‘Agent Carter’ bringing ‘Doctor Strange’s’ Darkforce to season 2

When “Agent Carter” returns one week from today, it will be introducing viewers to classic Marvel villains, canon Marvel storylines, and even supernatural Marvel elements like “Doctor Strange's” Darkforce.

This news comes from Comic Book Resources, who spoke with “Agent Carter” showrunners Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters about the upcoming season. According to Fazekas and Butters, this season will introduce a substance called “Darkforce”, which will serve as a direct tie-in to “Doctor Strange” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”  

“That's what Isodyne is, and what you'll learn is they were involved in the nuclear testing out in the desert when they were testing the, at the time they were calling it the atom bomb — and one of these tests didn't go as expected. You'll learn more about that in Season 2, but they stumble upon what people in the Marvel Universe will know as Darkforce, but because they've never seen it before they just name it Zero Matter. That's our tie-in to the 'Doctor Strange' universe, and also to 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' because you've seen it in 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' as well.”

“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” first explored the idea of Darkforce/Zero Energy in the season one episode “The Only Light in the Darkness.” According to Director Coulson, Blackout derived his powered from the Darkforce. This Darkforce will also come again in the forthcoming “Doctor Strange” movie, which hits theaters in November of this year. 

I think this is really smart move for “Agent Carter” season two. Marvel fans always wonder how ABC's shows will connect to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this is one way “Agent Carter” can. Even though “Agent Carter” is set in the '40s and can't have a linear storyline that joins to an MCU film (like “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “Captain America: Winter Soldier”), it can introduce technology, supernatural forces, characters and so many other things that will be featured in the films.

Take the character of Edwin Jarvis (James D'Arcy). Jarvis is the voice inside Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) suit. Why did Tony pick that voice? Was it perhaps because he was raised by Edwin Jarvis while his father Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) was working? And what about all that S.H.I.E.L.D. tech Coulson (Clark Gregg) fanboys over in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”? That had to come from the S.S.R., which is the agency Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) works for. 

I think introducing the Darkforce is a very clever way for “Agent Carter” to stay grounded in the MCU and a fun way to show the origin of something that may play a huge role in Benedict Cumberbatch's upcoming “Doctor Strange” film. 

“Agent Carter” returns for a 2-hour season premiere January 19 on ABC. 

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