Captain America is one of the main characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it seems that the mantle will live on forever due to the hero's legacy still being recognized in Phase 4.
Chris Evans played the Star-Spangled Avenger during the MCU's Infinity Saga, starting from 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger all the way to 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Evans portrayed Captain America 10 times in the mega superhero franchise, and many would agree that it is a performance filled with memorable moments.
As the MCU enters a new chapter, Endgame cemented the fact that Steve Rogers will move on from the Captain America mantle, thus passing the shield to Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson at the tail-end of the film. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier did a deep dive into the heroic transition of Sam into the MCU's next Star-Spangled Avenger.
Given that the multiverse is now involved, another version of the super-soldier will also be featured in Phase 4. What If...? is set to introduce Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter, coming from a reality where Peggy Carter was the one who took the super-soldier serum instead of Rogers.
Ahead of the character's animated debut, it looks like Marvel is going all-in to promote her introduction on Twitter.
CAPTAIN CARTER: THE NEW FACE OF TWITTER
Marvel Studios' Captain America Twitter account officially changed its display picture and header to Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter, replacing Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson.
This change comes days before the premiere of What If...? on Disney+ which has been confirmed to feature Captain Carter in its debut episode. Interestingly, the Captain America Facebook page still has Sam Wilson as its main hero on the header.
To recap, a change also happened when Sam Wilson was officially introduced as Captain America during the finale of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, replacing Chris Evans' Steve Rogers in the process.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR CAPTAIN CARTER?
Marketing for the Disney+ series has shown a good chunk of Captain Carter's scenes, setting the stage for a grand introduction of the character. On top of that, What If...? executive producer Brad Winderbaum also confirmed that the newly-juiced super-soldier is a character that they will "revisit in every season" of the animated series.
At this stage, it makes sense that Marvel Studios is pushing Captain Carter to the forefront, especially considering her highly-anticipated debut in What If...?.
Given that Peggy is taking over the role of Steve Rogers in the main MCU timeline, it also makes narrative sense that the SHIELD founder will be featured more prominently in What If...? and beyond.
It's worth pointing out that Captain Carter is rumored to debut in live-action in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and if this pans out, this would mean that Marvel Studios has faith in Hayley Atwell's portrayal.
While it is still not set in stone that Captain Carter will cross over into the live-action realm of the MCU, it's reasonable to assume that the SHIELD mainstay will reign over What If...? and other potential animated ventures that Marvel will tackle in the future.
The first episode of What If...? is set to premiere on Disney+ on Wednesday, August 11, 2021.
