Marvel Studios' second Disney+ outing in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has officially concluded, providing some in-depth character development to a few MCU veterans. Titular duo Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes got most of the spotlight in this department, yet, there were other characters who also took some turns—presumably for the worse.
Actress Emily VanCamp's Sharon Carter, aka SHIELD's former Agent 13, made a triumphant return in the Star-Spangled series. Having last been seen in 2016's Captain America: Civil War aiding government fugitives, viewers were briefly caught up on her life afterward. After being on the run for a few years, Sharon settled down in the high-tech, shady city of Madripoor, giving up on a pardon from the U.S. government.
Upon helping Sam and Bucky wipe out the recreation of the Super Soldier Serum and take down the Flag Smashers, Sharon was granted just that: a pardon. However, it appears as though she'll be using it to conduct some unsavory business on U.S. soil.
Towards the series' conclusion, Sharon was revealed to be the Power Broker, an individual with seemingly endless resources and reach who seems to only be looking out for herself.
Now, Emily VanCamp herself and a Marvel Studios executive have shed some light on how Sharon's motives may continue throughout her arc in the MCU.
SHARON CARTER'S SHADY FUTURE IN THE MCU
In an interview with Marvel Entertainment, Sharon Carter actress Emily VanCamp detailed the exact sort of power her character has as the MCU's Power Broker.
VanCamp mentioned that Carter's "orchestrating so many things from Madripoor," and that in Episode 6, "she decides to reappear outside of Madripoor and take[s] matters into her own hands."
As for the post-credits scene of The Falcon and Winter Soldier's finale, co-executive producer Zoie Nagelhout explained the decision to ultimately not have Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes learn of Sharon's true identity. Nagelhout commented that "the conflict doesn't really involve Sam and Bucky; she's not out to get the two of them:"
“The conflict doesn’t really involve Sam and Bucky; she’s not out to get the two of them. She’s on her own path, her own mission. It wasn’t necessary to have to complicate her relationship with those guys. She can help them and also be the Power Broker. It was interesting to us that there be duality in the character.”
On the note of the post-credits scene, VanCamp teased that Sharon "has a much bigger plan and it's not for the greater good like it used to be:"
“Obviously, she has a much bigger plan and it’s not for the greater good like it used to be. As the person playing the character, I understand that perspective; she doesn’t trust the government anymore and she wants to stick it to them a little bit. What that all means? I don’t know. We’ll see.”
MARVEL'S AGENT 13 GONE ROGUE
While Sharon's secret alias of the Power Broker may have been heavily speculated early on in the series, no one could have guessed (and no one still can) how exactly she'll impact the entirety of the MCU moving forward.
The brief glimpse into Sharon's life as the Power Broker in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier only showed the bare minimum of what she may be capable of. As noted by VanCamp herself, Sharon's intentions are "not for the greater good," so who knows what calls she's willing to make.
As for the calls, that begs the question of who exactly Sharon was speaking with during the post-credits scene. Could this be another individual that's vital to the future of the MCU? If Sharon needs buyers for the wealth of government secrets she's about to have access to, this individual would have to be someone with some high-end connections.
This could be another former Stark Industries employee turned sour, a fellow hero (one, perhaps, audiences haven't been introduced to yet) on the opposite side of the Sokovia Accords, or perhaps one of Zemo's connections.
With Spider-Man: No Way Home set to hit theaters this December, would it really be too far out of reach to assume Sharon could be linking up with the MCU's version of Oscorp Industries CEO Norman Osborn?
However, there may be one more possibility to consider: what if Sharon Carter is a Skrull? While her resentment toward the government after years of service to it could explain her good-girl-gone-bad attitude, having an alien replace her entirely would also fit the bill.
Either way, it's likely that Sharon Carter's time in the MCU is far from over, and what's she planning on leaking and revealing could have serious repercussions moving forward.
All episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are streaming now on Disney+.
