Hayley Atwell is in the throes of a punishing workout schedule.
“I got ten weeks in which to kind of transform my body into a machine so that I can, if anything, deal with the just sheer stamina of what it's gonna be like to film the series,” said the “Agent Carter” star while promoting the upcoming Marvel spinoff at San Diego Comic-Con. “And we start at the end of September, so I've just got enough time to transform. We'll see how it goes!”
One interesting aspect that sets the upcoming show apart from its Marvel predecessors is its period setting – a post WWII world in which women are “sidelined” once again as American men return from overseas.
“It's 1946. She's lost Steve [Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America], but she's back working with a group of men who don't really see her full potential, and she's seen as this kind of the girlfriend of Steve Rogers,” said Atwell of the show's sexual politics. “And so she's having to fight for her corner within the workspace.”
To hear more from Atwell and executive producer Louis D'Esposito – including the potential for crossover between “Agents of Carter” and “Agents of SHIELD” – click on the video above for the full interview.
“Agent Carter” is slated to premiere in January on ABC.