innocence and find those responsible before the weapons can be used, and before he gets caught and thrown in jail. Carter agrees to help Stark after he reminds her of how the men of her office treat her as a secretary instead of an agent. When Carter accepts, Stark introduces her to his butler Edwin Jarvis (James D’Arcy), who agrees to assist Carter in any way possible. Fans of the MCU might recognize Jarvis as the name of Tony Stark’s personal AI system.
One of the most delightful aspects of the show is the interaction between Carter and Jarvis’ mild-mannered persona. Their interaction played out in a world of espionage and excitement makes for comedic and heartfelt dialogue. Fans will enjoy Jarvis’ subtle references to his wife Anna, who he fears won’t approve of his more adventurous exploits to help Stark.
She is not the cookie-cutter “strong female character” shows often include to try to pass for female empowerment. She is a female character with agency who happens to be strong, bull-headed, overly nosy, and one who has a bit of a hero complex. She’s imperfect, relatable, three-dimensional, and she carries the show.
The show manages to avoid the two easiest traps for lead female characters. First of all, in order to make them “badass” directors often have them completely reject their femininity—they “aren’t like the other girls.” Carter doesn’t do this—she has several close female friends, and those relationships are shown to have substance. Her bathroom is full of perfumes. She isn’t over her lost love.
If directors don’t do that, they make the character physically strong but overly sexualized to the point of impracticality. Again, Carter escaped this fate. She’s attractive, yes, but that’s not all she is. This is shown well in her fighting choreography. Unlike many stylized and feminine fighters that we see in action movies, who do backflips and spin-kicks all over the screen, Carter’s plan is usually to beat the bad guys using various blunt objects and extreme force. It’s rather cathartic—it’s almost as if Carter is taking out her frustrations with her workplace discrimination.
Moreover, her struggle with gender expectations is an excellent statement on our history, and present, of gender inequality. The situations she faces are extreme but relatable. For instance, she is often overlooked. She uses this to her advantage—she is a spy, after all—but the fact of the matter is that many characters underestimate and ignore her because of her sex. Her co-workers focus on her mistakes in order to deny her opportunities, a perfect example of confirmation bias. Carter’s sexuality is policed by her apartment manager.
Not only is it action-packed, it’s a period piece that combines the struggle against evil with the struggle of women in post-WWII America (the fifth episode is called “The Iron Ceiling,” after all). “Agent Carter” not only details the life of a secret agent but the difficulties of women in the workforce.