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Credit: Marvel StudiosCaptain Carter (Hayley Atwell) didn’t quite agree with the choices being made…
Most Marvel Studios fans will agree that there were two standout films in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). Unfortunately, the rest of the catalog for Phase 4 has seemed fairly lackluster, including the return of a Marvel Cinematic Universe alumni, Hayley Atwell, in the live action debut of her character, Captain Carter.
Hayley Atwell first joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) as Peggy Carter, an agent with the Strategic Scientific Reserve, or SSR. The tough as nails, and stunningly beautiful Carter (Atwell) would help the newly selected super soldier, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) navigate this new life he’d chosen. The two would eventually fall for each other, but, due to Steve’s (Evans) sacrifice, wouldn’t get the chance to be together…at least in that timeline.
Peggy (Atwell) would make subsequent appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having a brief cameo as a much older version of herself in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), and her own short-lived series, Marvel’s Agent Carter (2015). Her time to shine as Captain Carter (Atwell) wouldn’t come until the Disney+ series, from Marvel Studios, What If…? (2021). Here, in an alternate timeline, Peggy (Atwell) ends up being the one to take the super soldier serum, and, taking up the shield becomes Captain Carter (Atwell). Fighting her way across the multiverse alongside Steve Rogers (Josh Keaton) as a sort of Proto-Iron Man, she ends up on the wrong side of the timeline wondering where Steve (Keaton) had gone, mirroring the that tragic moment at the end of The First Avenger when Steve (Evans) says that he had a date.
Captain Carter (Atwell) made her live action debut in Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness (2022), as a member of the Illuminati, alongside such Marvel super hero greats as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (John Krasinski), Captain Marvel/ Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) and Professor X/Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart). These outstanding cameos, however were to be very short-lived. In a Darkhold-driven rampage, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), dream-walking in a variant of herself, rips her way through the Illuminati headquarters, and eventually through the Illuminati themselves, Captain Carter (Atwell) included.
Hayley Atwell recently did an interview with Digital Spy, in which she revealed that, like many audience members, she didn’t see the character going that way:
“It was definitely not, you know, the trajectory that I see for Peggy. I would definitely like her to have more to do…”
Atwell went on to discuss the future of her involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the future of the character, saying that it’s really up to Marvel Studios, and the fans:
“I’m a custodian of her. Compared to the rest of my career and everything I’ve done or my stage work and doing ‘Mission: Impossible’ now and all the diversity of roles I’ve played, and the diversity that I get to explore, and to be able to play more complex roles and villains and lots of different things – she is not mine anymore.
“She lives in the world of people that have taken her into their heart. And that’s beautiful. But it’s kind of like: yeah, you can’t control the impact a particular role has on the rest of the world.”
Related: Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter Made Everyone Cry During ‘Captain America’ Audition
Atwell’s character has brought a lot to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in her own right, and in the stories of characters who’s stories she’s been a part of. Audiences can only hope that the violent Captain Carter (Atwell) met in Multiverse of Madness isn’t the end for the character herself. After all, it’s a big multiverse out there…anything could happen!
What did you think about Captain Carter in Multiverse of Madness? Let us know in the comments below!