WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 3, "Power Broker," now streaming on Disney+.
One of the major mysteries driving the plot of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the identity of the Power Broker. While there are several pieces at play with various allies and enemies navigating the politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Power Broker emerged in three short episodes as one of the most enigmatic figures at work. But by the end of the latest episode, the signs clearly point to one person: Sharon Carter, the former ally of Captain America himself.
Introduced to the MCU in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sharon Carter quickly developed from the friendly neighbor next door sharing a light flirtation with Steve Rogers to an undercover agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. monitoring and protecting the First Avenger. She quickly proved herself a loyal ally, fighting the good fight even after HYDRA's infiltration of the organization and standing by Steve during the superhero civil war that made her a fugitive from the law. But her loyalty seems to have embittered her over time, and when she appears in Falcon and Winter Soldier in the latest episode, several clues point to the possibility of her taking on a new sinister identity.
The first clue comes in the episode's title. Although it is called "Power Broker," the titular villain seemingly does not appear. Instead, Sharon appears for the first time and she is far different than she ever has been before. She seems aggravated by her fugitive status and she does not appreciate the pardons Sam and Bucky were granted thanks to their status as Avengers. Embracing her role as a "hustler," she appears to enjoy a position at the top of the criminal food chain in Madripoor, dealing in counterfeit art and living a life of luxury. While the series previously established the difficulty Sam and other Blipped individuals had in recovering their lives, Sharon bounced back suspiciously quick.
It's true that Zemo does refer to the Power Broker with male pronouns, but he also admits that he has never actually met the Power Broker himself. The identity could easily be a cover, or Sharon could have replaced the real Power Broker and moved into his position of influence. The foreboding graffiti "Power Broker is Watching" certainly helps explain how she knew to locate Sam and Bucky to save them in their time of crisis, and the sharpshooter who brought down the men around the duo appears to fire from angles and distances Sharon could not have managed on her own with a mere handgun.
Her final scene almost guarantees her involvement in one sinister motive or another. Following the episode's events, she enters a car and speaks to an unknown driver, telling them, "We've got a big problem — actually a couple of them." If Sam and Bucky are the aforementioned problems, then she certainly cannot be considered an ally. And while she seemed useful in the episode at hand, it's hard to ignore the sheer brutality and violence of her methods that saw her bashing in skulls and stabbing men to death without hesitation or regret.
The main piece of counterevidence is Sharon's support of the mission to locate Dr. Nagel. By putting him in proximity to Zemo, she forfeited the life of the only man who could produce more of the Super Soldier Serum that the Power Broker so doggedly pursues. It may just be a matter of Sharon cutting her losses or increasing the value of the few samples of serum remaining, but all in all, it is not overly difficult to imagine motivations by which the Power Broker's aims are more complex than they seem.
Whatever the case may be, Sharon has taken a far darker turn that already makes her character more fascinating than ever. Evil mastermind or not, there are plenty of exciting depths for this character to explore, and wherever she goes, she will doubtless pull Bucky and Sam down right along with her.
Directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Noah Mills, Carl Lumbly and Daniel Brühl. New episodes debut on Fridays on Disney+.