Marvel Cinematic Universe spoilers follow.
Marvel star Hayley Atwell has opened up about Peggy Carter’s MCU future.
The actress has played the SHIELD agent in a variety of projects, from the Captain America movies to her own TV series to variant versions in both Marvel's What If…? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
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Speaking to Digital Spy, she didn't close the door to the MCU: "It’s so funny, because, you know, I did that 10 years ago, and I love her because I love the people, and you never know…"
The actress pointed out that one big obstacle is the most recent version of the character, the variant known as Captain Carter, was "cut in half with a frisbee" by the Scarlet Witch in the latest Doctor Strange film.
"It was definitely not, you know, the trajectory that I see for Peggy. I would definitely like her to have more to do," she admitted.
Atwell added that a potential reappearance for Peggy, either in her original MCU timeline or as a variant, depends on interest from the fans. "It depends on what Marvel, and what the audiences, want," she said.
"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."
Atwell touched on the impact of playing a character in various iterations over the course of more than a decade.
She recalled: "I think, you know, when I first started doing it, what it meant in playing her was, I was starting to learn how to hold my own as a character who felt like an outsider, a little bit, and was up against the very obvious things of being in a man’s world, being overlooked, being overseen, knowing that she was competent but it was unlikely that she would get the recognition – she would just have to work twice as hard.
"And yet she remained dignified in that. And it was particularly more explored in the series that she remained true to herself. So she had an integrity that I really admired.
"And I think, yeah, it was the first time I was working in a franchise, in a studio system that big. So it was a huge, huge learning curve, really, to have gone from classical theatre and period-dramas that had come from books – these literary classics, where my love of language was kind of developed – and then to go into a big studio system, and work with these wonderful, creative nerds, and to feel respected. That was important.
"So I think more in terms of the process of playing her, it was the beginning of my adult self in this industry."
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is streaming on Disney+.
![Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1654869402-51BnASiek9L._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness [DVD]")
![Marvel Studios: The Infinity Saga - Collector's Edition [Blu-ray, region-free]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1592930813-51rTY4QSSxL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Marvel Studios: The Infinity Saga - Collector's Edition [Blu-ray, region-free]")
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
