Hayley Atwell addresses Captain Carter's future in the MCU

Hayley Atwell in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Captain Carter actor Hayley Atwell has addressed her character's future in the MCU – and she wants Peggy to have "more to do". 

"Well... I have no news for you. Sorry," she said at Awesome Con in Washington D.C. (via Fandom Spotlite). "But I share your enthusiasm. And I would love to feel that if Marvel did find a home for her that it's a home that feels worthy of her in terms of evolution as a character and development as a character. And the experience I've had in playing her has given me the most incredible opportunity to hone my particular craft in this franchise. And I want more to do, because I feel that fans deserve that."

Captain Carter is an alternate universe version of Peggy Carter, the MI6 agent, ally of Steve Rogers, and founder of SHIELD. Atwell played the regular version of Peggy in Captain America: The First Avenger, reprised the role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (but under heavy prosthetics), then cameoed in Avengers: Endgame, and had a spin-off series, Agent Carter. 

However, the actor also voiced an alternate version of Peggy in the animated Disney Plus series What If…?, in which Peggy is the one who receives the super-soldier serum, not Steve. With her superpowers, she's called Captain Carter and is equipped with a vibranium shield with the Union Jack flag on the front. A live-action version of the character appeared as part of the Illuminati in Universe 838 in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Atwell continued: "When she says, you know her tagline, 'I know my value. Anyone else's opinion doesn't matter,' that's really good. But I want everyone to realize her value and the same way that, essentially, her own self-esteem and dignity comes from that sense of she knows her worth. She just gets on with her job, she works for the sake of work with dignity, and she loves it. She doesn't need validation. But there is one thing that she deserves, which is agency in the world. And that can't come until certain people in positions of power – namely the men – cede their power and offer her that platform. I'd like her to have that opportunity because then I feel like I have something… much more interesting to offer you guys."

Next up for Marvel is Thor: Love and Thunder, which arrives on the big screen on July 8. In the meantime, make sure you're up to date with the MCU with our complete guide to Marvel Phase 4.

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.