Finally.
We’re exactly a year away from Captain America: Civil War, the only Marvel film that seems like it could rival its predecessor until the Russos’ own Infinity War Part I, so it’s probably the perfect time for this bit of casting info to leak. The news was recently confirmed by Latino-Review’s Umberto Gonzalez (just assume every comicbook movie leak comes from him unless otherwise specified), and it appears the last piece of the Captain America puzzle will indeed make an appearance.
[Comic Spoilers Ahead]
I’m sure this has made the rounds by now, but for those yet unaware, Agent 13 aka “Sharon” is actually Sharon Carter, grand-niece of S.H.I.E.L.D. founder Peggy Carter, who’s not only a part of four Marvel films including this summer’s Ant-Man, but was even given her own awesome show on ABC, so Sharon’s got some pretty big shoes to fill. Her role in the comics is Steve’s love interest (she’s much more than that, I’m oversimplifying) and it begs the question as to whether or not that’ll be the part she plays in Civil War.
The film is packed with superheroes, with half the Avengers and even the likes of Black Panther making an appearance. After all, it does take its title from a massive, world-spanning comicbook crossover, but the film is still going to be as Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes focused as it can. And, with Steve left wondering about his place in the world after Age of Ultron and whether or not romance and family are ever going to be on the cards again, it seems like the right time to introduce this angle.
Agent 13 is also responsible for the death of Captain America. After the Superhero Registration Act ignites the titular Civil War and there’s blood on all sides, Steve Rogers surrenders, and is shot dead on his way to trial. It’s later revealed that Sharon was under the control of Dr. Faustus (Agent Carter’s Dr. Fenhoff) and the details of both his death and his resurrection are very silly and complicated, like any good comicbook retcon, but it allows Buck Barnes to take up the mantle before Steve’s return. Is anything remotely similar going to happen at the end of the movie? Probably not, though it’s hard to believe that audiences wouldn’t accept it without question in a world where we now have The Vision, but I do hope we get to see both Bucky and Sam Wilson wield the shield at some point.
VanCamp’s Agent 13 joins Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow and Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch (and hopefully Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill), making sure the Marvel lineup isn’t entirely male-dominated, so here’s hoping she gets a little more to do this time around. Captain America: Civil War arrives May 6th next year, but you probably already have that marked on your calendar.