SPOILER NOTICE: This story discusses events from season 1, episode 3 of Disney Plus’ “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
The last time Emily VanCamp appeared on the Marvel Cinematic Universe as ex-SHIELD agent Sharon Carter, she was helping Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) illegally in 2016 in “Captain America: Civil War” – and stealing a kiss from him for a good time. measure. Sharon’s actions force her to flee; it does not return to “Avengers: Infinity War” or “Avengers: Endgame”. VanCamp never expected it to appear on the MCU again.
While filming Fox’s medical series “The Resident”, however, the 34-year-old actress received a call asking if she was interested in reprising Sharon Carter in the Disney Plus series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” starring “Civil War ”” Countrymen Anthony Mackie (as Sam Wilson) and Sebastian Stan (as Bucky Barnes).
“Wonderful, when they call, you always answer,” says VanCamp.
In 2014, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Civil War”, Sharon is a young idealistic agent who is always ready to do the right thing – she is the niece of the SHIELD (and Marvel) legend, agent Peggy Carter , in the end. But when we find her again in episode 3 of “FAWS”, entitled “Power Broker”, Sharon is a changed woman. She doesn’t think about shooting a series of henchmen when she sets out to rescue Sam and Bucky in the island (fictional) nation of Madripoor, where Sharon has been holed up since the “Civil War”. She scoffs at Sam’s idealism, saying to him, “You know this whole hero thing is a joke, right?” She lives in a chic penthouse that doubles as a showcase for stolen great works of art. And she is curiously well connected within Madripoor’s villainous network, so much so that some have begun to speculate that Sharon could be the unidentified Big Evil of the season, the Power Broker.
Understandably, VanCamp could not completely spoil whether Sharon is really the brain behind the sudden proliferation of super soldiers in “FAWS”. But she had some revealing insights about her character, as well as what it was like to return to the MCU after so many years away.
How did it feel to be invited to play Sharon Carter?
Great! I was thinking about it the other day and I realized that it’s been about eight years since I started this journey at MCU, which is crazy. It’s amazing to go back to this new medium, because with the movies, you’re trying to fit so many characters in two hours, and with streaming, a six-hour version of that [show], you tell the story in a little more depth.
It always seemed like there was a lot to explore. The last time we saw her, she kissed Captain America and then disappeared.
I know! There was a certain reaction against that. With Sharon, I was always trying to fit it in and these films are very big, and it’s completely understandable. To see who she has become over this long period of time, and regardless of Captain America as we know him, is really interesting for me. The intrigue for me was to see who Sharon is now.
You mentioned the reaction to that kiss. What did you think of this?
I mean, look, you have to laugh. Some of these stories happen and others don’t. But, you know, I found an incredible film. It’s just one of those things.
Personally, I found the chemistry between you and Chris Evans to be quite evident. I was a little surprised at how strongly people felt about it.
Yes, I think we all were. I mean, we certainly did our best. And I think one of the best things that came out of that scene, to be honest, with this incredible dynamic between Sam and Bucky. You really get that glimpse into the camaraderie dynamics of the Falcon and the Winter Soldier. You want to see more of it, and we can see it, which is fantastic.
How specifically did Marvel introduce Sharon to “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” for you?
When [executive producer] Nate Moore called to present the idea, what I love is that he is also on that journey and I think he had a very similar perspective in relation to what we saw and did not see for Sharon. Because, obviously, she had to be running away. We don’t know where she was. All these crazy ideas to explore.
It was surprising to see how disappointed Sharon has been since the “Civil War”. How did you develop for yourself how it got to that specific point?
Through many conversations, because it could have been anything. What we do know is that she sacrificed a lot for the cause. When she’s on the run, we don’t know where she’s been, but you can certainly imagine that there would be some kind of, you know, I mean – how can I say? There is a little more advantage in Sharon than we have seen. She is no longer that young, wide-eyed agent. It is a little rough at the edges. Did we find out exactly what she had to do to be where she is now and survive? No. But we have a feeling that it was not always easy and that the sacrifices she made were not always worth it for her. It was really cool to see that chip on your shoulder that we’ve never seen before.
