The latest TV series set in the MCU is finally here in the form of Freeform’s Cloak & Dagger. By now, we’re used to these shows being mostly separate from each other, but the premiere of this one actually neatly lined up with the events of a previous series – specifically, Agent Carter season 2.
The big inciting incident of Cloak & Dagger is a Darkforce explosion from a rig owned by the Roxxon Corporation that hits the young Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson, unknowingly giving them superpowers. While we don’t know exactly what Roxxon were doing with Darkforce, we do know the past of the mysterious, dangerous substance thanks to ABC’s tragically short-lived show starring Hayley Atwell.
Season 2 of Agent Carter saw the S.S.R investigating an inter-dimensional material they called Zero Matter, though Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had previously given it the comic book accurate name of Darkforce. The extent of its properties were not fully explored, but Darkforce was shown to open portals to another dimension and bond with a human host, like villainess Whitney Frost. These abilities explain how Tyrone can summon Darkforce energy and teleport.
What’s more, in the episode titled “The Atomic Job,” the Darkforce was dropped during a theft attempt, broadcasting a considerable blast of energy that could be felt over a wide radius. This also fits in with the explosion of matter that occurred in Cloaks & Dagger. In case you think this is just a coincidence, showrunner Joe Pokaski has revealed that the writers deliberately rewatched Agent Carter to make sure they got the depiction of Darkforce correct.
As for Roxxon’s role in the proceedings, that was actually revealed over on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4’s “The Good Samaritan” featured an explanation that Isodyne Energy, the company from Agent Carter, had folded in the 1950s, with their assets taken over by Roxxon. The organization has always been in the background of the MCU – first being referenced in Iron Man 2 – but it looks like they’ll now come to the fore here.
It’s always exciting when the MCU’s TV division actually lives up to the “it’s all connected” promise, so kudos to Cloak & Dagger‘s writers for making sure it lines up so well with Carter and S.H.I.E.L.D. Hopefully there’ll be a few more connections in the rest of the run, too, as so far, the show’s off to a solid start.
