If you’re anything like us, you’re probably constantly looking for reasons for Agent Peggy Carter to show up in the MCU. Arguably the most accomplished and celebrated members of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR), Hayley Atwell‘s character became an instant icon and fan favorite from the jump, taking her from Captain America’s side to headlining her own series, Agent Carter, on ABC. And though we saw Peggy’s death at the end of Captain America: Civil War, we know homegirl lives a very full, impressive life during her 96 years on the planet. So after we heard Captain Marvel’s standalone film would take place in the 90s, we immediately wondered: would Agent Peggy Carter be involved?
While we spoke to Atwell (during the 2017 summer TCA session) about her new Starz miniseries, the adaptation of E.M. Forster’s Howards End, the topic of Peggy Carter appearing alongside Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers obviously came up. And though Atwell did not confirm nor deny any involvement in the project, she did express a lot of excitement at the idea. Excitement that we FULLY SUPPORT!
“Yes, I’d love that, and I love Brie Larson—I’d be well up for that,” Atwell explained, before adding that, “I think, you know, because she dies at the age of 96, she lives quite a long time—so I could be employed forever.”
It would be a positive addition to the film to be sure, and not just for the fan service. Atwell’s Carter has always lived outside of the two common female identities lofted upon women on screen: Strong Female Character or the Victimized Ingenue. Her strength comes from existing outside of these parameters and flourishing in spite of them and the expectations men have of women in these positions. If Peggy could impart this knowledge on a young Carol Danvers, be it at SHIELD or NASA (or wherever she may work in the movie universe), it would not only strengthen the female relationships that exist in the film, but showcase the myriad ways in which women can and do work together.
For Atwell, that was always a main priority in setting Carter apart from the rest. “It’s fun and it’s superhero, and it’s not as complex as the literary world of E.M. Forster, but I thought, ‘Could we make her and Angie have a really nice relationship? Can we have two women that genuinely like each other? Can Peggy be seen as someone who’s not threatened by other women or threatening to other women?’ Because that’s my experience.”
And it’s exactly the sort of attitude and female team-up we’d love to see in Captain Marvel. Besides, as Atwell put it, even if it’s set in the 90s, “I bet [Peggy]’s still in shoulder pads.”
What do you think? Would you like to see Peggy Carter in Captain Marvel? Let us know in the comments below.
Images + GIFs: Marvel
Alicia Lutes is the managing editor of Nerdist, host of Fangirling!, and frequent Twitter over-user—if you’re into that sort of thing.
