Thunderbolts Needs To Follow Up On A Forgotten MCU Plotline

Marvel Studios has struggled with its latest phase in storytelling, leaving various plotlines seemingly untouched for quite some time. One plotline from The Eternals is set to be addressed in Captain America: Brave New World when it hits theaters next year. However, there's one major plotline from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that should be addressed in Thunderbolts.

Emily VanCamp's Sharon Carter was a minor character in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, her character's story was a pretty important one. She was revealed to be the Power Broker, and yet, despite the revelation of her character's new arc, Marvel Studios hasn't touched on it since. With Captain America: Brave New World already set to tackle plenty as it is, Thunderbolts seems like the perfect movie to address Carter's Power Broker storyline.

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By  Catherine Armecin Martin

Sharon Carter's Turn as the Power Broker

Emily VanCamp made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier where she worked undercover as Agent 13, playing a nurse who lived across from Steve Rogers. The duo had a bit of an on-screen romance develop, with Rogers not finding out Carter's true identity as Peggy Carter's great-niece until Captain America: Civil War. It was then, following Peggy's funeral, that Rogers would come to learn Carter's true identity. The duo would share an on-screen kiss, and it would be the last of Carter's appearances within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Until she returned for the Disney+ limited series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, this time with a twist. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Carter took off for fear of being captured for being on Team Cap. She's still very much on the run when she pops up in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and has built an entirely new life and identity as the Power Broker in Madripoor. Avengers: Endgame suggested Carter had died following the snap, but in reality, Carter had used her presumed death to help her become the ruler of the criminal underworld.

For fans of the character, the decision to make Carter an anti-hero of sorts was a surprising one. Especially as it felt out of character for her. However, Marvel Studios looked to have a plan for Carter who, after being pardoned at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, had secured government resources for her buyers back in Madripoor. Unfortunately, though, like numerous other projects throughout this latest phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Carter's turn as the Power Broker seemed to be a plotline that would soon be forgotten. At least, for now.

Thunderbolts is the Perfect Place for the Power Broker

While it seems highly unlikely Carter will appear in Captain America: Brave New World, which is already busy tackling another forgotten plotline from The Eternals, Carter could appear in another Marvel film coming next year. Marvel Studios is set to release Thunderbolts next summer, and there are two characters from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier already confirmed to appear in that project: Bucky Barnes and US Agent. Given Barnes is now a Congressman, and US Agent is now set to work alongside him and a slew of other complicated heroes, bringing in Carter's Power Broker doesn't seem like a reach. In fact, the film could touch on Carter's undercutting of the CIA from the inside, while still focusing on the group of reluctant heroes. As it stands, very little is known regarding Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts, especially as an official trailer for the project has yet to be unveiled. This means there's still plenty that remains unknown about the project. Although VanCamp has yet to be announced for any upcoming Marvel projects, that doesn't mean a Carter appearance isn't entirely out of the question.

Given how little payoff fans have seen from end credit scenes, and various plotlines introduced across multiple films and shows, Marvel Studios needs to start following up on its many open threads. Especially given how out of left field Carter's turn as the Power Broker felt in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Yes, Carter needed to find a way to survive, but to change her character so drastically felt wrong. Bringing her back to further explore this new character arc, and help to make sense of Carter's life after Civil War would prove to be a vital step forward for the character. After all, as it stands, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't exactly done well by Sharon Carter thus far. If Marvel Studios is smart, it'll bring Carter back for Thunderbolts and continue with the journey it set forth for her in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and give the character time to shine yet again, rather than letting her simply be yet another untied plotline from Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts is slated to hit theaters on April 30th, 2025.