Falcon and the Winter Soldier director Kari Skogland addresses finale twist and rumors of a lost subplot

Marvel fans may have missed the mark with their many theories about WandaVision, but all that speculating paid off during The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Following the Disney+ show’s introduction of a mysterious villain called the Power Broker, many predicted the recently reintroduced Sharon Carter would be the one calling the shots in Madripoor — something that was proven correct during the show’s finale last week, when Sharon confronts Karli Morgenthau.

The reveal was one of several big developments packed into the hour-long episode, and although it was a bit predictable, it suggests Sharon has a greater role to play in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A post-credits scene sees her receiving her pardon (finally) and accepting a role in her old division. Her final moments onscreen, however, suggest she’ll be using her position to smuggle and sell weapons and information.

Since the U.S. government and the Avengers don’t believe they have a reason to distrust Sharon, it’ll be interesting to see how her Power Broker story plays out. Even The Falcon and the Winter Soldier director Kari Skogland is excited for what comes next.

Speaking with TVLine, Skogland touched on Sharon’s cunning and survival skills, two things that will surely make her a force to be reckoned with as she continues to act as the Power Broker:

"“What I like about her is that she’s a survivor, so I don’t know that she’s inherently bad. I don’t know yet what she’s going to do, but she’s had to survive out there on her own during the Blip and being on the run without family — and look at what she built and where she went. She’s clever, and that’s what I love about it most.”"

No, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier didn’t drop a virus subplot

Given the sheer amount of conflict that needed to be resolved during The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s sixth episode, fans have also begun speculating about a missing subplot — one that would have made the Flag Smashers storyline feel significantly more fleshed out.

The rumors suggest the subplot had something to do with a virus the refugees were suffering from. With the U.S. government hoarding supplies — and possibly even a vaccine — fans have argued that the group’s actions would have made even more sense. The theory holds that this storyline was dropped due to COVID-19 and all the filming delays that accompanied it.

During her interview with TVLine, Skogland shot down the notion that the series was ever supposed to take a different route.

“It was always about Sam’s journey with the shield, so it wasn’t anything to do with a pandemic,” the director said. “We didn’t change anything beyond moving some scenes around and then maybe shooting a pickup to connect here or whatever.”

Fortunately, Sam’s journey takes center stage during the show’s finale and is arguably its greatest strength. Whatever other conclusions fans were disappointed in don’t appear to have any deeper explanation — though it is fun to muse on what could have improved the other storylines.

What did you think of the Power Broker twist at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? Did you see it coming? Share your thoughts in the comments below!