Captain America: The First Avenger was the fifth film in the MCU when it released in 2011, and introduced a fan-favorite character that's been brought back multiple times for more than a decade. Hayley Atwell made the role of Peggy Carter instantly iconic in The First Avenger, mainly because she wasn't a typical love interest for the hero. Peggy was a no-nonsense SSR agent who could handle her own in any situation, despite being constantly undermined by her male superiors. The tricky thing with Peggy was that The First Avenger largely took place in the 1940s before jumping ahead to present day, meaning Peggy as fans knew her for the majority of the film couldn't really exist in the MCU's main time period. Nonetheless, that hasn't stopped Kevin Feige and company from trying to bring Peggy back as often as possible.
Whether it be cameo roles in films such as Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, and Avengers: Endgame, or her own dedicated 2015 spin-off series Agent Carter, Marvel clearly understands that Peggy resonates with a large portion of its fanbase, which is why Atwell was brought back again in a pair of Phase Four projects. Atwell voiced the super-soldier version of Peggy, also known as Captain Carter, in multiple episodes of What If...? last year. The character was such a hit that she was made to be part of the Illuminati a year later in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Despite having so many recent appearances, Atwell said at a recent fan convention in Washington D.C. that she wouldn't mind another go-around as Peggy:
"I share your enthusiasm. And I would love to if Marvel did find a home for her; that's a home that feels worthy of her in terms of her evolution as a character and development as a character. And I've got more to do, and because I feel the fans deserve that."
The Multiverse Can Provide a Path to Captain Carter's Return
Diving into the multiverse has opened up a plethora of storytelling possibilities for Marvel Studios, which could mean there's more of a future for Captain Carter beyond what's been seen so far. Recent rumors have indicated that a live-action solo series based around the character is in development, but nothing has been made official by Disney or Marvel. The Captain Carter that was seen in Multiverse of Madness didn't survive her encounter with the Scarlet Witch, so a spin-off series would either have to take place at an earlier point in time in Earth-838, or feature a different variant in an entirely separate universe. Of course, Atwell could always return in future episodes of What If...?, but that route would ring a little hollow for fans who'd rather see the actress herself suit up.
A spin-off series based on a variant of a character has already been quite successful, as Loki grew into one of the biggest Disney+ series of all-time as it rolled out on the streamer last summer. Loki could give Marvel the blueprint for developing a Captain Carter solo series, which wouldn't have to worry about connecting back to the events in the main MCU timeline. Marvel would be free to take the character wherever it wanted and could reconsider including Captain Carter in future multiversal projects, including the long-rumored Secret Wars film that may be coming down the line. Needless to say, there are plenty of ways to bring Peggy Carter back into the fold, which means Multiverse of Madness may not be the last time Atwell makes her presence felt in the MCU.