Did The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Just Reveal the Power Broker?

There is a powerful new player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But the question is she the mysterious Power Broker? In the third episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes lookout for the recreated Super Soldier Serum and their search led them to Dr. Wilfred Nagel. Baron Helmut Zemo warns that the Power Broker is ‘judge, jury and executioner’ in the lawless land of Madripoor. The always-watching Power Broker funded the recreation of the serum till Nagel died in Episode 3. This happened after the Super Soldier Serum empowered Karli Morgenthau and her global band of Flag Smashers.

John Walker gets stripped of his title and authority as Captain America for murdering a member of the Flag Smashers publicly. He then meets Contessa Valentina ‘Val’ Allegra de Fontaine. She is a smooth-talking shot-caller who is put together and well-connected. Walker secretly injected himself with a stolen vial of Nagel’s serum. She tells Walker,

“You did the right thing taking the serum. Yeah, of course, I know about that. And I’ll tell you something: it has made you very, very valuable to certain people. I actually think this was the second-best choice you’ve ever made in your life. You want to know what the first best choice was?”

Valentina hands a blank business card to Walker and says, “Picking up the phone when I call you”.

She knows that Walker no longer wields the star-spangled shield of Captain America and whispers to him a “dirty little state secret”. She says, “It doesn’t really belong to the government. It’s kind of a legal gray area. I’ll be in touch”.

In Marvel Comics, Contessa Valentina ‘Val’ Allegra de Fontaine is addressed with a shorter name: Madame Hydra. She was initially set to debut in Black Widow. But this didn’t happen since the Marvel Studios feature film was repeatedly delayed because of the pandemic. But Marvel Studios has big plans for the character in Phase 4 of the MCU and beyond. The viewers of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier have different reactions to this. Viewers are really excited to see more about this character if she is actually the Power Broker.

So far, people have been presuming that either Sharon Carter or someone along the likes of Thaddeus Ross, Kingpin, or even the Mandarin could be the Power Broker. But with the kind of entrance that Val has made, she could actually turn out to be the MCU’s Power Broker. Still, if you ask me, I won’t bet on this scenario. She’d probably have a bigger future forming the Thunderbolts or perhaps bringing Hydra back.

Here is an official synopsis of Episode 5 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier:

Sam and Bucky ask Walker to return the shield. This starts a fight in which Walker destroys Sam’s wingsuit. The fight ends with Sam and Bucky taking the shield and breaking Walker’s arm. Bucky finds Zemo in Sokovia and hands him over to the Dora Milaje. Walker receives an other than honorable discharge and is stripped of his role as Captain America. Later, he is approached by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Sam leaves the damaged wingsuit with Torres and visits Isaiah Bradley. Bradley expresses his belief that a Black man cannot and should not be Captain America.

Sam returns home and helps his family to fix the boat. He gets assistance from several locals along with Bucky. Bucky delivers a briefcase from the Wakandans to Wilson. Bucky and Sam train with the shield and agree to move on from their pasts and work together. The Flag Smashers plan an attack on a GRC conference. They are joined by Batroc, who has been hired by Carter. In a mid-credits scene, Walker creates a new shield from scrap metal and his war medals.

The fifth episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiered on April 16, only on Disney+. The miniseries features Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Emily VanCamp, Georges St-Pierre, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the lead roles.