Two new trailers dropped for Agent Carter this week, teasing the move of Carter and team to the west coast. Monday saw this Marvel clip which highlights Peggy’s place as a pioneer in the MCU:
Friday featured another clip, from ABC this time, all but meant to separate Carter from the gritty world of Jessica Jones. This promo sets Carter up as a noir action piece with a tough-but-ladylike protagonist and plenty of old Hollywood glamour:
Neither of the clips reveals much aside from the return of Jarvis, the sunny palette of the west coast, and Carter’s aptitude with both fists and guns. But that moment in the Marvel clip when Hayley Atwell’s Carter insults her new state in a spot-on American accent has emerged as a highlight. Who is she trying to fool? And who is the pin-striped fellow she’s near-kissing at the end of the ABC clip?
Marvel’s season 2 synopsis teased that Carter may get a new love interest this season, but it’s too early to tell if this is for real or just a role she’s playing in the Hollywood game.
Marvel’s other female-led property, Jessica Jones, debuted on Netflix last week pulling strong reactions from critics and viewers. Like its predecessor Daredevil, Jones is intended for adult audiences and doesn’t shy away from violence, sex, and tough themes like rape and abuse.
The Guardian calls it “[O]ne of the most complex treatments of agency in the wake of victimhood that the small screen has yet seen.” Season 1’s villain Kilgrave (David Tennant) has been called the best and most frightening Marvel villain yet.
ABC’s newest promo may be an effort to position Agent Carter as a more family-friendly alternative to Jones. Or it could just be a reminder that there is still great MCU TV on the way in the new year. Agent Carter premieres on January 5, 2016.