There is only one Agent Carter – actress Hayley Atwell – and she will bring the character to the small screen for the Marvel spinoff show of the same name. Howard Stark, on the other hand, has so far been played by no less than three actors. Gerald Sanders portrayed him first in Iron Man, but then transformed into John Slattery in Iron Man 2. His most recent guise was in the shape of British actor, Dominic Cooper, however, who filled the role in both Captain America: The First Avenger, and in the Marvel One-Shot Agent Carter, that essentially served as an early pilot for the forthcoming series.
The character is the father of Tony Stark (aka: Iron Man), and is deeply involved in the operations of S.H.I.E.L.D in the 1946 setting of ABC’s Agent Carter series – but ABC have yet to formally announce the involvement of the character, or the actor that will play him. Hayley Atwell seems to have done that for them though, in conversation with reporters at an event in London, where she is currently appearing in the West End stage production ‘The Pride.’ When asked about Cooper’s assumed involvement, Atwell said:
“He’s incredibly naughty, so I’m going to start the pranks as early as I can. He will come up with some very good ones too.”
So, not only is Cooper playing the role of Stark, but it sounds as though Agent Carter herself is anticipating his role to be sizeable, and regular enough to warrant the early planning of on-set practical jokes. Cooper, who most recently appeared in Need For Speed, has a number of big screen roles lined up – including Duncan Jones’ Warcraft, set for release in 2016. For many Marvel fans, however, his is the definitive Howard Stark, and his role on the small screen in Agent Carter will undoubtedly be a huge boost to what is already a highly anticipated show.
Agent Carter is expected to take over the Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D timeslot during its mid-season break.
