Marvel is giving Peggy Carter a second (or third) shot at greatness. After years of supporting roles, canceled series, animated cameos, and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it deaths, Hayley Atwell is finally suiting up for real in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a recent profile on top entertainment lawyers revealed that Julian Zajfen closed Atwell’s deal to appear in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

While Marvel has yet to make this official through its usual flashy announcements, or put her name on the back of a chair, Deadline — in a separate piece — declared that Atwell will return in live-action as Captain Carter, marking her second time donning the vibranium shield on screen — and this time, it’s not just for a Multiverse cameo where she’s butchered by a more powerful being. We hope.

Her most recent incarnation — Captain Carter, the super soldier version of Peggy introduced in What If…? — gave her a fresh spin. She quickly became the breakout character of the animated series, though her storyline ended with what appeared to be a heroic death in Season 2. Atwell then portrayed the live-action version of Captain Carter in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a member of the Illuminati — before being cut in half by her own shield in a blink-and-you-miss-it battle with Scarlet Witch.

Even Atwell has been vocal about her disappointment in how the character’s been handled, calling her Multiverse of Madness death “undermining.” But now, Marvel seems ready to give her the proper sendoff — or perhaps a new beginning.

How Is Hayley Atwell In ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?

So where is this Captain Carter coming from? That’s still unclear. She could be pulled from the What If…? multiverse, or this might be an entirely new version. Either way, fans should prepare for another bold swing from Marvel as it leans harder into its multiversal storytelling in the buildup to Avengers: Secret Wars, which is already being positioned as a sweeping farewell to the current MCU era, an era we’ve not even had the chance to fall in love with if we’re honest.

More importantly, it sounds like Atwell’s Carter won’t just be a background player this time. The deal spans both Doomsday and Secret Wars, suggesting she’s part of whatever the larger game plan is — perhaps a leader in the multiversal team-ups rumored for these films. But surely this means we’ll see Chris Evans again, too?

Let’s just hope Marvel finally gives her character the story — and the survival rate — she deserves. Avengers: Doomsday is slated to hit theaters May 1, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars following on May 7, 2027.

via Collider