A big trend within the MCU nowadays seems to be bringing previously featured characters to the forefront of the franchise.
Emily VanCamp's Sharon Carter turned out to be the Power Broker in Disney+'s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Sir Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery wasn't impersonating the Mandarin anymore in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. And now, Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter is playing captain in What If...?, Marvel Studios' first animated show.
Appearing in the premiere episode, Peggy solidified herself as the multiversal Captain Carter in an alternate universe based on 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. Since then, viewers have seen glimpses of her supposed return in the series, possibly leading the rumored Guardians of the Multiverse.
Hayley Atwell is reportedly returning to live-action as well in next year's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, taking her animated heroine from the small to the big screen.
Since Atwell is making herself a known force in the MCU again, it seemed as if Marvel Studios was also celebrating her past endeavors; this included featuring her One-Shot, Agent Carter, on Disney+ recently.
Now, however, it looks as though that celebration has come to an arguably confusing halt.
Agent Carter One-Shot Removed from Disney+
Marvel Studios' Agent Carter One-Shot was completely removed from Disney+, seemingly across all territories.
In mid-September 2021, Marvel Studios' Agent Carter One-Shot was added to Disney+ within its own special section/page. Beforehand, the short could only be found in Iron Man 3's EXTRAS section; Agent Carter has been removed there as well.
However, the All Hail the King One-Shot, which focuses on Sir Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery's imprisonment following the events of Iron Man 3, still has its own page; the short was added in anticipation of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Is the Hayley Atwell Hype Train Braking?
There doesn't seem to be any clear indication as to why Disney+ would remove a section solely dedicated to the Agent Carter One-Shot.
The One-Shot originally appeared on the 2013 DVD and digital release of Iron Man 3 and gave some brief insight into how Peggy eventually started up what viewers knew as SHIELD. From there, the Agent Carter ABC show was also born, spanning two seasons on the television network.
On its own, the One-Shot exemplifies the brilliance of Atwell's character; it reminds viewers of why she is now a returning force to the franchise and re-emphasizes her importance to MCU lore as a whole.
It's possible that its removal could have been nothing more than in preparation for bigger and better things to come for Peggy; maybe the streaming service pulled the gun and wants to highlight her more so down the line, possibly aligning with the Season 1 finale of What If...?.
Either way, this shouldn't raise any alarm over the character; Marvel Studios and those working with it have made it clear that Hayley Atwell will always be welcome there.
Fans will hopefully see Hayley Atwell again in the MCU if and when Captain Carter pops up during the end of Season 1 of What If...?, streaming exclusively on Disney+ every Wednesday.
