'Agent Carter' Season 2 Talk and 'Winter Soldier' Cameo

Marvel’s Agent Carter at last got her “Valediction” with last night’s first season finale, finally letting go of Captain America, but surprisingly setting up The Winter Soldier along the way. ABC has yet to formally commit to Season 2, but what do Carter writers and executive producers have to say on its potential plot, and further Captain America crossover?

You’re warned of spoilers for last night’s Agent Carter finale from here on our, but for those hoping Toby Jones’ return as Dr. Arnim Zola would prove permanent in a second season, producers aren’t quite so certain. Captain America writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely spoke to Entertainment Weekly on the matter, cautioning that Johann “Doctor Faustus” Fennhoff (Ralph Brown) would likely prove an easier return, especially as The Winter Soldier dictates that Peggy remain largely ignorant of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s secret Hydra infestation.

In particular, Markus also noted the wonky timeline of Zola’s presence within the Captain America movies, as the Swiss doctor would apparently gain enough leeway outside of incarceration to spearhead Bucky’s transformation into the Winter Soldier, which Agent Carter revealed Fennhoff’s mind-control abilities to have factored in. Showrunners Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas were surprised to find Toby Jones available to reprise the part for a scene, but doubtful Zola would prove a major presence in Season 2.

So, what then can we expect from future Agent Carter, should ABC decide to order another season in the coming months? Now that Peggy has overcome her grief over losing Steve Rogers, dumping Cap’s remaining blood vial off the Brooklyn Bridge, Fazekas and Butters felt open to develop Peggy finding a life outside of work, even if Markus and McFeely don’t place a tremendous stock in the Winter Soldier revelation of her future husband having known Cap during the war.

Fazekas and Butters told TVGuide that a second season need not necessarily take place in New York again, while McFeely and Markus previewed a chance to delve into Peggy’s pre-SSR history:

MARKUS: When we were figuring out the show and the backstory of the show, we had a really nice story about who Peggy is and where she came from. We just didn’t have any time. I would love to tell that story.
MCFEELY: That’s one of our strongest ideas for the second season: What makes Peggy, Peggy? We like what Peggy is, but if you ask some hard questions, you might wonder: but why is she that way? We have some thoughts on that.

Fazekas and Butters also suggested to EW that certain dropped ides of Peggy attend girls’ night out and developing a closer friendship with Angie (Lyndsy Fonseca) might play into Season 2, having been cut from the first eight episodes for time. Perhaps best of all, Butters tells The Hollywood Reporter “More Peggy and Jarvis. They are the heart of the series.”

We’ll find out more on Agent Carter‘s fate in the coming months, simultaneously uncovering Peggy’s future with next week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. return, but what other major Marvel figures should tie into Agent Carter Season 2, once ABC smells the series’ success?