[Editor’s note: The following containsspoilersfor The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Season 1.]
The Falcon and the Winter Soldierturned out to be the ultimate game-changer forEmily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter. She joined the MCU as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, wholly dedicated to fighting for good. InCaptain America: Civil War, she chose to do what she thought was right by helping Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), even though her actions made her an enemy of the state. Essentially? Sharon was team “good guy” through and through.
However, as we find out inFalcon and Winter Soldier, giving everything she’s got to the government and Avengers came with consequences. After going on the run for returning the shield to Captain America inCivil War, Sharon was essentially abandoned. She was able to find some sense of safety in Madripoor, but that meant having zero contact with friends and family, and being completely cut off from the life she had before. Yes, Steve and co. wound up being mighty busy dealing with Thanos, but being completely forgotten like that after sacrificing everything for them has got to hurt - and now we know it did. And it turns out, it hurt enough to turn Sharon Carter into, what exactly? A villain, antagonist, anti-hero? That’s what we discussed with VanCamp herself on an upcoming episode ofCollider Ladies Night.
During the interview, VanCamp explained she had the opportunity to read all six scripts and learn about the Power Broker reveal as it would play out in the show. So how exactly did VanCamp view Sharon’s headspace before it was confirmed how dark she’d gone? Here’s how VanCamp described it:
“I just didn’t know how dark they really wanted to go with Sharon. I knew that there was a major feeling of betrayal, which we had to address, and that sort of wide-eyed young agent was no longer. All of those things kind of informed who she was in terms of how I was playing Sharon. But also, that could have ended there. It could have just been Sharon with a chip on her shoulder and she gets her pardon and off we go; she’s back in business! But to take it to that extra level, and really, she’s been orchestrating this entire thing, and she’s completely flipped sides. I mean, to me, that was so much more interesting and so much more exciting. It just made a lot of sense to me, really. And she kind of hints to that when she’s talking to Sam and saying, ‘You know, the whole hero thing is a joke.’ It’s very sad to see Sharon in that light because of how committed she was to her government and the cause and it’s in her blood to have that sort of moral integrity. To see that completely dissipated and completely gone, and then to have this total, almost villain status, I thought it was a great call.”
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So there it is; VanCamp’s description of choice for the new Sharon isn’t “villain,” but rather “almost villain status.” Here’s why:
“What I found interesting about this show in particular was how gray everything was. I mean, even the Flag Smashers, you understand they’re caught. You really wonder, ‘Is there one true villain?’ And also my job as the person playing Sharon is to justify who she is. I mean, right? We have to connect to our characters regardless of what they’re doing, and you understand the feeling behind it and where it comes from. I mean, yeah, the Power Broker is a baddie, but it’s also understanding where that comes from. So when she talks about, ‘Now I have access to all of the weapons,’ and whoever she’s speaking to, you get that she really wants to stick it to the system that kind of abandoned her. I guess in a weird way, I can justify that for Sharon. Even though it’s not right, it still makes sense to me, if that makes sense. [Laughs]”
If you’re looking for more from VanCamp about her experience working onFalcon and Winter Soldier, we’re about to have you well covered! Not only does her episode of Collider Ladies Night include more about the series, but it also digs into the immense success VanCamp’s had in the TV sector with shows likeEverwoodandRevengeand recaps how she joined the MCU. Stay tuned for that and more!
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