Creatively, Agent Carter had everything going for it — but in the end: business is business.
When ABC pulled the plug on low rated but the critically acclaimed Agent Carter earlier this year, many fans looked to streaming network Netflix to swoop in and pick up the show. Netflix has a history of saving beloved programs from other networks (Arrested Development, The Mindy Project), and they had built their own corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with their shows Daredevil and Jessica Jones. The program seemed a natural fit.
But Netflix passed on rescuing the sophomore drama, and no one was quite sure why … until now.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos explained why Agent Carter never worked out for the network.
We’re looking for truly original brands to own, and in that Marvel space we already have [Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Luke Cage and Iron Fist] – so that was mostly why.
And even larger reason loomed — economics. Netflix liked to own their shows lock, stock and barrel, but Marvel had already sold distribution rights in dozens of countries around the globe. Sarandos explained:
They also have some output deal complexities. So when you pick it up, being able to pick it up globally is difficult even after it’s canceled. Some of those output partners still had it on the air, so they would argue it’s covered by their output [deals]. Unfortunately, it was a business decision more than a creative one.
So there you have it. “Business” did what Soviet spies, Hydra agents and rampant sexism failed to do: put an end to Peggy Carter. This depressed me a lot, so to cheer myself up, I’m sharing these delightful behind-the-scenes photos from the series that I found floating around the Internet.
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