It’s a very different approach for Sharon, who I think has never been so bleak in the comics. She has always been a benefactor in many ways.
And that’s where you trust Marvel at the MCU, which is different from comics. They give you this Bible for your character from the different versions of the character from all the different comics. This gives you a starting point, but really, the beautiful thing is that they allow you to create your own version of the character within the MCU, and they do that with the story as well.
You have this fundamental idea of who the character is, and I tried to implement in the films who Sharon was – that deep respect, and the sense of integrity and loyalty that she has. So, taking it off after being wronged in your mind – putting it on your head was just a really fun idea for me. There are still a few episodes left to see where we’re going with this, but it was just fascinating that we took a completely different path with her.
When did you realize that you had a lot more action to do than in the movies?
That was said while the scripts were being written, like, “Well, you’re going to have to do some fight training. We have some sequences for you that will be a little more difficult than you did before. ”It always turns me on. And the training was definitely a lot more intense than ever. We had the best stunt team and they took good care of us and really prepared us for those moments. In episode 3, there is a crazy fight sequence from Sharon. She’s kind of alone. It was a lot of fun to deal with. In this version of what we were doing, you can’t really hide behind weapons or superpowers. It’s a really brave fight, and it was really cool to learn all these new techniques and kick some ass.
How much training did you have to do?
As far as I could fit. I was shooting “The Resident” at the same time. Fortunately, they both filmed in Atlanta. The great thing is that Marvel has a special stunt stage on its own. They’re all there every day doing choreography, teaching and training, and they kind of leave it open for when you can be there. So, whenever I wasn’t shooting “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” or “The Resident”, I would be there as much as I could. We went through several different versions of how she now fights against who she was as an agent. It is fun to find out how to give her that brute advantage, but also to show that she is a trained fighter. There is a mixture of disconnected street fights with their technical background. There was no way to avoid time. As much as you can see only small glimpses in the air, you have to be ready, or else you will really get your ass kicked.
The show has yet to reveal the identity of one of the main villains, the Power Broker. So, what would you say to people who noticed several signs in this week’s episode that Power Broker could be Sharon?
Well, that is a good question. I mean, the Power Broker can be anyone. In addition, there are several characters that have not yet been seen. So, I mean, I can’t say anything.
I know you can’t screw up, but I’m sure that while you’re reading the script for this episode, you’re also seeing possible signs of who Sharon could be. As an actor, how do you figure out how to metabolize all of that in your performance?
I think for Sharon, the biggest goal – as you see in episode 3 and we will continue to see – is that she wants to be forgiven. She is running away. Enough is enough. She has already sacrificed herself enough. And – if I’m talking about reading the scripts in sequence – that’s your main goal, and with good reason. She comes from this lineage of agents and has a great love for the life she had, and now she is trapped in this kind of pirate land, and doing things that she probably didn’t want to do. So I think this is her main goal, to get back to some aspect of the life she had, if that is possible. I mean, that was my biggest chance. This is your ticket. She sees [Sam and Bucky], and as much as in her mind there are many reasons why she would want to attack and ruin their lives, they are also a ticket for her to get her life back. So this is also an interesting dynamic to see.
I have to ask about a different program that you participated in, “Revenge”. There was talk of a possible revival of the series with a new character who would be guided in his plot of revenge by someone from the original series. Would you like to revisit this world too?
It’s been talked about, and I know they would be reviving maybe in a different way, and I was super supportive and excited about it too. I just don’t know if they really found a way that makes sense or what they really want to do still. But, listen, I mean, if I learned anything in this industry, never say never. I feel like, you know, in terms of Emily Thorne / Amanda Clarke, her story has really come to an end. But then again, you never know. I mean, I honestly didn’t think I would play Sharon again, and here I am.
This interview was edited and condensed.