Loki's Director Has A Shocking Opinion About Captain America And Peggy Carter

When time travel was formally introduced into the MCU with "Avengers: Endgame," it became clear that Marvel setting the rules for the rest of the MCU. As we learned from both the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and Professor Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), when you time travel, you create an entirely new timeline, and an entirely new version of yourself.

"Loki" only explored the MCU's rules of time travel further, showing us that there can be some very serious consequences for messing with the "sacred timeline," a term coined by the TVA. Although Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) went back through time to return the Infinity Stones, thus "clipping" the new timeline branches, his heart got the best of him, and we discover that he opted to return to the 1940s and live his life with his love, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell).

Steve's alternate timeline was equally shocking and heartwarming. With what we know from "Loki," we can't help but wonder if his and Peggy's dance wasn't exactly the happy ending we all hoped for — and "Loki" director Kate Herron has some thoughts of her own.

In an interview with The Direct, Kate Herron was asked the question on every Marvel fan's mind: Were Peggy and Steve pruned? Eagle-eyed fans noticed a woman in the background of the season premiere of "Loki" who looked suspiciously like Peggy, only adding to the suspicion of the lovers' tragic fate.

Herron weighed in on the debate, but failed to provide any definitive answer. "My theory is this," she said. "It comes down to if you're an optimist or a pessimist. If you're an optimist, maybe it was okay [for] them living [in the alternate timeline], and the branch wasn't so severe that it didn't need to be pruned, and that meant that they could stay together..." However, she noted, "The pessimists [think], 'They probably got pruned,'" Herron said with a laugh.

The fate of Steve Rogers remains one of the biggest lingering mysteries in the MCU. With rumors that Chris Evans will be suiting up as Captain America again at some point, it's possible we will ultimately get some answers. Additionally, Peggy will also be appearing in Marvel's hotly anticipated "What If...?" series on Disney+ as Captain Carter, after she took the serum instead of Steve, though it's still unclear how "What If...?" will fit into Marvel's new cinematic multiverse. Regardless, as Phase Four continues its impressive roll-out, we'll be eagerly watching to see if we get any more insight on the fate of Steve and Peggy.