The forthcoming Avengers film is bringing back yet another unexpected star to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Hot on the heels of the revelation that former Captain America actor Chris Evans will show up in some form in Avengers; Doomsday, it’s been reported that Hayley Atwell, who plays his love interest Peggy Carter, will also be in the film.
Their appearance in the sequel might upset purists, who believed their story came to a perfect conclusion with the most recent Avengers film, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. According to Deadline, the pair were set to return in a standalone Marvel film, but bosses were unable to pin down a story.
Instead, they’ll show up in Doomsday’s ensemble, which includes fellow returning star Robert Downey Jr, the former Iron Man actor who this time around will play Doctor Doom, the film’s primary villain.
The return of actors to the franchise as new characters has been made possible by the introduction of the Multiverse, a series of alternate worlds featuring characters, old and new.
But while a contingent of fans are excited about seeing the stars on-screen once again, there are many who believe the casting reeks of desperation after a slew of failures for Marvel.
Atwell, whose Marvel character had her own ABC series that ran for two seasons, last appeared as a variant of Peggy Carter in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but was swiftly killed off.
In 2023, she told The Independent of her brief appearance in the 2022 sequel: “It was definitely not the trajectory that I see for Peggy.”
Avengers: Doomsday will bring back several familiar faces, but Downey Jr’s casting as Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom led to consternation among many dedicated fans.
It’s believed the idea to bring him back as a different character was thought up after the axing of Jonathan Majors from the MCU; his character Kang the Destroyer was originally meant to be the primary villain in the forthcoming Avengers film.
While the announcement at Comic-Con in San Diego back in July was met with a rapturous response initially, the response online was much more lukewarm.
Some called it a “desperate move” to revive what they believe to be a flagging franchise, while others were merely frustrated that Downey Jr is returning to the MCU after winning an Oscar for Oppenheimer.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released in 2026.
