Hayley Atwell Casting In ABC Pilot Raises Questions About Agent Carter‘s Fate

The leading lady behind our favorite knock-em-dead agent and eventual founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. has landed herself a new show.

Hayley Atwell was recently cast in the crime drama Conviction, which if picked up would most likely air during the 2016-2017 season. The story follows a political family’s daughter who leads the Los Angeles’ Conviction Integrity Unit. Atwell has nabbed the main role, which will see her exploring cases where wrongful convictions may have been doled out to innocent people.

The announcement raises some questions about the fate of Atwell’s current series and Marvel property, Agent Carter. Although her casting isn’t necessarily a sign that the once “limited” series is dead, it may signal that it’s on its way out. There’s already difficulties with production scheduling for one show, let alone two utilizing the same actress. With Atwell as the lead in both properties, it may be near impossible to hash out a way for both series to run in the same season.

Near impossible isn’t totally impossible, though. Although the Marvel spin-off series has struggled in the ratings since its first season, it is a prized product of the expanding ABC/Marvel universe. Where many shows would have been axed during their first seasons with ratings like Carter’s, the show’s relevance to the companies’ larger business plans helped keep it afloat. If ABC isn’t afraid to admit a loss, it may be lights out for our favorite agent relatively soon. However, if ABC prizes loyalty to its product, it could give the series a proper wrap up with a two-hour special, shortened season 3 run, or a complete final season that works around Atwell’s comittments to Conviction.

Any way the cookie crumbles, we get more Atwell and that is a win for us all.