What drove Sharon Carter to become the Power Broker and an MCU villain? We explain Carter's motivations and what Sharon's MCU future could be.

Warning: SPOILERS for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Finale - "One World, One People."

Why did Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) become the Power Broker in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and what does her future hold in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Agent Carter's ultimate goals can be extrapolated from the clues dropped in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier but they may also change if Carter returns in Captain America 4. Although Sharon was finally pardoned by the U.S. Government, she immediately parlayed her status as a U.S. citizen in good standing to further her shadowy aims to steal government secrets and technology.

The great-niece of Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Sharon Carter was introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who was also Steve Rogers' (Chris Evans) love interest. After fighting against Hydra's hostile takeover, Sharon quit S.H.I.E.L.D. and joined the CIA before the events of Captain America: Civil War. Sharon willingly violated the Sokovia Accords to help Steve and Team Cap by illegally procuring Captain America's shield and the Falcon's (Anthony Mackie) "bird costume."

Sharon went on the run and she wasn't seen again in the MCU until The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, which took place 8 years later. The Disney+ series revealed that Carter was now based in a new MCU locale, Madripoor, posing as a high-end art dealer while working for the island nation's mysterious ruler, the Power Broker. However, Sharon was obviously hiding the truth from Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) that she was actually the Power Broker.

Why Sharon Carter Became The MCU Power Broker

According to The Falcon and The Winter Soldier's director, Kari Skogland, Sharon Carter survived The Blip, but that meant the former Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. was a fugitive for 8 years [via TV Line]. Carter hid in Madripoor because it has no extradition laws with the United States. Sharon felt deeply betrayed by the U.S. Government for forcing her to become an international criminal, so she used her training to become the Power Broker. This allowed Carter to assert control over Madripoor and build a secure base for herself. Before the Power Broker killed Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman), the teenage revolutionary summed up Sharon's villainous motivations: "Because you wanted to control a world that hurt you... I'm not interested in power or an empire." Karli admitted she wished to change the world, but Sharon seems to also share that dream, just in a very different way.

As the Power Broker, Carter financed the development of a new Super Soldier Serum and she intended to sell super-soldiers to the highest bidder. But the accumulation of wealth is only one aspect of Sharon Carter's goals, and, thanks to her pardon, the Power Broker's pending access to the United States' secrets and technology gives her a new avenue to profit from the global black market. But what Karli hinted about Sharon Carter wanting "an empire" is the real tip-off: Sharon could be masterminding a shadow government that answers only to her, one that will ensure she's never a victim of fickle global politics or the interference of superheroes again.

What The Power Broker Twist Means For Sharon Carter's MCU Future

Sharon Carter is expected to be part of Captain America 4 which Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson will headline as the Star-Spangled Avenger. However, not long after Captain America 4 was announced, The Hashtag Show reported that Carter's role in the movie may have changed. Sharon Carter was purportedly penciled in as Captain America 4's villain but negative fan reaction to her predictable and unsatisfying turn as the Power Broker may have altered that plan. Still, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier's finale left Sharon off as plotting something nefarious once she has access to U.S. government weapons and technology.

Barring a retcon that resets Sharon Carter's character, the MCU could adapt the Marvel Comics Secret Empire event about Hydra taking control of the government with their own Captain America. This plot could tie into why Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) recruited John Walker (Wyatt Russell) as the U.S. Agent. As the Power Broker, Sharon may be planning to run the future of the MCU from the shadows in Captain America 4. If she remains the villainous Power Broker, Sharon Carter could be building something bigger and more insidiously powerful than S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra was.

Next: How The MCU Can Fix Its Sharon Carter/Power Broker Twist