The Falcon And The Winter Soldier deals with a lot of the fallout from Avengers: Endgame, with Sam Wilson forsaking (for the moment at least) the shield of Captain America. Part of that is the rise of The Power Broker, a figure in the criminal underworld behind the proliferation of the Super Soldier Serum. But just who is The Power Broker?
The Power Broker is almost certain to be someone within the world of the MCU already, or perhaps a character with origins in the Marvel Comics. They're someone with connections to the criminal underworld of the MCU as well as the scientific and military arms of the larger Avengers universe.
Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola is an MCU Phase 1 villain and character with deep ties in the Captain America corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This former HYDRA scientist appeared to die after the computer he inhabited was destroyed in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it's possible he had backups.
If he did survive, he may continue the efforts of HYDRA to develop super-soldiers. Zola has the skill, resources, and ambition to be the Power Broker, though he's arguably the least likely among the other candidates in the series.
Curtiss Jackson
The most obvious candidate for the Power Broker would be the original Marvel Comics character, Curtiss Jackson. Jackson first appeared in Machine Man #6, co-created by writer Roger Stern and artist Sal Buscema. He debuted as a member of The Corporation, a group of supervillains out to make money off their evil ways.
He would seek to capitalize on any illicit activity he could, which eventually led him to illegal augmentation of superhumans so they could participate in the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation.
Power Broker II
Jackson ultimately died in the comics in the early 2000s at the hands of the Punisher. He was supplanted by the Power Broker II, a nameless, mysterious figure who took over his operation. This iteration of the character also created superhumans for the UCWF but sought to monetize illegal activities in other ways.
One of them was through Hench, an app that let people hire the services of a supervillain. This very modern scheme was broken up with the help of Ant-Man. This Power Broker wore a power suit that allowed him to fire energy bolts from his hands.
Moonstone
Moonstone may seem unlikely, but she has connections to the Power Broker and another major MCU character - Captain Marvel - that could justify her in the role. Moonstone was a member of The Corporation along with Curtiss Jackson. She has also been a member of the Masters Of Evil alongside its leader Baron Zemo.
Moonstone has traditionally been a major villain of Carol Danvers, and it's possible that she is the villain Zawe Ashton is playing in Captain Marvel 2. The Falcon And The Winter Soldier could be setting up the character for bigger things.
Thunderbolt Ross
The Power Broker is a powerful and resourceful person who has some connection to the military and science that produced the original Super-Soldier, Captain America. There are very few of those people left, but one key government figure with access to those things is Thunderbolt Ross.
The character has transitioned from the military to the Secretary of State in the MCU, and his friction with the Avengers could potentially see him take on a less than legal role, especially after the calamity of the Snap. In the comics, Ross is also the Red Hulk, a character the MCU may be setting up.
Director Hayward
Another less than good character with a hand in the secrets of the Avengers is Director Hayward from WandaVision. Hayward embodies perfectly the ostensibly good man who was bent and twisted by the horrors of The Blip. He clearly crossed lines to create the White Vision.
Could he also be involved in selling secrets like the Super-Soldier Serum out the back door? Hayward showed no sense of morality at all with his behavior in Westview, which included trying to kill Vision and Wanda's children, Tommy and Billy Maximoff.
John Walker
In the comics, John Walker is a product of the Power Broker. He was augmented to be superhuman by the villain, first becoming the Super-Patriot before becoming one of the many versions of Captain America. The circumstances in the MCU could be different.
All fans really know about Walker at this point is that he was a vet who served overseas. He's shown some less than noble tendencies in the series, which in the comics led to his ouster as Captain America and his becoming the mostly heroic U.S. Agent.
Sharon Ventura
Sharon Ventura is a character that like Moonstone, has connections to both the Power Broker and Carol Danvers. Sharon Ventura obtained her superhuman abilities from the Power Broker, so she could participate in the UCWF. She then went on to become the second Ms. Marvel, while Carol was out of action thanks to Rogue from the X-Men.
It's possible the MCU could use the Power Broker as a way to introduce Sharon into the franchise, and reconfigure her origin somewhat. She isn't a major character in the comics and is more or less retired at this point.
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo is something of Hannibal Lecter in this series, the villain working with the heroes to track down the bigger bad. But he may actually be using Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes to locate the Flag Smashers, who have stolen the vials of serum from the Power Broker.
He may have intended the serum for a larger purpose, like the creation of the Masters Of Evil, his supervillain team from the comics. Zemo didn't originally have superpowers in the comics, but later acquired them, making him even more powerful.
Sharon Carter
The most likely candidate for the Power Broker is also probably the most shocking: Sharon Carter. Sharon Carter is not the same person that fans saw in Captain America: Civil War. She has spent years on the run, with no pardon and no way home.
She has become an international art dealer on the black market and seems to have done very well for herself. Do her illegal activities include selling Super-Soldier Serum? Does she harbor a grudge against Captain America and The Avengers and this is her revenge?