Hayley Atwell Criticizes ‘Doctor Strange’ Portrayal of Peggy Carter, Calling Her Death “A Complete Disservice To The Character”

Hayley Atwell said she was unhappy with the way Peggy Carter was used in Marvel Studios’ 2022 film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, describing the character’s death as something closer to a careless stunt than a fitting conclusion. Speaking at the For the Love of Fantasy & Sci-Fi convention in London, Atwell told attendees that she found the storyline frustrating, and she used the phrase “frisbeed to death” to describe how the end of Captain Carter’s arc played out on screen.

Atwell’s comments were directed at the film’s “Captain Carter” version of the character, an alternate counterpart to Captain America that appeared within the movie’s multiverse structure. In the interview, she suggested that the character’s narrative treatment did not match what audiences expect from Peggy Carter and did not reflect the character work she associated with the role.

The actor made the remarks while appearing with fans at the convention, a venue that focuses on genre storytelling and interactive discussion with creators and performers. According to the report, Atwell specifically tied her frustration to the scene choice that leads to Peggy Carter’s death, saying the approach was “a complete disservice to the character.”

Atwell also referenced her involvement in the film, noting that she came in as an alternate version of Captain America, commonly referred to as Captain Carter in fan and promotional discussion around the title. The remarks frame her participation as more than a brief cameo, but as a role that carried expectations because Peggy Carter has long been presented as a grounded, principled figure in Marvel’s broader universe.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness used an expansive multiverse premise to introduce variations on familiar characters, and Peggy Carter’s alternate appearance functioned within that larger structure. Atwell’s comments place the spotlight on how franchise storytelling decisions, including character fates, are received by performers who have spent years building an audience connection to the character.

It is not the first time genre audiences have debated character outcomes in big-budget superhero releases, but Atwell’s criticism stands out because it came directly from the actor who portrayed the role. No statement from Marvel Studios accompanied the interview in the reporting.

For now, Atwell’s on-the-record reaction underscores a recurring tension in franchise filmmaking: how studios balance spectacle and plot mechanics with the long-term character arcs that audiences associate with established figures. Her remarks are likely to continue to circulate among fans of Marvel’s Captain Carter and Peggy Carter, particularly as convention appearances and interviews provide new context for earlier film choices.