Warning: Spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier lie ahead. Please proceed with caution if you have not yet watched the series.
Introduced during Disney Plus’ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the storyline of the Power Broker was blasted wide open when it was revealed that Sharon Carter, played by Emily VanCamp, was none other than the threatening force that runs the criminal underworld in Madripoor.
Fans were left wondering how Sharon Carter had done a near-180 since her first appearance in Captain America and The Winter Soldier. The great-niece of Peggy Carter, Sharon was introduced as a possible love interest for Steve Rogers before the events of The Winter Soldier occurred. Leaving S.H.I.E.L.D behind, Carter eventually joined the CIA and was stationed at the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre During the events of Civil War, she helped Rogers, Bucky, and Sam Wilson, which in turn branded her as an enemy of the state by the U.S.
Having disappeared during the events of Infinity War and Endgame, it was revealed during her return in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that Sharon had established herself as the Power Broker during the Blip.
Carter assisted Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, and Helmut Zemo to uncover the truth of the Flag Smashers. Sharon, in turn, killed the leader of the Flag Smashers, which allowed Wilson to get her pardoned, but unbeknownst to him, also set her up with secure direct access to government resources.
Since the announcement of Captain America 4, with Sam Wilson taking over the mantle, it’s been reported that the newly stationed captain will be coming face-to-face with the Power Broker once again, which would make sense.
Unlike his predecessor, Wilson is not superhuman, so pitting him against another villain who is also only human seems appropriate. This turn of events could be interesting, as Sharon and Sam have a long history together, and if done right, the film could play on the betrayal of friendship and the emergence of the criminal underworld making Captain America more grounded in everyday life.
Of course with Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) already appearing in both The Falcon and Winter Soldier and Black Widow, it can only be assumed that Marvel has big plans for her return as well.
We’ll just have to wait and see what happens, as Captain America 4 is still being written and a release date has yet to be released.