Sharon Carter returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and her story included a twist that doesn’t exactly work. Sharon, the great-niece of Agent Peggy Carter and one-time love interest of Steve Rogers, made a major comeback in the Disney+ series after going off the grid following the events of Captain America: Civil War. The audience was caught up with Sharon’s activities in the years since, but her story took an intriguing, yet strange, turn.
First introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sharon was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. before going on to join the CIA after it was revealed that HYDRA had successfully infiltrated her former agency. The events of Captain America: Civil War and her rejection of the Sokovia Accords effectively sent her off the grid, now an enemy of the U.S. government due to her alliance with Captain America. Years later, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes meet a hardened post-Blip version of Sharon, now leading the life of a stolen arts dealer with no interest in returning to a country that was quick to pardon Bucky and not her.
However, as jaded as Sharon is now, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier revealed a dark twist that saw her breaking Batroc the Leaper out of prison in a bid to join the Flag Smashers and kill Sam as revenge for capturing him, promising him double the pay to complete his mission. It was a shocking turn for a character who’s long worked alongside superheroes. What’s more, the series’ penultimate episode, called “Truth,” more than subtly hinted that Sharon is the Power Broker, a mysterious figure who runs the island of Madripoor. However, the twist doesn’t work for various reasons beyond its lackluster delivery.
It Doesn't Make Sense Sharon Carter Would Turn On Sam
Sam and Bucky (but mostly Sam) were surprised to learn Sharon had been hiding out in Madripoor for years since going on the run. Sam tried to convince Sharon that there was a good life left to live despite her hardship, but Sharon was quick to respond she thought the superhero game was a joke. Regardless, she still helped Sam and Bucky find Dr. Nagel, the creator of the new Super Soldier serum. Considering their history together, it’s hard to imagine Sharon would just turn on Sam, much less want him dead. They’ve teamed up a couple of times before and she knows Sam’s heart is always in the right place no matter what.
To then hire Batroc to kill Sam seems pretty extreme, no matter Sharon’s newly embittered state. If she is the Power Broker, she could be using Batroc for information on the Flag Smashers, who owe her a debt. However, Batroc is fairly lethal and, even if Sam could fight him and win, the idea that Sharon would even want the Falcon dead is going too far. Her kill order would effectively burn the bridges she’s built with him, especially since he has done nothing to warrant such a request. It’s possible Sharon doesn’t think Batroc will go through with killing Sam or that the hero would take down Batroc with little issue. Still, Sharon’s actions are ultimately a betrayal.
Sharon Carter's Motivations Aren't Entirely Clear
After going off the grid, Sharon had to make do with whatever resources were at her disposal to survive. She reveals as much to Sam, Bucky, and Zemo in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, her motivations beyond survival remain unclear. Sharon seems to know more about the Super Soldier serum and the Flag Smashers than she lets on, but her goals and overall plans are an enigma, so it's hard to understand her actions. Her motivations are murky at best, which makes the reveal she’s working with Batroc and her bring the Power Broker all the more empty.
What is Sharon getting out of all this? If she’s staying off grid, her most recent actions will surely attract the attention of Sam, Bucky, and likely others. There’s no reason to go to the lengths she’s going through unless Sharon’s getting something in return, but it’s hard to care without knowing what that something could be. Working with Batroc and killing off Sam don’t explain what the endgame is or how any of these things advance her story. To be sure, Sharon could be working undercover (she’s done so in the past), but it seems rather unlikely considering her new alliance with Batroc and the implication she’s worked with him before. And until The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explores what exactly she wants, Sharon’s big twist will remain underwhelming.
Falcon & Winter Soldier Needed To Develop Sharon's Character More
Of all the twists in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sharon’s is less believable because she’s the least developed character in the series thus far. Her character also lacked focus in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War, but the whole point of the Disney+ series was to offer supporting MCU characters more time for exploration and backstory. Suffice it to say, there’s still very little fans know about Sharon as a person beyond the few minutes of screen time she’s been afforded on the show, and even then that’s primarily been to explain things about Madripoor to Sam and Bucky. It’s been a long time since Sharon’s been seen in the MCU, so it’s more than a little jarring to suddenly discover she’s become a powerful criminal with a whole lot of shady connections.
She was also wiped out of existence by Thanos, though the show never acknowledges it, which leaves Sharon's storyline and character development lacking in emotional impact as well. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explains that Sharon has simply been doing what she can to survive after going on the run, but there’s a huge gap that fans are missing about what exactly she’s been through that makes the twist in “Truth” a hard pill to swallow. It’s also hard to believe she’s managed to accumulate this wealth and power in the six months she’s been back following Avengers: Endgame. Had The Falcon and the Winter Soldier provided further information about her — including flashbacks to her time on the run — the twist would have landed far better than it did. For now, Sharon is a wild card whose actions are shrouded in too much mystery to be invested in any of them.