Another familiar face from the MCU’s past is joining the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. And this one is a welcome surprise. According to a report from Deadline, Hayley Atwell is returning as Agent Peggy Carter for the upcoming Russo Brothers film. With the return of Chris Evans, it makes sense that Captain America’s great love would follow along as well. But will Atwell be the Peggy from the Sacred Timeline, who founded S.H.I.E.L.D. and lived to a ripe old age? Or will she be a variant, like Captain Carter, the version of the character who received the super soldier serum? We’re guessing it’s most likely the latter.
Marvel introduced the concept of superhero Captain Carter in the Disney+ animated series What If…? In the episode “What If…Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?” we meet an enhanced version of Peggy. In this reality, Steve Rogers never received the super soldier serum, and instead piloted the Howard Stark Hydra Stomper. Could Atwell (and Evans) be playing live-action versions of those iterations of their famous characters? It’s a distinct possibility, with the multiverse in play. Another version of Captain Carter has appeared in live-action already. Sadly, the Scarlet Witch killed that version of Peggy in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Hayley Atwell first played Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger, in a fairly sizable role. She later made a cameo as a much older Peggy in The Winter Soldier, as well as a middle-aged version in the opening sequence of Ant-Man. After a well-received Marvel One-Shot short, she received a two-season Agent Carter show, set in the late ’40s. We saw Peggy again in a cameo in Avengers: Endgame, where she and Steve Rogers received their happily ever after moment. Atwell is excellent in the role and is Marvel royalty, so we expect fans to be thrilled at having her back in any capacity.