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Hayley Atwell disapproves of Captain America's new romance

"It just feels like it crosses kind of an incestuous boundary," the actress explained.

By Annie Martin
Hayley Atwell at the EE British Academy Film Awards on February 8, 2015. The actress plays Peggy Carter in the Marvel cinematic universe. File Photo by Paul Treadway/UPI
1 of 5 | Hayley Atwell at the EE British Academy Film Awards on February 8, 2015. The actress plays Peggy Carter in the Marvel cinematic universe. File Photo by Paul Treadway/UPI | License Photo

DALLAS, June 6 (UPI) -- Hayley Atwell disapproves of Captain America's new romance in Captain America: Civil War.

The 34-year-old actress, who plays Captain America's (Chris Evans) love interest, Peggy Carter, in the Marvel cinematic universe, weighed in on the kiss Captain America shared with Peggy's niece Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp).

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"Well, first of all she'd be turning over in her grave," Atwell said during a panel at Fan Expo Dallas over the weekend. "She'd be like, 'No.' And she'd inject [herself with] the blue serum and become a super villain."

"She'd break out of her coffin and ground [Sharon]. She'd ground her. Then she'd kick [Captain America's] [expletive] as well," she added.

Captain America first met Sharon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and discovered the character is Peggy's niece in Civil War. The pair kissed in the latter movie following Peggy's death and funeral.

"I just feel that, you know, I wouldn't want to date my great-aunt's guy," Atwell said. "It just feels like it crosses kind of an incestuous boundary. And Peggy just died. That's even most disrespectful, right? It's like, 'Don't touch that. You can't tap that!'"

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Captain America and Peggy were involved in the 1940s before the superhero was frozen for nearly 70 years. He wakes up at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and reunites with an elderly Peggy in The Winter Soldier.

"It's quite heartbreaking for me to play that, and for Chris as well, because it's such a tender and bittersweet story," Atwell said of the reunion to Den of Geek in 2015.

"I think you only see them kiss once, very sweetly," she added. "There was an innocence about [their relationship] ... that makes it that much more moving and heartbreaking when you know that she's aged and he hasn't."

Captain America: Civil War opened in May and has grossed over $1.13 billion at the box office. Atwell also played Peggy on the ABC series Agent Carter, which was canceled last month after two seasons.

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