Hayley Atwell discusses her evolving career and mindset as she prepares to play Beatrice opposite Tom Hiddleston in Much Ado About Nothing on the West End. Having built her reputation through roles in Marvel’s Agent Carter, lush period dramas, and high-stakes action in Mission: Impossible, she says she now feels empowered to set creative boundaries and refuses to conform to reductive narratives about her past. Atwell criticises press intrusion into her personal life, especially regarding motherhood, calling out tabloids for exploiting consent. She values theatre for its immediacy and community, and says she’s comfortable if she isn’t universally liked—she’ll choose projects that fuel her artistically.