Peggy Carter (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

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Peggy Carter
Marvel Cinematic Universe character
Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter.jpg
Hayley Atwell as Agent Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
First appearanceCaptain America:
The First Avenger (2011)
Based on
Adapted byChristopher Markus
Stephen McFeely
Portrayed byHayley Atwell
In-universe information
Full nameMargaret Carter
AliasCaptain Carter (What If...?)
NicknamePeggy
Title
Occupation
Affiliation
  • S.H.I.E.L.D.
  • Strategic Scientific Reserve
  • MI6
WeaponVibranium shield (What If...?)
Family
  • Amanda Carter (mother)
  • Michael Carter (brother)
Spouse
Children2
Relatives
  • Sharon Carter (niece)
NationalityBritish

Margaret Carter, more commonly known as Peggy Carter, is a fictional character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film and television franchise portrayed by Hayley Atwell, based on the character of the same name from Marvel Comics, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. In the MCU, Carter is depicted as the World War II-era love interest of Steve Rogers, and is depicted as a British agent rather than an American as in the comics. Atwell has received critical praise for her depiction of the character.

The character first appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Atwell went on to reprise the role in subsequent films, as well as the short film Agent Carter. Carter also appeared in the second season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., while Atwell headlined in Agent Carter, a two-season television series about the character. Atwell reprised her role in the animated series What If...? as Captain Carter, an alternate version of the character who received the Super Soldier Serum instead of Rogers.

Concept and casting[]

The character debuted in a single panel (and unnamed) as a wartime love interest of Captain America in Tales of Suspense #75 (March 1966), and then receiving a name in #77 (May 1966). She was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.[3][4]

Hayley Atwell was cast in the role of Peggy Carter for Captain America: The First Avenger in April 2010.[5] Atwell expressed interest in reprising the role for Agent Carter in October 2013;[6] ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee confirmed her involvement in the project in January 2014.[7] Gabriella Graves portrays a young Carter in the television series Agent Carter through flashbacks.[8] Regarding her preparation for the role, she said, "I'm training at the moment six days a week to make her a bit more military and make it convincing that I could kick butt."[9] On taking up the role of Carter, Atwell said "the main reason I did Captain America was because I wanted to get out of my own head and stop taking my work so seriously".[10] Captain America: The First Avenger screenwriter Christopher Markus said the film "takes place in the 40s, there weren't too many women in areas of authority at that point, and we wanted her to essentially be the most capable person on the screen at that time".[10]

Characterization[]

Hayley Atwell at San Diego Comic-Con in 2015

About the character's debut in Captain America: The First Avenger, Atwell stated, "I likened her character to that famous Ginger Rogers quote. She can do everything Captain America can do, but backwards and in high heels. She's an English soldier through and through, although she always looks fabulous. She might stand there with a machine-gun shooting Nazis, but she's obviously gone to the loo beforehand and applied a bit of lipstick. She doesn't need to be rescued. That's exciting to me – her strength."[11] She added, "I think she's quite stubborn, a slightly frustrated woman who struggles with being a woman in that time. But more importantly she's a modern woman and she sees something in Captain America that she relates to, and becomes kindred spirits. He treats her very differently to how she's been treated by lots of men, in this kind of dominated world she lives in. So she's very much a fighter."[11]

Carter is the first female character to headline a standalone story as part of the MCU, ahead of popular comic characters such as Black Widow and Captain Marvel. Unlike other major Marvel heroes, Carter does not have any superpowers, instead the writers "always said her superpower is the fact that other people underestimate her. And she often uses that to her advantage".[12] Atwell said it was "thrilling" to explore "the backdrop of this male-dominated world, where women are still in the workforce, unspoken for and struggling to find a place outside the home" and how it affects Carter, who must deal with this along with the missions she receives.[13]

On the character starring in her own short film, the director of the Agent Carter short film Louis D'Esposito said that Marvel always wanted to do a Peggy Carter short since the character "was a fan-favorite and a Marvel Studios favorite". D'Esposito enjoyed the moment when Carter uses her compact to view the bad guy, which was ad libbed during filming, because "that's the essence of what she's about and what the film's about. Not only is she—especially in that time—a woman in a man's world, she still maintains her femininity".[14]

