| "What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?" | |
|---|---|
| What If...? episode | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Bryan Andrews |
| Written by | A. C. Bradley |
| Editing by | Graham Fisher |
| Original release date | August 11, 2021 |
| Running time | 33 minutes |
| Cast | |
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"What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?" is the first episode of the first season of the American animated television series What If...?, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It explores what would happen if the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) occurred differently, with Peggy Carter taking the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers and becoming the superhero "Captain Carter". The episode was written by head writer A. C. Bradley and directed by Bryan Andrews.
Jeffrey Wright narrates the series as the Watcher, with this episode also starring the voices of Hayley Atwell (Carter), Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Bradley Whitford, Ross Marquand, and Darrell Hammond. The series began development by September 2018, with Andrews and Bradley joining soon after, and many actors expected to reprise their roles from the MCU films. The episode shows Carter dealing with sexism while becoming a superhero. Animation was provided by Blue Spirit, with Stephan Franck serving as head of animation; they took inspiration from 1940s serial films and old war films.
"What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?" was released on Disney+ on August 11, 2021. Critics praised Atwell's performance and the action sequences, but were mixed on other returning film actors' performances, elements of the animation style, and whether the story was a good introduction to the series or too similar to The First Avenger.