After two episodes, “Marvel’s Agent Carter” isn’t dominating in the ratings. But on the set, Agent Peggy Carter herself, played by Hayley Atwell, is more than holding her own.

Stunt men have been hurt making the action series, but not Atwell, the British actress told TV critics meeting in Los Angeles. So, no injuries? “No, just the men,” she said, getting a laugh.

“Agent Carter,” a spin-off of the “Captain America” movie franchise, is filling in during the hiatus of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee had many nice things to say about “S.H.I.E.L.D.,” calling it “a great and powerful show for us.” In its second season, DVR playback is strong, the show brings in a prized male audience, and “now it’s going to come back with some fantastic storylines.”

“Agent Carter,” starring Atwell, James D’Arcy, Chad Michael Murray and Lyndsy Fonseca, is very much a Marvel series, executive producer Jeph Loeb said.  

“We like to have our heroes come from a place that is very empathetic,” Loeb said. “And in the same kind of way, they’re very aspirational. … Marvel is all about hope, and at the end of every episode, even though (anyone) might be in dire jeopardy, you have a feeling that this is going to turn out OK.”

Atwell was introduced as Peggy in “Captain America: The First Avenger.”

“We saw glimpses of what she could be in the first film, and this now is exploring (more). Yes, we know she’s strong and capable and has a hard time with the guys, but what about her vulnerability? What about her humor? What about her wit? What about her different aspects of her intelligence? I just felt that there was so much more that we could explore.”

ABC ordered seven episodes of “Marvel’s Agent Carter” for its first season. Ratings for the rest of the run will determine whether Atwell gets to explore the character more. [Source]