Peggy Carter's MCU Return Gets Doubtful Update From Hayley Atwell

Following her variant's demise in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Hayley Atwell has a doubtful update regarding Peggy Carter's Marvel Cinematic Universe future. Though having played a larger part in the small-screen world of the MCU after her debut in Captain America: The First Avenger, Atwell's character quickly became a fan-favorite supporting player in the franchise, namely for her drive for a better, and more equal, world and the chemistry shared with Captain America star Chris Evans. Atwell would reprise her role for half of the Avengers movies, the first Captain America sequel, The Winter Soldier, the first Ant-Man movie, Agent Carter and more recently in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

In a recent interview with Digital Spy, Hayley Atwell reflected on her time as Peggy Carter in the MCU. After expressing some disagreements with her arc in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Atwell would give a doubtful update about her potential MCU future, feeling that it is ultimately in Marvel's hands, but that the character is "no longer mine." See what Atwell said below:

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 [if there could be more]. It depends on what Marvel, and what the audiences, want ... 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.

Where Peggy Could Return In The MCU

Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter shoots directly toward the screen

Though Atwell may feel doubtful about Peggy Carter's potential MCU future, that doesn't necessarily mean the door is closed for her to come back to the fold. Considering Avengers: Endgame concluded with Evans' Steve Rogers staying in the past and marrying Peggy, it would've been easy to believe that the epic finale for The Infinity Saga would act as her final chapter, giving her and Steve the best ending possible. However, as the MCU began diving into its Multiverse Saga, Atwell returned to the franchise for both What If...? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which offered her the chance to tackle the super-powered variant of her iconic hero.

With the Benedict Cumberbatch-led sequel ending with Captain Carter meeting her end at the hands of Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch, it's again understandable that some would feel Peggy's MCU future may be in doubt. However, it has already been confirmed that the What If...? season 2 premiere would pick up from season 1's mid-credits scene, which saw Captain Carter and Natasha Romanoff discovering the HYDRA Stomper armor with a person inside, the former of whom excitedly believed it to be that of Steve. Footage shown of the new season at this year's San Diego Comic-Con confirmed it would be Steve, though brainwashed by his captors and transformed into the show's take on the Winter Soldier, making for a heartbreaking battle between the two.

While Atwell's Marvel Cinematic Universe future is set in the animation world with What If...? season 2, it will be interesting to see if she'll return to the live-action field at any point. There is plenty of unexplored material in the MCU timeline between Agent Carter season 2 and being seen in the '70s in Avengers: Endgame and '89 Ant-Man flashback, and with Atwell having previously expressed interest in a live-action Captain Carter movie, the endless possibilities of the Multiverse Saga offer a wealth of avenues for her return. Audiences can revisit Atwell's MCU tenure thus far streaming on Disney+ now.

Next: What If...? Season 2 News & Updates: Everything Marvel Has RevealedSource: Digital Spy