Hayley Atwell has once again voiced her dissatisfaction with Captain Carter's treatment in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Atwell first portrayed Peggy Carter, Steve Rogers' love interest, in "Captain America," later lending her voice to an alternate universe version in the animated series "What If...?," and briefly donning the suit as a member of the Multiversal Illuminati in "Doctor Strange 2."
However, Captain Carter was swiftly killed by the Scarlet Witch in the film, her own shield turned into a weapon against her, leading to a brutal exit for the character. Speaking recently at London's For the Love of Fantasy & Sci-Fi event, Atwell stated:
"I was very disappointed with how they arranged her, and what happened in that scene. That scene was too short, and she was cut to death by the shield... I feel that completely betrayed the character."
While the character was merely a variant of Peggy, and Wanda also dispatched multiple Illuminati members in the same scene to showcase her overwhelming power, many fans still understood Atwell's frustration. For audiences who cherished Peggy and Captain Carter, seeing this live-action version introduced only to be quickly eliminated felt like a missed opportunity, making the Illuminati's appearance one of the film's most polarizing sequences to date.
Nevertheless, Atwell may still have a chance to return. She is expected to reprise her role as Peggy in the upcoming "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Avengers: Secret Wars," potentially even appearing again as Captain Carter.
Both films are slated to be directed by the Russo Brothers.