Doctor Strange 2's What If cameo explained

What If...?
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is full of exciting cameos, some recognizable and some that might have left you scratching your head.

Fans of Marvel's animated series What If... will definitely recognize one cameo in particular, though they appear in live-action form. If you haven't seen Doctor Strange 2, turn back now because there are major spoilers ahead.

Read on to find out more about that familiar face in Doctor Strange 2.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

If you've made it this far, then you know that Hayley Atwell appears in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

She's not playing the Peggy Carter we know and love from the Captain America movies or Agent Carter TV series, though. This is an entirely different version of the character drawn from the multiverse – but one we've met before in What If. 

Who does Hayley Atwell play in Doctor Strange 2?

Atwell plays none other than Captain Carter in Doctor Strange 2. She was introduced in the very first episode of What If, which saw Peggy Carter undergo the Super Soldier transformation instead of Steve Rogers. She then became Captain Carter, who wields a Union Jack-emblazoned shield and fights in World War 2. 

But, Captain Carter ends up sucked through a portal while fighting a giant tentacle creature, and emerges 70 years in the future. She then becomes a member of the Guardians of the Multiverse after teaming up with Party Thor, Star-Lord T'Challa, Black Panther Killmonger, Doctor Strange Supreme, Gamora, and Black Widow to beat an all-powerful Ultron. 

In Doctor Strange 2, she's a member of the Illuminati, and fights Wanda Maximoff when she arrives for America Chavez.

Will Hayley Atwell play Captain Carter again?

What If...? finale

(Image credit: Disney/Marvel)

So far, Atwell has played Captain Carter every single time the character has appeared in the MCU, voicing her throughout What If and bringing her to live-action.

But in Doctor Strange 2, Peggy is brutally killed with her own shield by Scarlet Witch, who slaughters the rest of the Illuminati while she's at it. Whether that rules out a return for Captain Carter or not remains to be seen – after all, in the multiverse, anything is possible…

Is Doctor Strange 2's Captain Carter the same as What If's?

What If...?

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

It's unclear just what version of Captain Carter this is. No mention is made of Carter's role as a Guardian of the Multiverse or her history from What If – plus, the Illuminati have Ultron guards, and after Peggy fought another version of the evil robot before, she'd probably be more wary of them. 

Then there's the fact that Captain Carter is confirmed to appear in every season of the animated show, which might be difficult considering her gruesome end at Scarlet Witch's hands. So, chances are this is a different version of Captain Carter, and she's safe to appear in future shows and movies down the line.


Want more on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Then check out our guides to: 

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English. 

Read more
Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter dancing close together in Avengers: Endgame
Hayley Atwell and Chris Evans almost returned as Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers in their own movie, but instead they'll reunite in Avengers: Doomsday
Captain America: Brave New World trailer
Captain America: Brave New World cameos and Easter eggs: all the Marvel references you might have missed
Captain America: Brave New World
That Captain America: Brave New World cameo changed several times, but it was always going to be that character
Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World ending explained – Who dies in the Marvel movie? How does it set up the next Avengers?
The Illuminati and The Illuminati in Doctor Strange 2
Captain America: Brave New World post-credits scene teases the Illuminati reveals director after the group were axed from an early draft
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen
Marvel star Aaron Taylor-Johnson jokes that he doesn't know why Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch didn't resurrect his Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron
Latest in Supernatural Shows
Jenna Ortega in Wednesday
Creepy new look at Wednesday season 2 confirms Tyler's fate, as Jenna Ortega's hero embraces her darker side
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Sarah Michelle Gellar is more open than ever before to a Buffy revival – and the director of one of this year's best horror movies has already staked their claim on it
The Sandman season 2: Tom Sturridge as Dream in The Sandman season 1.
The Sandman season 2 release date speculation, cast, trailer, and more news
What If...? season 3
First look at What if…? season 3 is the first time we've seen Sam Wilson's Captain America since 2021 (yes, really)
Invincible season 2, episode 1
Invincible star responds to whether he would return for a live-action adaptation
Invincible season 2, episode 1
Invincible season 2 part 2 is going to get "weirder and weirder," promises voice actor
Latest in News
a titanium watch with grey and orange features on the arms and face
You can look like Solid Snake with this Death Stranding 2 watch, but it'll cost you over $1,500
Monster Hunter Wilds trailer screenshot showing a young woman with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail smiling slightly, pumping her left fist in the air
Monster Hunter Wilds' Gemma actor requests "tips for beginners" from fans of Capcom's action RPG as it's the "first MH game that I've ever played"
Doom: The Dark Ages screenshot
Doom director claims The Dark Ages can be beaten without using a gun, but "the game's not necessarily built to do that"
Giancarlo Esposito in The Electric State
The Electric State may be the Russo brothers' most challenging VFX project yet, but stars Stanley Tucci and Giancarlo Esposito say it's one of the easiest films they’ve ever done
The Last of Us season 2 trailer shows spores
The Last of Us season 2 is bringing in one of the biggest game omissions from season 1 – and the showrunners say it's for a "good reason"
Chris Cocks with a transformer grimmacing behind him
Hasbro CEO, D&D DM, and self-professed "AI bull" Chris Cocks says AI is "supercharging fandom" which is "just net good for the brand"