Speaking about the influence that the apparent death of Steve Rogers has on Carter, Atwell explained that "It's only been a year and she's grieving him and I think what keeps her going is he was the greatest person she ever knew ... she's also determined to make sure that his work wasn't in vain."[15] Following the first season, Atwell noted that Carter did not "win everyone's respect", with Jack Thompson taking credit for her actions, for example, but "she knows her value so she doesn't need that praise".[16] For the second season, executive producer Michele Fazekas explained that after Carter "put a lot of things emotionally to bed", such as letting go of Captain America, she is now "more open to looking at her life and figuring out, does she want a relationship?" Fazekas added that Carter would start to realize that "not everybody has her ideals", even in the SSR.[17]

Appearance[]

Hayley Atwell before and after being digitally aged as Peggy Carter in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

For Carter's costumes, though some vintage pieces were used, most of her outfits were custom made to accommodate the scripted action scenes.[18] Costume designer Giovanna Ottobre-Melton gave the outfits an "hourglass style with strength in the tailoring and defined shoulders, but not overly exaggerated." For the character's tactical gear, World War II underground military looks were referenced.[19] On receiving the script for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Atwell realized the character "would be 96, and I would be up to the eyeballs in prosthetics." The visual effects team was not satisfied with the initial make-up used to make Atwell look older, and eventually resorted to aging her through CGI methods.[20]

Appearances[]

  • Peggy Carter first appears in Captain America: The First Avenger, which is set in the early 1940s during World War II. Working for the military, she falls in love with Steve Rogers, who has recently become Captain America.
  • She then appears in the Marvel One-Shot short film Agent Carter, which was packaged with the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray disc. The film takes place one year after the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, and features Carter as a member of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, searching for the mysterious Zodiac,[21] and dealing with sexism.[22]
  • Hayley Atwell starred as Peggy Carter in the series Agent Carter.[23] Set in the immediate post-war years following the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, the series depicts Carter's advancement from routine office work to a position as a celebrated and well-respected agent of the Strategic Scientific Reserve. In addition, she works with Howard Stark's butler Edwin Jarvis to uncover his framing at the hands of Leviathan. The series aired from January 6, 2015, until March 1, 2016.
    • In the second season of Agent Carter, it is revealed that Carter had a brother, Michael (portrayed by Max Brown as an adult and Webb Baker Hayes as a boy), with whom she was very close. After Michael's death in World War II, Carter decides to leave her then-fiancé Fred Wells (portrayed by Kevin Changaris) to join the SSR. It is also revealed that Carter's mother, portrayed by Carole Ruggier, was named Amanda.[24]
  • In Captain America: The Winter Soldier,[21][25] CGI was used to allow Atwell to reprise her role as the now 90 year old Carter when Rogers visits her in her retirement home in 2014.[26]
  • Hayley Atwell portrayed Peggy Carter in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. She appears in the second-season premiere episode "Shadows" where she and the SSR raid a Hydra facility and arrest Werner Reinhardt and Hydra agents.[27] Carter later appeared in the episode "The Things We Bury" where a flashback shows her interrogating Whitehall. In the season three episode "Emancipation", which occurs during the events of Captain America: Civil War, a newspaper headline is shown that says Agent Carter has died at the age of 95.
  • She appears in Avengers: Age of Ultron in Rogers's 1940s hallucination caused by Wanda Maximoff.[28][29]
  • She appears in Ant-Man, in a 1989 flashback, aged in her late 60s, when Hank Pym resigns from S.H.I.E.L.D. after discovering that Mitchell Carson was trying to replicate Pym's shrinking formula without consent.
  • She does not appear in Captain America: Civil War, but dies off-screen. Rogers serves as one of the pallbearers at her funeral and learns that Sharon Carter is her niece.[30]
  • She appears in Avengers: Endgame. Using Pym Particles, Rogers time travels to 1970, where he sees her working in her office. Later, he travels back to the 1940s and they reunite, marry, and grow old together.[31][32]
  • Peggy Carter appears in the first episode of the Disney+ animated series What If...?. In this perspective, she receives the Super Soldier Serum and becomes a superhero named Captain Carter, with Rogers becoming an early version of Iron Man codenamed "Hydra Stomper".[33]

Fictional character biography[]

Early life[]

Margaret Carter was born as the daughter of Amanda Carter. After the death of her brother Michael in World War II, Carter decided to leave her then-fiancé Fred Wells to join the Strategic Scientific Reserve.

