We’re in the midst of What If… ? Season 2, and while the first four of these new episodes explored new universes never visited in the Marvel multiverse, the fifth episode, titled “What If... Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?”, reunited us with the superheroic version of Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter we met in Season 1 (not to be confused with the Captain Carter who died in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). By this point, Captain Carter has helped found her universe’s version of The Avengers, but in addition to her obviously taking Steve Rogers’ spot as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, we also saw The Wasp in the lineup rather than Hulk. What If… ? Head writer A.C. Bradley has now revealed how Hope van Dyne became one of the first Avengers in this reality.
After noticing fan inquiries, Bradley went on X to confirm that this was indeed Hope at the Battle of New York in Captain Carter’s universe, with the two of them fighting alongside Black Widow, Iron Man, Thor and Hawkeye. The writer started off by saying that because Captain Carter ended World War II earlier in this universe, “the feminist movement occurred immediately after the war.” This produced a “ripple effect” that led to “more female SHIELD agents, heroes, & women in positions of authority.” Bradley continued:
