The core premise stays rooted in traditional period spy adventure with sci-fi elements drawn from the character's established MCU origins. However, the season introduces a deliberate racial prejudice subplot through new original character Jason Wilkes, a Black scientist who directly experiences and discusses 1940s systemic racism, shifting focus away from pure historical adventure toward contemporary social commentary. Showrunners and Hayley Atwell have stated their intent to expand diversity by hiring African American writers and addressing prejudices to increase modern relatability rather than maintain strict historical accuracy.

Prominent but era-contextual sexism themes appear through Peggy's professional struggles and Whitney Frost's encounters with Hollywood objectification. Casting avoids any race or gender swaps of established characters and includes no LGBTQ elements, keeping identity politics from becoming the foundational premise or primary driver of the narrative.