Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Kate Bishop in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has made a surprise return to the franchise. After a short scene in the post-credits of The Marvels, she reappeared in the animated series What If…? in episode six of season three, called What If… 1872?. This was her first significant role as Kate Bishop since the Hawkeye series on Disney+ ended.
In this episode, which takes place in the American West in 1872, Kate Bishop teams up with Shang-Chi, voiced by Simu Liu. Their adventure involves tracking down a villain named the Hood, who is responsible for the death of Kate’s family. Meanwhile, Shang-Chi is looking for his sister, Xu Xialing. Their journey leads them to a young boy who reveals the Hood’s plans against Chinese immigrants.
They end up getting captured and find out that Xialing has taken on the Hood’s identity and powers. A showdown happens, during which Kate, with help from the Watcher, ends up killing Xialing to stop further control over her mind. After that, Kate and Shang-Chi ride off together, and the Watcher’s actions have consequences across different universes.
Steinfeld’s role in What If…? is interesting because she has a background in voice acting for Marvel, having voiced Gwen Stacy in the Spider-Verse movies. This animated role offers a fresh take on Kate Bishop, placing her in a western storyline. Since the episode portrays an alternate version of Kate, it’s unclear when we’ll see her again in live-action.
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Fans are speculating about Steinfeld’s future in live-action roles. There are hints that she might be part of the Young Avengers project or a second season of Hawkeye. She could also appear in upcoming films like Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars. Before making another live-action appearance, she’s set to feature in another animated Marvel series.
She will be part of Marvel Zombies, which is a Disney+ series coming in 2025 that includes other MCU characters like Ms. Marvel and Shang-Chi. The What If…? episode gives a glimpse of what Marvel might have planned for Kate Bishop, blending both animated and live-action stories.
