Peggy Carter entered my life in an unexpected way. Of course, as a Marvel fan, I had seen Captain America: The First Avenger, and — as any normal person would — I loved Peggy. However, she fell into a list of cool side-characters that I really just forgot about for a bit. I don’t think I even fully remembered her name until a Tumblr post in early 2015 came onto my feed. The post asked everyone to go watch Marvel’s Agent Carter, as ratings weren’t up to par, and the show was expected to be canceled as a result. I went and found the show on the ABC website, and the rest is history.
Peggy has become a really big part of my life since I began watching Agent Carter in 2015, and here are just a few reasons why I adore her.
- She Is Feminine While Being a Badass
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Growing up, I never identified as being a “girly girl” or a “tomboy,” which seemed to be the only two options at a young age. I don’t think any girl fits one “type” completely, but many of our role models did.
Peggy is a modern take on the woman role model with a vintage twist. Even while she lives in the 1940s, she still takes on the issues of being a woman in a male-dominated occupation, and she does it with grace. In spite of all she deals with, she is kind and generous, and never forfeits her style. Always accessorized with her signature red lip and a pair of heels, Peggy is always ready to take on the world.
- Agent Carter Was Actually Really Good (& Deserves a Third Season)
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Even while being mildly cheesy (but what comic book adaptation isn’t just a little), Agent Carter maintained a solid plot throughout both of its seasons and kept you invested. The characters were charming and the storyline felt genuine, even if a bit whimsical. Despite what one might imagine, being labeled Captain America’s “girlfriend” did more harm than good to her career, as she was then seen as an accessory, which many women face when they become associated with a man in power. The show seamlessly blended these real-world issues with the more fantastical side of Marvel, making it something I looked forward to every week.
Not only did the show end on an awful cliffhanger (a main character death in the final seconds), but the show still had places to go. Especially now with the way Avengers: Endgame ended, I would kill to see her story continued.
- She Has Inspired Me
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I grew up loving fictional characters so much that many of my personality traits can be attributed to them. Agent Carter debuted in the second semester of my eighth-grade year. Peggy came in a time in my life where I was severely unsure of who I was, had very little confidence, and wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to look to. I struggled with my weight in middle and high school, in both maintaining a healthy weight and being confident in my own skin. Hayley Atwell (the actress who portrayed Peggy) is by no means plus-sized, but a wonderful mid-size that I actually saw myself in. Peggy’s outfits never tried to hide her curves, as we are often encouraged to, but celebrated them. She wore everything with confidence, including her own wit. I still struggle greatly with low self-esteem, but Peggy Carter is always a character I can turn to for just a touch of reassurance.
Growing up (and even now), I have struggled with feeling different from my peers and being — even if in the mildest sense — an outcast. I look to characters a lot for comfort, and characters like Wicked’s Elphaba, Beauty and the Beast’s Belle, and of course, Peggy, have helped me overcome some of my problems, even by just accepting them. Peggy being treated as less-than and taking it in stride, even working it to her advantage, is something I think about a lot when faced with similar situations.
Peggy Carter definitely doesn’t deserve any of the hate that has been directed at her since Avengers: Endgame came out. I have opinions on the ending and I honestly understand both sides, but I see no reason to target Peggy. Beyond Captain America, she is a strong character on her own, and her decisions are fully hers.
I think that Peggy is my favorite because she’s one of the most real. Even with such a short-lived show, we saw all kinds of sides to her that made her amazingly human. She was not the personification of one trait or another, as many side characters end up becoming, but a person. I truly think anyone could find a piece of themselves in Peggy.
I still can’t walk in high heels, but I have the red lipstick thing down. Maybe the next time I write about Peggy I’ll be able to do it.