If you’re still smarting over the loss of Agent Carter, then news of how it was close to making a return isn’t likely to help you cheer up. But according to Hayley Atwell, for a good period of time, ABC was optimistic about the show existing alongside Atwell’s new role in legal drama Conviction.
Speaking to Comic Book Resources recently about Conviction, Atwell stated that when ABC approached her about the new leading role, it wasn’t to seal Agent Carter’s doom, but for her to happily star in both shows. But while Atwell was left unsure of either show’s potential fates, there were always options for more adventures with Peggy:
So when this pilot came about, ABC said, “Well, this is not where we’re cancelling Agent Carter. This is a great new project. We really want you in the center of it. We want to see if it’s going to go.” And then, there were talks of, “Do we do an Agent Carter special? Does [Conviction] not get picked up, and Agent Carter does? Does the opposite happen? Does neither of them happen? Will I be completely, like, jobless come summer?” All of that was a possibility, and you can only really focus on what’s right in front of you.
It really does seem like Agent Carter’s survival was up in the air until the very final moments, despite the encroaching feeling in the wake of the show’s second season that it was already doomed. But as ever, Atwell has hopes that in some form or another—whether with a special episode or even a series on another network—Peggy has a lot more missions in her:
I think they would have figured something out in terms of making a special, or waiting until we finish this season, and then we do something else with another network, perhaps. All I’m saying with that is, it’s still a much-loved show for the people involved in the making of it, and we know that the fans, it has a special place in their hearts. I would be very happy to go back to her if she became available.
... I would love it to be. I hound [Marvel Studios co-president Louis] D’Esposito on a regular basis, saying, “Give me a movie!” I think the great thing about Peggy is, we know from Winter Soldier that she lives a long life, so she can come back. I’m banking on, when I’m in my fifties, I’m like, “This is the time. Let’s see what Peggy’s up to in this decade.”
We can only hope too.