For Alice Eve, getting ready to play Dr. Carol Marcus meant doing a bit of research. Eve knows the backstory of the character. “She’s dug, dug into there,” said Eve. “Dr. Marcus is a weapons specialist with a PhD. She’s incredibly intelligent and highly qualified. In the canon, she has Kirk’s baby. In Wrath of [...] More...
Given that she is a "weapons expert," I strongly suspect she was part of the (top secret) team that designed the Dreadnought for her daddy.
If that's true, and she was up to anything like that in the Prime Universe, it explains her whole motivation behind creating Genesis (not to mention turning somewhat against Starfleet) - she's guilt-ridden and seeking atonement for the lives the weapons she designed took. Kirk's world which she didn't want David having any part of = Admiral Marcus/Daddy's world of war, weapons and death. The Carol of STID has yet to have her Prime counterpart's crisis of conscience (or is in the early stages of it).
Totally agree with this. Although everyone initially complained Carol Marcus wasn't in Starfleet, this was never established in canon. I think a career path like this would completely explain why she's the 'peacenik' we see in STII, and why she kept David away from Kirk. It gives a new perspective on this exchange: Kirk: I did what you wanted. I stayed away. Why didn't you tell him? Carol Marcus: How can you ask me that? Were we together? Were we going to be? You had your world, and I had mine. And I wanted him in mine, not chasing through the universe with his father.