Captain America star Hayley Atwell recently discussed her brief cameo as Captain Carter in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, expressing disappointment in her character's treatment in the film. Atwell first played Peggy Carter in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, where she became a fan favorite. Afterward, she received her own spin-off series, Agent Carter, which ran for two seasons, and appeared in several more Marvel Cinematic Universe films, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame.
More recently, Atwell voiced an alternate timeline version of Peggy who received the super soldier serum in What If...?. The actress reprised the role of this Peggy variant, called Captain Carter, in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where her character was part of the Illuminati. Unfortunately, her character had very little screen time, as she was brutally killed by Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch.
In an appearance on Reign with Josh Smith, Atwell opened up about why this cameo rubbed her the wrong way. The actress explained that the filming experience tied into her ability "to stand up for [herself] with grace." She mentioned her "blink and you miss me" appearance caused her to take "umbrage on the fact that she has that brilliant line, 'I could do this all day,' then she's Frisbee'd to death with her own shield, and I'm like, 'she's so undermined.'''
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Atwell continued: "It just got.. pulled out from her. And it's a kind of... a funny moment." Despite her negative feelings regarding the scene, the actress added: "I never want to step on anyone's toes and really respect everyone's skill set." She went on to discuss how she tried to offer suggestions regarding the technical aspects of the shoot but was brushed off. Atwell explained:
"I , like, looking at the frame and going, 'Oh, the lighting's [...] quite harsh.' [...] I going up to, to a very lovely person who was in a very high position there, and I won't name and shame, but I was like, 'Oh, do you think maybe we could... Can I offer you a possibility that I actually come in from that side and suggest if I did that line there,' and I just came up with an offering technically, which I love doing, because a lot of directors will go, 'Oh, great, try something.'"
"In this particular instance, he went, 'Oh, sure, Hayley, I'll just tell our Oscar-winning editor that you have some choices you'd like to make. And, yeah, don't you worry about that. I'll make sure he gets a memo.' And I went 'Well, considering he's an Oscar-winning editor, he will know a good idea when he sees one, so I'm sure he will enjoy listening to what I have to say to make the scene better.' And the director kind of went, 'oh, I'm just kidding. I'm just bullying you. Don't worry.'"
"I went, 'You can't bully me. I've got a jetpack on.'"
Atwell stated that the experience still helped her "[be] able to just find a way [to go], 'I'm going to be a little bit bigger here. I'm going to say I've got an idea. I think it's better than the one you've come up with. Respectfully, if you would like it."
What Hayley Atwell's Doctor Strange Comments Mean
While Captain Carter's cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was brief, the scene was less meant to show off the Illuminati than it was to demonstrate the brutal lengths Scarlet Witch was willing to go to in order to reunite with her children. However, the line Atwell referenced, "I can do this all day," is an iconic Captain America quote, which does make its use just before Peggy is killed a bit anticlimactic. As for her story regarding the lighting on set, Atwell's ability to stand up for herself echoes that of Peggy.
Why Captain Carter & The Illuminati's MCU Deaths Are Still A Divisive Movie Moment To This Day
The Doctor Strange Sequel Made Some Controversial Choices
Captain Carter's death was part of the biggest controversy when it comes to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. For a movie that was all about the multiverse, Marvel Studios did not really do as much with the concept as expected. Sure, Doctor Strange and America Chavez had an interesting sequence where they fell through several unique universes. However, it was rather brief. Only a couple of universes other than the usual Earth-616 were explored more in-depth by the film. The biggest of such cases was Earth-838, which was home to the Illuminati.
Instead of allowing Doctor Strange to spend more time with these heroes, they were brutally killed shortly after their debuts.
It was exciting to see so many heroes from another universe together. That included the MCU debuts of Reed Richards, Charles Xavier, and Black Bolt. The three heroes are the faces of their respective Marvel teams: the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Inhumans. Fans had long been waiting for Marvel Studios to be able to use the first two, so the composition of the Illuminati, which also included Atwell's Captain Carter and Lashana Lynch's Captain Marvel, was quite intriguing. Instead of allowing Doctor Strange to spend more time with these heroes, they were brutally killed shortly after their debuts.
Adding to the controversial nature of Captain Carter and the Illuminati's death is the character who kills them. The choice of making Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch a bloodthirsty villain in the film after WandaVision did not land well with many fans. Making her kill major Marvel heroes that had long been wanted for the MCU, especially those played by beloved stars, such as Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier and Atwell's Captain Carter, added to the disappointment over Wanda Maximoff's villain turn. The choice did lead to a shocking and impactful action sequence that is highly rewatchable, but the deaths remain controversial.
Our Take On Hayley Atwell's Doctor Strange Comments
Per Atwell, Captain Carter didn't get the action scene she deserved in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; however, she did get paid her dues elsewhere in the MCU. In What If...?, Captain Carter is a major character, ing the Guardians of the Multiverse and eventually becoming their leader. Moreover, Peggy still has the potential to appear throughout the MCU, including a rumored appearance in Avengers: Doomsday, so one underwhelming moment isn't cause to completely write the character off.
Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness
- Release Date
- May 6, 2022
- Runtime
- 126 minutes
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