Meeting Steve Rogers[]

Further information: Captain America: The First Avenger

In 1945, Carter is tasked by the Strategic Scientific Reserve to help oversee Project Rebirth, a program to create an army of super soldiers for the United States. Carter joins the likes of Howard Stark and Dr. Abraham Erskine in overseeing the program. After a series of tests of different soldiers, the sickly Steve Rogers is chosen due to his good character. Erskine subjects Rogers to the super-soldier treatment, injecting him with a special serum and dosing him with "vita-rays". After Rogers emerges from the experiment taller and more muscular, an undercover Heinz Kruger, a Hydra agent, kills Erskine and flees with a vial of the serum. Rogers and Carter pursue Kruger, with Rogers accidentally preventing Carter from killing Kruger, but the assassin avoids interrogation by committing suicide with a cyanide capsule. After Rogers' best friend Bucky Barnes is captured by Hydra, Rogers has Carter and Howard Stark fly him behind enemy lines to mount a solo rescue attempt, which succeeds. After Rogers returns, Carter, who has developed feelings for him, catches him kissing another woman, prompting her to angrily fire bullets at Rogers' new shield. Using information extracted from Arnim Zola, the final Hydra stronghold is located, and Rogers leads an attack to stop Johann Schmidt from using weapons of mass destruction on major American cities. Rogers and Carter kiss, while Rogers promises to go on a dance with Carter, before Rogers climbs aboard Schmidt's aircraft as it takes off. After Schmidt is teleported to Vormir by the Tesseract, Rogers, seeing no way to land the plane without the risk of detonating its weapons, radios the tearful Carter and says goodbye to her before crashing in the Arctic. Stark later recovers the Tesseract from the ocean floor but is unable to locate Rogers or the aircraft, presuming him dead.

Post–World War II[]

Further information: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (season 2), Agent Carter (film), Agent Carter (season 1), and Agent Carter (season 2)

In 1945, Carter and the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) raid the last known Hydra base (led by Werner Reinhardt) and confiscate many items, including the Obelisk and a blue body.

One year later, Carter faces sexism from her boss, Agent John Flynn, who treats her condescendingly and keeps her compiling data and code breaking while assigning field cases to the male agents. The SSR's main concern is the mysterious Zodiac, which they have been unable to recover for some time.

One night alone in the office while the men are out together, Carter answers the case line to hear of the location of the Zodiac. Though three to five agents are recommended, Carter decides to go to the location herself. Fighting off multiple guards, Carter is able to retrieve the Zodiac, a mysterious serum, herself. The next day, Flynn reprimands her for not going through the proper procedures to complete the mission, and dismisses the indignant Carter as just an "old flame" of Captain America's who was given her current job out of pity for her bereavement. However, before he can officially punish her, the case line rings again, this time with Howard Stark on the other end, who informs Flynn that Carter will co-head the newly created S.H.I.E.L.D..

Later in 1946, Carter has to balance the routine office work she does for the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) in New York City with secretly assisting Howard Stark, who finds himself framed for supplying deadly weapons to enemies of the United States. Carter is assisted by Stark's butler, Edwin Jarvis, to find those responsible and dispose of the weapons.

In 1947, Carter moves from New York City to Los Angeles to deal with the threats of the new Atomic Age by the Secret Empire in the aftermath of World War II, gaining new friends, a new home, and starting a romance with Daniel Sousa.

Later life[]

Further information: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man (film), and Avengers: Endgame

Sometime after these events, Carter marries a man who Steve Rogers saved from a Hydra base in World War Two, having two children with him. Carter is later looked up to by her American niece Sharon Carter, being referred to as "Aunt Peggy" by her, with Sharon also later becoming a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Meanwhile, Peggy Carter also conducts S.H.I.E.L.D. operations in collaboration with a man named "Braddock".[c] In 1989, Carter, in her capacity at S.H.I.E.L.D., witnesses a confrontation between Hank Pym and Howard Stark over Stark's use of Pym Particles without Pym's knowledge, in which Pym quits S.H.I.E.L.D.

In 2014, the elderly Carter has developed Alzheimer's disease, and is visited by Rogers, having come out of suspended animation after around 70 years. Carter notes to Rogers that the world has changed. In 2015, Rogers experiences a vision of reuniting with Carter, induced by Wanda Maximoff through telepathy. In 2016, Carter passes away in her sleep, with her funeral being attended by Sharon, Rogers and Sam Wilson.[d]

In 2023, Rogers, having completed the Time Heist and returned the Infinity Stones to their correct places in the timeline, chooses to stay with Carter in 1949 and lives a full, married life with her, and Rogers and Carter dance together as they intended to originally in 1945.

