Marvel Studios' What If...? is set to break endless and unknown boundaries of the MCU. One of these will lie in the form of one of the franchise's most iconic heroes: Captain America.
However, it isn't Chris Evans' Steve Rogers taking the spotlight this time around; it's Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter. Steve's long-time love interest will undergo the Super Soldier Serum transformation in the animated endeavor, thereby becoming Captain Carter.
Captain Carter has been predominantly featured in marketing for the show and is even rumored to be appearing in next year's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, potentially making the jump from animation to live-action.
Nonetheless, Carter's roots still lie within Captain America's story which has long been explored within the MCU.
Now, What If...?'s director has touched on whether Peggy will be inheriting any unused concepts from Steve over the years.
WHAT IF...? DIRECTOR TALKS CAPTAIN AMERICA STORYBOARDS
In an exclusive interview with The Direct, What If...? director Bryan Andrews revealed that unused Captain America concepts were interwoven with the creation and execution of Captain Carter.
Andrews has been a storyboard artist with Marvel Studios since 2010 and has worked on large action sequences in a number of films from 2012's The Avengers to 2019's: Avengers Endgame.
When asked if any of the storyboards he's seen or worked on over the years made their way into What If...?, Andrew said that there's "a ton of Captain America stuff" he was able to utilize with Captain Carter:
"There's a ton of Captain America stuff that I had done over all the years that just never quite got in there. And I was like, 'Ah-ha!' 'Cause now we have Captain Carter and she's got the shield, there's a lot of stuff ready to go... The moves are visually invigorating and they should be on the screen..."
Considering that Andrews didn't work on 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, it's safe to assume that these unused Captain America moments were taken from Steve Rogers' adventures in The Avengers and onwards.
Andrews also emphasized that even though Captain Carter took on some of these concepts, a lot of what was drafted and drawn for the character was meant only for her:
"And not to take anything away from Captain Carter. There's definitely some things that are absolutely, purely only Captain Carter."
CAPTAIN AMERICA'S LASTING MCU LEGACY
Although Captain Rogers and Captain Carter now share the same status in different universes, there's no denying that they are their own soldiers. They fight differently, as will be shown in What If...? through these unused storyboards, and think differently.
Still, an episode that will almost entirely be featured on the story of The First Avenger is bound to share some similarities to its predecessor. Whether it's exploring the same story beats or relationships from the film, fans will likely feel at home with this telling of Captain Carter's origins.
Of course, whether Captain Carter shows up later in the MCU, the legacy of Captain America lives on. Sam Wilson took on the name in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and will likely explore that mantle further in Captain America 4. U.S. Agent is still running around with arguably skewed ideals. Peggy Carter may or may not have been seen in the TVA in Disney+'s Loki (where's Steve, though?).
There are plenty of more opportunities for Andrews' work, both old and new, to pop up into the MCU. And if What If...? is as much of a visual treat as it appears to be, then the rest of the MCU will be unlike what fans have ever seen before.
What If...? premieres exclusively on Disney+ on Wednesday, August 11, 2021.
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