Hayley Atwell To Star In A Live-Action Captain Carter Series?
The variant of Peggy Carter known as Captain Carter has become a fan favorite, which means we might be getting a new Hayley Atwell series.
The multiverse continues to give MCU fans gifts. According to a report from ScreenRant, Hayley Atwell could possibly get another live-action series, this time as the Peggy Carter time-variant Captain Carter, as seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Her cameo in the Sam Raimi film is still being talked about by fans, and Marvel could capitalize on the positive buzz by giving Atwell a new show.
Rumors of a Captain Carter series have circulated for some time, beginning with the character’s appearance in last year’s What If…? animated series for the Disney+ streaming service. The 40-year-old London native voiced the character in the series, but the chance to revive the character in live-action may be too enticing for both Marvel and Hayley Atwell to deny. Marvel Studios seems to have really bought into the creative storytelling possibilities of the multiverse, ever since the positive fan reaction to Spider-Man: No Way Home set the Hollywood box office on fire.
Phase 4 of the MCU, unlike previous phases, isn’t anchored by characters like the Avengers and Captain America. Their plotlines and villains defined the direction of those phases, and devoid a central narrative like the Infinity Saga, Phase 4 could benefit from movies and series that don’t have a lasting impact on their characters. Where the multiverse is concerned, nothing (including death) is definitive. That means having Hayley Atwell in Phase 4 could go in some wild directions, without altering the Marvel Universe completely.
If you haven’t seen Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, be warned that spoilers follow. The possible return of Peggy Carter as Captain Carter would give Marvel a second chance to give one of their most popular actresses the center stage. Hayley Atwell earned her first solo MCU live-action series in 2015 after making a huge impression in the first two Captain America films. However, the Agent Carter series got a lackluster reception from fans and critics alike, and it only lasted two seasons. Despite the World War II setting and the appearance of characters like Cap’s Howling Commandos, the series never delivered on the action and espionage fans expected. A Captain Carter series would certainly raise the stakes, and hopefully, Marvel would deliver a storyline and budget worthy of the character.
It should be noted that the ScreenRant report, based on a rumor from The DisInsider Show, is hardly a sure thing. There is that pesky point that Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter died in Doctor Strange 2, so it is unclear if a series would tell her backstory before her death or use a different Captain Carter altogether. No other cast and crew have been mentioned, so if Marvel is moving forward with a series, it is too early in the process to know much. The series, however, would be a nice endcap to Atwell’s appearance in the MCU. She and Chris Evans provided the emotional core at the heart of Avengers: Endgame, as their characters finally got the life they deserved. As Captain Carter, she would finally be able to take up the shield and be a live-action superhero as well.
Until we get confirmation that a Captain Carter series is actually happening, Hayley Atwell is going to be busy regardless. She is starring in the next two installments of the Mission Impossible franchise with Tom Cruise, titled Dead Reckoning Parts I and II. She is also providing the voice for Lara Croft in Netflix’s Tomb Raider animated series, although the fate of that series may be up in the air with the recent troubles and restructuring going on with the streaming giant.