Alternate version[]

See also: What If...? (TV series)
Further information: What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?

In an alternate universe, a Hydra attack on the SSR leads to Steve Rogers getting shot before he can take the serum. Carter kills the assailant and takes the initiative to take the serum before the power runs out. The procedure is successful and she becomes the first super soldier instead.

When Hydra's leader Johann Schmidt / Red Skull finds the Tesseract, a powerful artifact that he plans to build weapons with, new SSR leader John Flynn refuses to send any men to stop him. He also refuses to let Carter fight at all, furious that a woman took the serum. Howard Stark secretly gives Carter a costume and a shield made of vibranium which she uses to attack a Hydra convoy and successfully retrieve the Tesseract as well as Hydra scientist Arnim Zola. After her success she becomes the hero "Captain Carter", and fights alongside Rogers who pilots an armored suit that Stark builds with the Tesseract.

When Rogers' friend Bucky Barnes is captured by Hydra forces, Carter and Rogers rescue him and his allies. The pair go on to fight in numerous other battles until Rogers goes missing, presumed dead, during an attack on a Hydra train. Carter interrogates Zola to learn the location of Red Skull's castle. They find him using the Tesseract to open a portal and summon an interdimensional creature, which kills him. Barnes finds Rogers in the castle and helps him power up the suit, but it runs out of power without the Tesseract. Carter sacrifices herself by pushing the creature back through the portal as Stark closes it.

70 years later, S.H.I.E.L.D. uses the Tesseract to reopen the portal, from which Carter emerges, meeting Nick Fury and Clint Barton.

Reception[]

Critical response[]

Reviewing Captain America: The First Avenger, Christy Lemire of the Associated Press said, "Atwell’s gorgeous looks make her a great fit for the part, but her character is better developed than you might imagine; she’s no damsel in distress, waiting for Captain America to save her, but rather a trained fighter who is very much his equal."[35] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times felt that she resembled "a classic military pin-up of the period" with her depicted "full red lips" of the film.[36]

Rosie Fletcher of Total Film noted that the Marvel One-Shot short film Agent Carter was well received by the audience at San Diego Comic Con, and praised Atwell's performance.[37] Andy Hunsaker at Crave Online said the short "gives its title character the send-off she deserves", and hoped that it would lead to further female-focused properties from Marvel.[38] IGN's Scott Collura called Atwell "the big-screen female superhero we've all been waiting for. She kicks so much ass in this short story with such aplomb, using not just brawn but also brains, and it's all very clever and fun." He felt the short seemed more of a proof-of-concept that female-based superhero projects could work, but that "Atwell never loses touch with her feminine side" either.[39]

Brian Lowry, reviewing the two-part premiere of the TV series Agent Carter for Variety, felt that giving Atwell her own television series was "a pretty smart bet" by Marvel, and he called the episodes "considerable fun".[40]

The A.V. Club named Atwell's performance as one of the "Best Individual Performances" of 2015.[41]

Accolades[]

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2011 Scream Award Breakthrough Performance – Female Captain America: The First Avenger Nominated
Best Science Fiction Actress Nominated
2014 Saturn Award Best Actress on Television Agent Carter Nominated [citation needed]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Peggy's unknown husband in the main timeline, who may be Steve Rogers.[1]
  2. ^ In an alternate reality through time travel,[2] or in the past in the main timeline.[1]
  3. ^ Noted in media as a possible reference to Brian Braddock.[34]
  4. ^ As depicted in Captain America: Civil War (2016).

See also[]

  • Characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Cardona, Ian (August 21, 2019). "Peggy Carter's Husband in Captain America: Winter Soldier Was Steve Rogers". CBR. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  2. ^ Breznican, Anthony (April 30, 2019). "Avengers: Endgame directors answer Captain America mystery". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  3. ^ "Peggy Carter". IGN. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  4. ^ "If a Hostage Should Die!" Archived January 6, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Tales of Suspense #77 (May 1966) at the Grand Comics Database
  5. ^ "Hayley Atwell to Play the Love Interest in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER". Collider. April 14, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  6. ^ Nissim, Mayer (October 2, 2013). "Hayley Atwell wants Agent Carter show". Digital Spy. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  7. ^ "Marvel's 'Agent Carter': Hayley Atwell, Writers, Showrunners Confirmed for ABC Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. January 17, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  8. ^ "Broadway World - Broadway News, Tickets, Videos & More". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  9. ^ "Hayley Atwell talks Captain America, confirms Tommy Lee Jones in cast - Coventry Telegraph - The Geek Files". July 23, 2011. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Saner, Emine (November 10, 2017). "Hayley Atwell: driven and dangerous new queen of period drama". The Guardian. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b "Hayley Atwell's machine gun fun". Belfast Telegraph. May 18, 2021. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  12. ^ Abrams, Natalie (January 2, 2015). "Agent Carter crashes the boys' club". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  13. ^ "Atwell and Producers Release Intel on "Agent Carter"". CBR. August 29, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  14. ^ Strom, Marc (July 24, 2013). "Agent Carter Lines Up Her One-Shot". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  15. ^ Hayley Atwell Talks Marvel's Agent Carter and Peggy Carrying on Captain America's Work - IGN, retrieved April 28, 2021
  16. ^ "Marvel News, Blog, Articles & Press Releases | Marvel". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  17. ^ ""Agent Carter" Showrunners Explain Peggy's Friendship with Jarvis, Madame Masque's Role". CBR. January 12, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  18. ^ Weseman, Lisa (January 7, 2015). "Agent Carter Fashion: Inside the Premiere | Marvel's Agent Carter". ABC. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  19. ^ Kucharski, Joe (January 5, 2015). "Sneak Peek at The Costumes of Marvel's Agent Carter!". Tyranny of Style. Archived from the original on January 11, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  20. ^ Failes, Ian (May 1, 2014). "Captain America: The Winter Soldier – reaching new heights". Fxguide. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b Breznican, Anthony (July 11, 2013). "'Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter' -- First Look at poster and three photos from the new short!". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  22. ^ Breznican, Anthony (July 11, 2013). "'Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter' --First Look at poster and three photos from the new short! (Part 3)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  23. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 17, 2014). "Marvel's 'Agent Carter': Hayley Atwell, Writers, Showrunners Confirmed for ABC Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 10, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  24. ^ "Falcon and Winter Soldier: How Exactly Is Sharon Carter Related to Peggy?". CBR. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  25. ^ "Captain America: The Winter Soldier Begins Filming". Marvel Comics. April 8, 2013.
  26. ^ Failes, Ian (May 1, 2014). "Captain America: The Winter Soldier – reaching new heights". Fxguide. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  27. ^ "Learn How Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Begins Its Second Season". Marvel.com. September 8, 2014. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
  28. ^ "Hayley Atwell Has A Role In 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  29. ^ "Hayley Atwell Returns For 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron,' Joss Whedon Says Heroes Face "Darker, Weirder, Tougher World"". www.indiewire.com. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  30. ^ Romano, Nick. "The First Captain America: Civil War Death Has Already Been Leaked". CinemaBlend. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  31. ^ Robinson, Joanna (April 25, 2019). "Avengers: The Hidden Meaning Behind That Final Endgame Song". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  32. ^ Sirikul, Laura (April 27, 2019). "Why 'Avengers: Endgame' Final Scene Isn't What It Seems". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  33. ^ Chitwood, Adam (April 12, 2019). "Marvel's What If? Disney+ Series Will Launch with Peggy Carter Episode". Collider. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  34. ^ Mannusco, Vinnie (May 6, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame' May Have Introduced Yet Another Obscure Marvel Hero". Collider. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  35. ^ Lemire, Christy (July 27, 2011). "Movie review: "Captain America" is solid, fun". Mirrored archive of Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  36. ^ Ebert, Roger (July 20, 2011). "Captain America: The First Avenger review by Roger Ebert". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  37. ^ Fletcher, Rosie (July 19, 2013). "Marvel's Agent Carter reaction: Comic-Con 2013". Total Film. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  38. ^ Hunsaker, Andy (July 20, 2013). "Comic-Con 2013: Marvel's 'Agent Carter': Happy Ending or a New Beginning?". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on January 14, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  39. ^ Collura, Scott (July 19, 2013). "Comic-Con: We Have Seen Agent Carter, the New Marvel One-Shot – and It Rules". IGN. Archived from the original on January 14, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  40. ^ Lowry, Brian (January 4, 2015). "TV Review: 'Marvel's Agent Carter'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  41. ^ "The best TV performances of 2015". TV Club. Retrieved April 28, 2021.

External links[]

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