Is Captain Carter Worthy Of Wielding Mjolnir?

Warning: This article contains spoilers for What If...? episode 9.

In Marvel's What If...? finale, Captain Carter fights to save the Multiverse and may also have shown she's worthy of wielding Mjolnir before her return in Doctor Strange 2. The What If...? season 1 finale shook up the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the final episode, the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) gathered the various superhero variants revealed throughout the season, and he brought them together to take on Ultron (Ross Marquand). The final team consisted of Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), T'Challa's Star-Lord (Chadwick Boseman), Gamora (Cynthia McWilliams), Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), Party Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and evil Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Black Widow (Lake Bell) eventually joined as well. Together, the heroes separated Ultron from the Infinity Stones and saved the Multiverse.

Peggy Carter had a drastically different story in What If...? as opposed to the main MCU timeline. Though, her story in Doctor Strange 2 is yet to be uncovered. In What If...? episode 1, Marvel changes the events of Captain America: The First Avenger. Instead of Steve Rogers (voiced by Josh Keaton) receiving the Super Soldier Serum, Peggy Carter does. She soon takes the name Captain Carter and puts the war effort into her own hands. On the other hand, Rogers becomes the first Iron Man, and the pair take on Hydra together. Unfortunately, it didn't last. They are eventually separated when Carter fights a monster summoned by Hydra back through a portal. She disappears for years.

What If...? may have shown that Captain Carter could be worthy of wielding Mjolnir – and going by footage of her fight with Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange 2, she may well need it. In the What If? finale, the team of superheroes, which the Watcher dubs the Guardians of the Multiverse, concoct a plan to steal the Soul Stone from Ultron. Part of that plan involves Captain Carter smashing the villain with her shield. Following her assault on the evil AI villain, Carter grabs hold of Mjolnir's handle in What If...?, which is flying back to Thor. Then, she hitches a ride on the hammer down to safety. It's a brief scene, but it may give the nod to Captain Carter's worthiness.

How What If? Hints That Captain Carter Is Worthy To Wield Mjolnir

Captain Carter raising her fist in Marvel's What If...?

Captain Carter has given several glimpses of her worthiness to wield Mjolnir in What If...?. In addition to holding onto Mjolnir briefly in the What If...? finale, Carter repeatedly puts herself in harm's way for the good of others in the What If...? premiere. Like Rogers sacrificed himself in The First Avenger by plunging a rogue aircraft into the ice, Carter did the same in her episode, disappearing for years to save the world from a tentacled monster. At the end of What If...? episode 9, Captain Carter ponders the possibility of joining Steve Rogers in another timeline. However, after the Watcher tells her that her timeline needs her, she returns home. But, of course, when it comes to selfless acts, Captain Carter could do that all day.

Why Marvel Is Retroactively Giving Its Female Characters Superpowers

Lately, Marvel has been (retroactively) granting special abilities to its female characters, as shown with Captain Carter What If? and Doctor Strange 2 and Natalie Portman's upcoming turn as Jane Foster/Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder — and it's about time. The MCU now offers a range of diverse superheroes, but this wasn't always the case and doesn't mean there's no room for some more inclusion. Solo superheroine movies have been rare up until recently, with many of them being mishandled in distribution (like Black Widow) or review-bombed by fans, as per the unjust online furor around Captain Marvel's Brie Larson. Jane Foster and Peggy Carter are two examples of Marvel atoning for past omissions.

In Thor 4 footage, Jane Foster looks to be holding a repaired Mjolnir, striking an imposing figure and looking more than combat-read. What If...? opted to give Peggy Carter the Super Serum in place of Steve Rogers, and she makes short work of Shuma-Gorath and Hydra's lackies. Captain Carter's live-action debut will happen in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and she may take on a role of increased significance in the multiverse. Making Peggy Carter more formidable than her male counterpart speaks volumes about what Marvel is trying to do by retrofitting these existing MCU heroines with new superpowers. The only unfortunate aspect is that it didn't happen sooner, and the MCU had to use the explanation of the Multiverse to justify their inclusion.

It's likely no coincidence that both Foster and Carter have held Mjolnir while also gaining enhanced abilities. While What If...? finale doesn't truly reveal Carter's worthiness. Captain Carter holds onto Mjolnir's handle in the episode, letting the hammer guide her to safety. She doesn't wield it herself. It's also unknown if the Mjolnir from Marvel's What If...? finale has the same enchantments as the one in the Earth-616 timeline, which lets the worthy wielder have the power of Thor. However, timeline shenanigans aside, if Steve Rogers is worthy of Mjolnir, there's no reason that Captain Carter wouldn't be – and it's a good thing that she's this powerful and honorable.

Next: Why Captain Carter Is In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness