While many hoped to see one of the baddest fighting agents in red lipstick to match continue her mid-century adventures in New York, it seems as though it’s finally time for Agent Peggy Carter to hang up her crimson fedora for good.
Netflix announced today that it would not be picking up Agent Carter to add to its roster of original content, Entertainment Weekly reports, and the reason is apparently simple: it’s not original.
For those who didn’t watch the show initially–and unfortunately, that number of those who did was miniature–Agent Carter centers around Ms. Peggy Carter, played by Hayley Atwell, a secret agent for a CIA-like American intelligence organization called the Strategic Scientific Reverse (SSR) post World War II. That time period is important, of course, because Agent Carter made her first appearance in Captain America as the British ex-pat serving in the Special Operations Executive for the US Army in the second World War. She befriended Steve Rogers, and one thing led to another before Captain America crashed his plane into ice. The show continued on with Peggy’s life, from aiding Howard Stark (Iron Man’s daddy) to dismantling evil organizations and, overall, smashing the patriarchy one misogynist at a time.
Despite its bombastic air, the show staggered in the ratings game, leading to ABC delaying renewing for a second season (which it then did at the last second) and then cancelling it all-together before its third. This led to a widespread social media campaign to save the shows, including hashtags like #SaveAgentCarter to a Change.org petition to have Netflix renew the series instead.
Said the description of the petition, “Agent Carter connects many people around the world and has a united and devoted fanbase. Everyone especially loves Agent Peggy Carter herself; for her sense of self-value, for not needing anyone’s approval, for her toughness, and her spirit. The show is loved for being a high-quality production from its set design and costuming to its well-written, fully-realized characters and excellent cast. The series may have been cancelled – but we can bring it to NETFLIX!”
Well, it does not seem that way. The petition gained 127,000 plus supporters, but in the end, Netflix wasn’t buying.
While Netflix does carry quite a few of its own Marvel-inspired-and-run series currently, most notably Daredevil and AKA Jessica Jones, and while the streaming giant is planning on adding Marvel’s Iron Fist and Luke Cage soon, this particular brand of superhero programming wasn’t appealing to them because it was never theirs to begin with.
“We’re looking for truly original brands to own,” Chief Content Officer for Netflix Ted Sarandos said, “and in that Marvel space we already have [comic-book-inspired series] – so that was mostly why.”
Still, that wasn’t much solace for the people that have been supporting Peggy Carter since her uncertain start on ABC two years ago. At it stands, the show is still dead, and it seems that Agent Carter will have to keep fighting sexism and evil off-screen.