Falcon & Winter Soldier: Did Episode 5 Confirm Power-Broker’s Identity?
Deepak Vasisht
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier sees Sam and Bucky fighting in the events taking place after Avengers: Endgame. Both the leads have fought diligently to keep up Steve’s legacy safe. The series has the last two episodes left. But it still has to conclude many storylines. Sam gave up the shield in the first episode and Bucky just couldn’t accept his decision. The show has a number of bad guys, such as Zemo, the Flag-Smashers, and most importantly, the Power Broker.
The Power-Broker has undoubtedly been the center of all the theories in the past few weeks. It was also ultimately revealed that the Power Broker ruled over the criminal nation of Madripoor. But the real identity is still under the wraps. Even Baron Zemo, someone who has connections only knows the figure by its reputation. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has created a great mystery around his secret Identity. Some fans believe that it could be Sharon Carter.
Sam and Bucky reunited with Sharon Carter in Madripoor. The former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 13 helped Sam, Bucky, and Baron Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) locate the Super-Soldier Serum in Madripoor after she made a deal with Wilson, who promised her a pardon. Sharon Carter was first introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier where Agent 13 was tasked by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to pose as a nurse and become the next-door neighbor of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). She became Steve’s ally and potential love interest.
Ever since she has reunited with Sam and Bucky, she has become a popular frontrunner for the Power-Broker. She is deeply cynical and has channeled her considerable skills into less-than-legal endeavors. She had pieces of art worth half a Billion Dollars just lying at her place, waiting to be sold to the highest bidder. She also has access to satellites and lives a lavish lifestyle in Hightown, which was established as the Power Broker’s neck of the woods. Basically, she isn’t doing too bad for herself.
The Power Broker has often been referred to as a male. But is it that easy? Maybe it could just a perfect cover-up by Sharon. In The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, episode 5, “Truth”, fans potentially received the confirmation. During a phone call, Sharon literally brokered a deal between Batroc the Leaper (Georges St-Pierre) to join the Flag-Smashers. Her talk with Batroc also revealed that she had been behind his previous terrorist activity in the first episode.
Let’s believe that Sharon is indeed the Power-Broker. Why is it that she is helping Karli (Flag-Smasher) to accomplish her plans? Well, the answer to that is easy. The GRC is seeking to relocate displaced people. As established by the Flag-Smashers, they didn’t start out as criminals and were simply forced to turn to new avenues in Madripoor. That that kind of desperation would be good for the Power Broker’s business. It would benefit them to further that chaos. This comes in with the wake the super-soldier serum is now gone. Rather than pursuing the grudge against Karli and the others, this might be the most profitable course. There could also be a vendetta element, with the GRC being part of the government.
If Sharon is the Power-Broker, then she could also be plotting Sam Wilson’s murder. It would be a personal vendetta for Sharon because he has spoiled her previous expeditions. He offered her a way of capturing Karli and recovering the super-soldier serum, he ultimately failed in both his proposals. Therefore, she pursued different avenues of her own. But deeper levels could be revealed in the finale of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
Let’s dive into the history of The Power Broker was created by Roger Stern and Sal Buscema and first appeared in Marvel’s Machine Man series in 1978. It became an antagonist to many Marvel heroes. But it has a particular history with Captain America. The Power breaker has never made a live-action appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We are still to see who the real Power-Broker is. Great tension surrounds this mystery. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier definitely has a lot to conclude in its finale.
At this moment, Sharon seems to be the perfect candidate. She is in a tiff with the government, a fugitive, and is driven to live a life in a nation that is a haven for criminals. If she is indeed the Power-Broker, then the finale to this epic series is going to set up many Marvel projects. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is currently streaming on Disney+.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is currently streaming on Disney+. Here’s the official synopsis:
Following the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities—and their patience—in Marvel Studios’ “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.”
Directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier, Daniel Brühl as Baron Helmut Zemo, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Desmond Chiam, Miki Ishikawa, Noah Mills, and Carl Lumbly.
