AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY Star Hayley Atwell Says Marvel Filmed Multiple Peggy Carter Storylines, but Some Were Scrapped
Marvel apparently had several ideas for Peggy Carter's return in Avengers: Doomsday, but not everything made it into the movie. Hayley Atwell recently revealed that she filmed different storylines for the upcoming MCU event, with some ideas surviving the process while others were ultimately abandoned.
Speaking with The Playlist, Atwell shared a little insight into how Marvel approached bringing Peggy back, although she wasn't about to spoil anything.
"We tried different things, we shot different things, there were different storylines, some picked up, some developed, some dropped away," she explained.
That's an interesting bit of information, especially considering how important Peggy could be to the story involving Steve Rogers. Marvel obviously experimented with several directions for her character before deciding what worked best for the film.
Atwell's involvement in Avengers: Doomsday was initially kept under wraps. She wasn't included in Marvel's original cast announcement, which featured that ridiculously long livestream revealing names through a collection of director's chairs.
Instead, fans got confirmation when she made a surprise appearance during Marvel's Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con 2026.
More recently, Atwell reunited with Chris Evans in a special post-credits scene attached to the Avengers: Endgame Encore theatrical release. The scene features Loki traveling into the past and knocking on the door of Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter's home.
It's a pretty intriguing moment, particularly with Doomsday bringing Steve Rogers back into the MCU. After all, Steve's entire ending in Endgame revolved around his decision to return to the past and finally build a life with Peggy. Bringing him back without her would feel like an odd choice, given how much that relationship influenced his story.
Of course, Peggy's MCU history has gotten a little complicated thanks to the multiverse. Atwell last appeared in a Marvel movie in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, playing Captain Carter, an alternate version of Peggy from Earth-838.
Unfortunately, that appearance didn't go particularly well for the character. Captain Carter barely had time to show off her abilities before Scarlet Witch brutally killed her. Atwell later described the cameo as a "disservice" to Peggy, so hopefully her return in Doomsday gives her something more substantial to do.
The big question now is what those discarded storylines involved and how much Peggy will actually factor into the movie. With Steve Rogers returning and Loki apparently making a visit to their past, there are some interesting possibilities for where Marvel could take things.
Whatever survived the editing process, I'm hoping Peggy gets a meaningful role rather than another quick appearance. She's been part of the MCU since Captain America: The First Avenger, and her relationship with Steve deserves a proper continuation if Marvel is going to revisit it.
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to hit theaters on December 18, 2026.