Captain America: Civil War changed the landscape of the MCU in more ways than one due to the implementation of the Sokovia Accords, affecting virtually every character that was introduced ever since the franchise's debut in 2008. One of them is Sharon Carter, the great-niece of SHIELD founder Peggy Carter .
Introduced in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier , Sharon was an undercover SHIELD agent tasked by Nick Fury to monitor Steve Rogers. However, when SHIELD fell, Sharon transferred to the CIA as one of the members of the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre.
During Civil War , Sharon retrieved Steve's shield and Sam Wilson's wings to help the pair stop Helmut Zemo. Unfortunately, this act was a breach of the Sokovia Accords that consequently led to the character being on the run for years.
While the Avengers have been pardoned by the time The Falcon and the Winter Soldier started, Sharon didn't receive the same treatment . Now, a new interview has surfaced that could shed some light on the whole ordeal.
EMILY VANCAMP WANTED A PARDON FROM CAPTAIN AMERICA
Emily VanCamp, who plays Sharon Carter in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to talk about the Marvel series and the current status of her MCU character.
It was confirmed during Avengers: Endgame that Sharon Carter was one of the victims of Thanos' snap. However, when the Avengers succeeded in reversing the effects of Thanos' actions, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier established the fact that Sharon is still an enemy of the state, which is confusing because Earth's Mightiest Heroes — and even Bucky Barnes — were pardoned after the whole ordeal.
When it was pointed out in the interview that there's no excuse for someone like Steve Rogers to not facilitate the character's pardon after the Blip in Avengers: Endgame , VanCamp said that she "agree[d]" with the idea.
During Sharon's return in the third episode of the new Disney+ series, VanCamp said that she “absolutely” understood why the character changed so much, describing her as a “very different woman:”
“Absolutely. When we were talking about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier initially — before any scripts were even written — one of the things that appealed to me was that we were going to see a very different version of Sharon. My initial thought was that this surely is a very different woman. She will most definitely have a chip on her shoulder, and she will most definitely have resentment. She sacrificed her whole life, and we talk about that in episode three.”
VanCamp then admitted that “there was no other way” to bring Sharon back into the MCU “without acknowledging what she's been through:”
“She’s been on the run this whole time and for what? And to what end? So I definitely think there was no other way to bring Sharon back into the story without acknowledging what she’s been through. Even though we don’t necessarily specify what she’s had to do to survive, you get the sense that it hasn’t been easy. So that’s where we find her, and I think that’s the only way we really could bring her back, to be honest.”
SHARON CARTER'S COMPLICATED MCU JOURNEY
Sharon has had quite an MCU journey, but the character appears to be content with her current status in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier . This isn't surprising since Sharon is well off, and has a vast amount of resources and connections.
Still, it's apparent that there is a lingering resentment for the character, and VanCamp's latest comments solidified that sentiment. Given that Steve Rogers is a character who is best known for looking out for his allies, it's surprising to find out that he wasn't able to facilitate the pardon for Sharon before he traveled back in time for Peggy.
However, with so much going on during Endgame (the universe is at stake after all), it's understandable that Steve might've overlooked this tidbit. It's worth pointing out that Steve mentioned in Civil War that his “faith is in people,” and this could hint that he trusts Sam and Bucky to do the right thing when they return, which includes Sharon's pardon.
During the third episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , it looks like the responsibility for Sharon's pardon was given to Sam, and it's reasonable to assume that he will not stop until she gets her much-deserved freedom. It remains to be seen if Sharon is indeed the mysterious Power Broker, which would provide a different outcome altogether if that theory is proven true.
For now, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is taking Sharon in a new direction, and it will be interesting to find out how she will continue her journey after the Marvel series.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney+.
