Netflix’s ‘Tomb Raider’ Casts ‘Captain America’ Star as Lara Croft for New Series

Netflix has cast one of the performers of Captain America: The First Avenger to star as Lara Croft for its upcoming new Tomb Raider series. On Monday, the streaming service announced that Hayley Atwell will voice Lara in a new animated show that will follow the events of the franchises’ recent video game trilogy, which served as a reboot for the series. 

Atwell is most well-known for portraying Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She made her debuted in the first Captain America film and then reprised it in the fan-favorite Marvel series, Agent Carter. Atwell also played the character in brief/cameo roles for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, and Avengers: Endgame. In addition to her role in the MCU, Atwell has starred in a number of other films, such as Disney’s live-action Cinderella remake, and Christopher Robin. Next up, fans will be able to see her alongside Tom Crusie in Mission: Impossible 7.

Hayley Atwell is Lara Croft!

Netflix’s upcoming TOMB RAIDER anime series from Powerhouse Animation picks up after the event of Square Enix’s video game reboot trilogy, and will follow Atwell’s Lara Croft in her latest, greatest adventure. pic.twitter.com/4NT02YfuOH

— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) September 13, 2021

Notably, her new Tomb Raider role will not be Atwell’s first time doing voice acting, as she voiced a character in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway and reprised her role as Peggy Carter in two video games: Captain America: Super Soldier and Lego Marvel’s Avengers. She also recently voiced Peggy for Marvel’s What If…? series, an animated show streaming exclusively on Disney+.

Back in 2019, when it was first announced that She’d be voicing Peggy for What If…?, Atwell spoke with The Hollywood Reporter and shared how she’s felt playing the character so much. “I feel really fulfilled, “she said. “It was a great time, and I think they ended it beautifully with Endgame. It feels like a fitting end to that narrative. I’m a classically trained theater actor so I want a stab at the challenging parts in the canon for theatrical actresses. That’s something that I’ve always aspired towards. So, I feel lucky to have played her, but she’s one aspect of my career.”

Atwell continued, “She’s one part that I’ve played. With every job that I’ve done, I’ve taken the job because I’ve seen something within the character that I’d love to explore or try and be challenged by. With a leading part, it requires a lot of my focus and passion, but it’s the same focus and passion whether it’s Peggy Carter or it’s Rebecca West in Rosmersholm on stage, which I just finished. It’s the same curiosity to see what each character’s world is.”