Hayley Atwell’sCaptain Carteranecdote fromDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' shoot summarizes how badly theMCUwasted the multiversal character. Hayley Atwell’s original Peggy Carter variant made her debut inCaptain America: The First Avengerand starred in herAgent CarterTV series before passing away inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. Atwell’s Peggy returned inAvengers: Endgameto wrap upSteve and Peggy’s MCU journey, but Marvel introduced a new variant inWhat If…?, where Captain Carter became a multiversal guardian. A different Captain Carter variant appeared inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she was promptly killed by Scarlet Witch.
In an episode ofReign with Josh Smith,Hayley Atwell looked back on Captain Carter’s cameofromDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessand recalled feeling disappointed with Captain Carter’s abrupt death on Earth-838, as well as being dismissed when she suggested some changes during filming.Atwell describes the Illuminati’s Captain Carter variant as"so undermined,“especially after delivering Steve Rogers' iconic line"I can do this all day.“InDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Scarlet Witch didn’t struggle to kill all members of Earth-818’s Illuminati and slice through their Ultron guards.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness’s Illuminati Deaths Are A Controversial Story Decision To This Day
Marvel Studios Introduced Big-Name Multiversal Characters Just To Kill Them Off
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessfeatured the first proper appearance of Reed Richards, Charles Xavier, and Black Bolt in the MCU, as well as the first alternate variant of Maria Rambeau and Captain Carter’s first live-action variant. Unfortunately, Earth-838’s Illuminati barely had the chance to introduce themselves before Scarlet Witch murdered them in cold blood, one by one. Not only that, butScarlet Witch made sure to kill every Illuminati member in the most gruesome and humiliating way possible — from blowing up Black Bolt’s head with his own voice to slicing Captain Carter in two with her own shield.
Marvel Better Not Make Me Watch Patrick Stewart’s Professor X Die For A Fourth Time On Screen
Professor X will return to the MCU after his incredibly brief introduction, but Marvel has a responsibility not to kill the character yet again.
Besides the Illuminati’s grisly deaths, Scarlet Witch’s Earth-838 attack was also controversial among audiences due to her multiversal victims' poor strategy and their small impact on the plot. In theory,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Illuminatishould be smarter, stronger, and more prepared than Earth-616’s Avengers. After all, the Illuminati managed to kill Thanos on Titan before he could perform his Snap, and they remained together to make their world a better place. Scarlet Witch practically served herself on a silver platter, yet they kept their guard down until the very last moment.
Hayley Atwell’s 2025 Comments About Captain Carter’s Death In The MCU Movie Highlight Why This Moment Is Still Divisive Years Later
Earth-838’s Illuminati Heroes Seem Deliberately Weakened
Hayley Atwell’s disappointment about Captain Carter’s humiliating death could apply to the rest of Earth-838’s Illuminati. Reed Richards is supposed to be one of the smartest people in any universe, and Black Bolt is powerful enough to destroy planets with his voice. Captain Carter, Professor X, and Maria Rambeau are also supposed to be seasoned leaders and strategists. Yet,Earth-838’s Illuminati heroes downplayed Scarlet Witch’s threat, took turns to attack her, barely reacted to their teammates' deaths, and failed to land a single blow on the magical villain.
What If…?’s efforts to depict Captain Carter as a multiversal-level warrior were overshadowed by Captain Carter’s abrupt death in live-action only one year later.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswas also Hayley Atwell’s first MCU appearance following Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter’s perfectAvengers: Endgameending. It’s rather odd to seeAvengers: Endgameend on a high note with Steve and Peggy dancing in the past, only to watch Captain Carter get sliced in half the next time Hayley Atwell appears in an MCU movie.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswent as far as to have Captain Carter repeat Steve Rogers' most iconic line, which was flipped on its head as soon as Scarlet Witch killed Carter without breaking a sweat.
The MCU Has Already Redeemed Captain Carter’s Death Once (& May Be About To Do So Again)
What If…? Seasons 2 And 3 Revisited The MCU’s Prime Captain Carter Variant
Despite Captain Carter’s quick and brutal death inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the original, 3D-animated, guardian of the multiverse Captain Carter returned inWhat If…?season 2 to team up with other powerful heroes like Kahhori, and then came back again forWhat If…?season 3, where she officially createdthe MCU’s Guardians of the Multiverseand took a stand against the Watchers.Three years afterDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,What If…?’s Captain Carter has mostly washed away the bad taste left by the live-action Captain Carter’s humiliating defeat.
After Avengers: Doomsday’s Cast Reveal, The MCU’s Biggest Box Office Bomb’s Post-Credits Scene Is Officially The Most Important Of The Last 5 Years
Following the recent Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal, the Multiverse Saga’s most important credits scene is in the MCU’s biggest box office flop.
Captain Carter’s multiverse-defining status, established throughoutWhat If…?’s three seasons, makes her a strong candidate for a big role inAvengers: Doomsday. In fact, Hayley Atwell was one of the earliest confirmed actors inAvengers: Doomsday’s cast announcement. This time, Atwell could return asWhat If…?‘sCaptain Carterherself, who’s better prepared to deal with threats as powerful as Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom and will probably be able to survive long pastAvengers: Doomsday’s credits.
