Season 1 of What If…? introduced the novel idea of Peggy Carter becoming the test subject of Project Rebirth rather than Steve Rogers. The result, of course, was Captain Carter, a Union Jack-wearing Super Solider who led the Allied Forces against Hydra in an alternate universe in “What If…Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?”, the first episode of the animated series. Carter went on to be one of the main characters of Season 1, joining Uatu’s Guardians of the Multiverse, and a Variant of the character made her live-action debut in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The original Captain Carter is back for Season 2 of What If…? and as the ending of the Carter-centric Episode 5, “What If…Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?” teased, she’s going to continue to play a large role in the Multiverse. As Captain Carter creator and What If…? head writer A.C. Bradley explained, there are some compelling reasons why the character is the centerpiece of the series.
“Captain Carter holds a special place in my heart. I’ve never loved a fictional character as much as I love her,” said Bradley. “When season one was happening, a colleague asked me if I’d researched the treatment of women during World War II. As a woman in Hollywood, I’ve got plenty of my own stories to draw from.” It’s safe to say that this alt-universe Variant of Carter, voiced by Haley Atwell who has portrayed the live-action version of the character since 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, has become one of the most popular and transcendent characters from the series.
For me, Captain Carter stands tall not just due to her physical strength or her combat abilities—it’s her undeniable presence, her capacity to take charge and command respect, or at the very least, equal treatment.
A.C. Bradley
As the MCU continues to introduce new heroes, fans continue to have more and more options from which to draw inspiration. To that end, Carter has certainly made quite a few fans, including one near and dear to Bradley’s heart. “I have a two-year-old daughter,” says Bradley. “She walks into [daycare] with her foam Captain Carter shield. That I could give her that role model, that symbol of strength and feminism—I’ve never been prouder as a mother or writer.”
The first 6 episodes of What If…? are now streaming on Disney Plus with a new episode debuting daily through December 30th.
