D23 Expo 2019: Marvel's 'What If...?' shows an alternate universe introducing a new superhero in Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter
Marvel's 'What If...?' was always about parallel timelines and alternate realities. The D23 Expo gave fans a glimpse of what to expect by showing some footage from the upcoming animated series.
For starters, Hayley Atwell‘s Peggy Carter receives the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers becoming Captain Carter and dons a Union Jack-themed costume and a shield. There are shades of Captain Britain in it and is a subtle hint of the superhero making an appearance in the MCU at some stage. Phase 5 maybe?
It is interesting to see Peggy get this role since she has her roots going back to England. According to the comics, she was originally a code-breaker from England. Following her brother's death, she joins the Special Operations Executive, occasionally referred to as SOE, a secret British espionage agency active during World War II. This was followed by a longer stint with S.H.I.E.L.D.
'Avengers: Endgame' too had references to Britain. Remember the scene when Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) travel back in time to the S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ to retrieve the Tesseract? A scene shows Steve hiding in Carter's cabin where she is seen discussing events in Britain that would require her attention.
Perhaps, Peggy going to become a British superhero is also a result of Cap tampering with the timeline at the end of the movie. Of course, this is pure speculation, but he does branch out reality by choosing not to return to the present and live out his life with Peggy.
Captain Carter may not really get a standalone series or a movie like 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier', but her very portrayal as a superhero is Marvel's way of saying there are realities where new superheroes do exist. Guess the multiverse concept is in play again.
'What If...'s footage also showed a rather skinny version of Rogers using a robot to fight his enemies — one that looked like a hybrid version of the Iron Monger and Hulkbuster armor.
Some of the MCU stars are confirmed to lend their voice in the series: Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Josh Brolin as Thanos, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Hayley Atwell as Agent Peggy Carter, Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan, Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Taika Waititi as Korg, Toby Jones as Arnim Zola, Djimon Hounsou as Korath, Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster, and Michael Rooker as Yondu.
'What If...?' arrives in summer 2021 and here's hoping Peggy aka Cap Carter will be back in future installments as well.
