MCU Phase 5 Can Still Tell Captain Carter's Missing Story

Marvel Studios' What If...? season 2 has the opportunity to tell a missing part of Captain Carter's story. With What If...? season 1 first introducing the idea of Captain Carter, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness capitalized on this by including yet another variant played by Hayley Atwell once again. What If...? season 2 is confirmed to be releasing in 2023 and could tell another story surrounding that same variant from Doctor Strange 2.

As of yet, the only confirmed episode to be shown in What If...? season 2 was the Gamora-centric episode missing from season 1 thanks to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With What If...? season 2 confirmed to have nine episodes like the first, there are a lot of possibilities for Marvel Studios' continued exploration of the multiverse. One of the episodes could do this by making the multiverse more interconnected, and telling a prequel to Doctor Strange 2's Captain Carter.

What If...? Season 2 Can Show How Captain Carter Met The Illuminati

Mr.Fantastic and The Illuminati assemble in Doctor Strange 2

The Illuminati was one of the more intriguing concepts of Doctor Strange 2 that was unfortunately cut short by Scarlet Witch's massacre of the team. Through What If...? season 2, the MCU could capitalize on this concept by showcasing how the team was formed. Earth-838 was shown to have many stories to delve into, including their own defeat of Thanos and Doctor Strange's incursions. Given how What If...? season 1 wasted the great concept of Captain Carter on an uninspired story, the second season could rectify this.

While both variants are from different universes, fleshing out the backstory of Doctor Strange 2's Captain Carter could allow the same fantastic art style and characterization of What If...? season 1 to be accompanied by a more intriguing story. This could allow the show to further develop the characters of Doctor Strange 2's Illuminati, which had a frustratingly small role in the film. With many considering Doctor Strange 2 a disappointment due to its inability to properly capitalize on its concept and title, What If...? season 2 can take steps to rectify these mistakes.

Doctor Strange 2 Failed Peggy Carter... Again

Captain Carter smiling in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

This links to how Doctor Strange 2, unfortunately, did not give Peggy Carter enough to do. The entire Illuminati only had a few minutes of screentime due to the heavier focus on Scarlet Witch's villainous turn. This included Peggy Carter, who had some brief-yet-cool action scenes before being killed off alongside her comrades. This meant that Doctor Strange 2 failed to provide Captain Carter with anything that differentiated her from either the Earth-616 or What If...? version, leaving audiences wanting more. Through What If…? season 2, not only can Doctor Strange 2’s characters be improved in retrospect, but an underutilized character could receive a highly-interesting story.

More: Will Captain Carter Return? Hayley Atwell’s MCU Future Explained