Fans were delighted to learn that Hayley Atwell’s Agent Peggy Carter would be joining Marvel’s Exiles as Captain America from an alternate reality. In May, Captain Carter will make her comic book debut in Exiles #3 from the creative team of writer Saladin Ahmed and artist Javier Rodriguez.
“One of the delights of this series is that really any concept that occurs to people or that Marvel’s done in any nook or cranny of its many universes is available to us,” Ahmed told Entertainment Weekly. “There’s a World War II scene, a confrontation with the Red Skull, in Exiles #3, so obviously that requires some version of Cap. Of all places, the Marvel Puzzle Quest video game had a really popular character design for Peggy Carter as Captain America in a reality where Steve Rogers is killed and Peggy has taken the super-soldier serum in his place. As soon as I saw that, I was like ‘Yes, okay, perfect.’ There’s something about Peggy taking over the role of Cap that’s super-compelling.”
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The Captain Carter version of Peggy Carter/Captain America originates from the Marvel Puzzle Quest video game and wanting to honor Cap’s 75th anniversary.
“Our team thought it would be fun for players to encounter all-new versions of Cap — whether that meant new suits or even versions from alternate realities — that were unique to each of our mobile games,” Marvel Games Executive Creative Director Bill Rosemann said. “It was Demiurge Studios’ Paige Pettoruto who asked the compelling question, ‘What if Agent Peggy Carter became Captain America?’ We loved the idea and said, ‘That sounds awesome! But how does that happen? What’s her story?’ Story is at the core of everything at Marvel, so when we heard their imagined origin — that after Steve Rogers is assassinated along with Professor Erskine, Peggy volunteers to participate in Project Rebirth — we knew we had a character that would resonate with and inspire fans.”
Rosemann would add that the same qualities that made Steve Rogers the ideal candidate for the super-soldier serum, also apply for Peggy Carter.
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“Not only does Peggy have the bravery to take the experimental super-soldier serum, which could kill her, but only she has the needed training to use her new abilities to fight the Axis powers as Captain America. Sure, Peggy is British — and proudly so — but that doesn’t also mean that she, like so many before and after her, would make a heroic sacrifice and fight for the American ideals of justice and freedom. From the high concept to the deep character motivations, Peggy Carter becoming Captain America felt right and authentically Marvel.”
Exiles #3 goes on sale May 9 from Marvel Comics.