Hayley Atwell to Play the Love Interest in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

British actress Hayley Atwell (The Duchess) has been cast to play Captain America’s (Chris Evans) love interest Peggy Carter in Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger.  Heat Vision reports that Atwell won out after screen testing last week.  Atwell was in the running along with fellow British actresses Keira Knightley, Alice Eve, and Emily Blunt (although Blunt chose to take herself out of the running).  She’ll star alongside Sebastian Stan (Gossip Girl) who will play Captain’s sidekick Bucky Barnes.  Hugo Weaving is still in talks to play the film’s villain, Red Skull.
Hit the jump for more on Carter and Atwell as well as the official press release.  Captain America: The First Avenger is set to hit theaters on July 22, 2011.

In the comics, Peggy Carter dated Captain America (real name Steve Rogers) during World War II and also worked as an agent helping the French Resistance.  After the war, Captain America was frozen in a state of suspended animation.  He awoke in the modern day and eventually dated Peggy’s niece, Sharon (ewwww).  Sharon Carter is an agent of SHIELD in the comics so it’s possible Captain America is helping to set up that character relationship for The Avengers.