Marvel star Hayley Atwell has opened up about what it would take for her to continue playing Peggy Carter after her upcoming return in Avengers: Doomsday. Atwell joined the MCU in Phase 1, starring as Peggy alongside Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger. The role eventually led Atwell to lead her own short-lived TV series, Agent Carter, and to appear as Peggy in several MCU films, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame.
Atwell is next set to reprise her role as Peggy in Avengers: Doomsday, marking fifteen years since she first began playing the role in the MCU in 2011. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at San Diego Comic-Con this year, Atwell shared that she hopes to play Peggy Carter for another ten years, provided that her character "can evolve" and "audiences want to see her." Most importantly, Atwell noted she would want an "enduring story for [Peggy] to be a part of," if she were to continue playing her.
"I hope I am. As long as Peggy can evolve and the audiences want to see her and that there is an enduring story for her to be a part of, then I would be delighted. I love working with these people. It feels like an extended family and I've known them since I was practically a baby, so I owe them so much."
Atwell has had the chance to play Peggy Carter in several forms, including as an elderly woman in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and as the variant Captain Carter in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Atwell will appear in Avengers: Doomsday alongside her longtime co-star Chris Evans, who is reprising his role as Steve Rogers despite him seemingly having closed the book on the character in Avengers: Endgame. The actress shared that she and Evans were both "like kids starting out," and were similarly surprised by the "extent" of their roles in the MCU. That said, Atwell added that the "returning aspect" of the MCU "makes it very special."
"Yeah, we were like kids starting out, and I think also there was a sense we didn't know what this was going to be, and it was just a wonderful summer filming in London, and then when it came out and the impact it I think took us both by surprise, the extent of it. It would never occur to me in my career, especially when you're at drama school, it would never be a thing where you'll do a job that then you'll keep returning to as a character. Normally you're living in kind of the the bubble of a job and then you finish it and then you go off and do something else. But with this one, the returning aspect of it makes it very special."
While not featured in the initial Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement, Atwell was recently confirmed to return in the upcoming MCU movie after appearing on stage at Marvel Studios' presentation at Comic-Con. She has yet to feature in the marketing for Avengers: Doomsday, so it's unclear what her role as Peggy has in store for her this time.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released on December 18, 2026. The Russo Brothers return to direct their fifth MCU movie, with Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., Paul Rudd, Letitia Wright, Simu Liu, and more starring.
Peggy Carter's Future in Avengers: Doomsday and Beyond
Peggy Carter's role in the MCU was thought to be over after she died off-screen in Captain America: Civil War. But Marvel Studios has continued to find ways to utilize Atwell's character over the years.
The end of Avengers: Endgame saw Steve Rogers travel through time to return the Infinity Stones to their rightful place, but when he returns as an old man, it's to learn he spent some time reclaiming the life he lost after he went into the ice in World War II, and stayed longer to spend time with his love, Peggy.
This story will seemingly be expanded upon in Avengers: Doomsday, after Steve was seen returning to a homestead and soothing a baby in one of the film's initial teasers. It was suspected that Peggy Carter couldn't be too far away, and Atwell's on-stage appearance at SDCC has all but confirmed she'll be back as the mother of Rogers' child in the film.
This would open up another aspect of Peggy for Atwell to play, this time seeing her as a mother and partner to Steve, which was never really explored because Steve was frozen in the ice before they could further their relationship. While this may seem like a small part for Atwell, her increasing presence on Avengers: Doomsday's promotional tour suggests it could be a much larger role than anticipated.
The prevailing theory for Steve and Peggy's return is that the former Captain America's decision to alter the timeline by staying with Peggy has ramifications for the Multiverse, including Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, who is now seeking revenge for the destruction this decision has caused. This would force Steve and Peggy out of superhero retirement and into action alongside the Avengers to prevent their new life and precious family from being taken away (although rumor has it Peggy may take even more drastic action).
It hasn't yet been revealed whether Atwell will return as Peggy in Avengers: Secret Wars, though it's rumored she will, suggesting this will be at least a two-film arc for the character. Beyond Phase 6, it's difficult to say what's next for Atwell as Peggy, as it is for any of the Avengers, as the ramifications of Avengers: Secret Wars could reshape the entire MCU. However, that reshaping could also open the door even wider for Atwell to continue playing Peggy in an enduring story like the actress is hoping for.
