In the space of a single action sequence, Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter accomplished more in a few minutes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier than she had in her previous two appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe combined. The hard-hitting showdown at the docks saw the actress punch, stab and shoot her way through a small army of henchmen, and it was no surprise that the bruising encounter happened in the first episode of the show that had John Wick‘s Derek Kolstad credited as a writer.
A popular theory making the rounds is that Sharon will be revealed as the mysterious Power Broker all along, something VanCamp wouldn’t be drawn on when asked directly. It’s finally created a talking point around the character, though, that doesn’t involve her smooching Chris Evans’ Captain America in Civil War, a creative decision that’s never sat too well with many MCU fans given their undying love for Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter and the icky connotations of Agent 13 getting cozy with the love of her great aunt’s life.
In a new interview, Van Camp addressed the criticism that’s followed her ever since she locked lips with the star-spangled Avenger. The 34 year-old is aware that it drew mixed reactions, but she sounds much happier with her lot in the MCU now that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has given her some material to actually sink her teeth into.
“I know! There was quite a bit of backlash about that. With Sharon, it was always trying to fit her in and these movies are just too big, and it’s completely understandable. To get to see who she’s become over this long period of time, and independent of Captain America as we know him, is really interesting to me. The intrigue for me was to see who is Sharon now. I mean, look, you have to laugh. Some of these storylines play and some of them don’t. But, you know, I thought that was an amazing film. It’s just one of those things.”
Depending on how the final three episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier play out, Sharon Carter could become a recurring presence in the MCU throughout Phase Four. After all, having only appeared in two movies and one TV show in the last seven years, there’s definitely plenty of untapped potential in continuing her arc down the line.