Agent Peggy Carter of Marvel’s Agent Carter is moving to Los Angeles for season two, where she’ll be welcomed by palm trees, the Pacific, and a new foe to hurl household objects at: Marvel villain Madame Masque will be Peggy’s main enemy in season two. Madame Masque, a.k.a. Whitney Frost, was originally conceived as a part-love interest, part-foe to Iron Man in Marvel’s comic universe. Recently, she was a key player in Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye comic run as a nemesis to Kate Bishop.
Agent Carter executive producer Tara Butters says Masque will be a glamorous ’40s movie star in the show, and the writers have pulled influence from real-life actress and scientist/inventor Hedy Lamarr for their version of the character. When asked if she thinks it’s significant that this season’s villain is a woman, Butters replied: “For me it is, because I feel like that is something that…as much as there are not enough female heroes just on television, I feel like having a female villain is just as equally powerful.” According to Butters, the role of Masque has already been cast, but she isn’t allowed to reveal who it is yet because Marvel loves their secrets. Whoever the mystery woman is, she better be prepared to go up against Hayley Atwell in the show’s excellent fight sequences—and probably a Dubsmash competiton down the line.
Agent Carter will return at midseason on ABC. James D’Arcy’s Jarvis and Enver Gjokaj’s Agent Sousa will be back to help Peggy with “her most dangerous assignment yet.”