James D’Arcy joins ‘Agent Carter’ as Jarvis, set for January 2015

Marvel Studios’ second network television show will be Agent Carter, an ABC series following the character portrayed by Hayley Atwell in Captain America: The First Avenger. Casting continues as the show begins to take shape.

Haley Atwell as Agent Carter with Howling Commandos in “Agents of SHIELD” season 2 photo

Variety reports that Cloud Atlas actor James D’Arcy has signed on to play Howard Stark’s Butler Jarvis, a popular character in the comic book series and a precursor the J.A.R.V.I.S. artificially intelligent confidante of Tony Stark.

The announcement offers not real details. “D’Arcy was most recently seen as the villain in Fox’s “Let’s Be Cops” and can be seen next in Warner Bros. “Jupiter Ascending,” Variety reports in their Sept. 16 article.

Atwell will return as the title character, joined by Enver Gjokaj and Chad Michael Murray. Dominic Cooper is presumed to return as Howard Stark.

The show revolves around Carter going on secret missions for Howard Stark while also balancing administrative work and life as a woman in 1946.  Stark and Carter go on to form S.H.I.E.L.D. as seen in the Marvel One-Shot Agent Carter, so one might think of this new series as a prequel of sorts to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who wrote both Captain America films, have been hired to put together the 8-episode first season of Agent Carter.  The Winter Soldier directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, will helm episodes two and three.

The new series is expected to debut on ABC in January fitting in between seasons of Agents.