Sharon Carter being the Power Broker makes absolutely no sense
The reveal in the last episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier that Sharon Carter might actually be the Power Broker is somewhat baffling. I’ve seen the argument that it doesn’t make sense because the timeline doesn’t super fit, but I don’t think that’s the big issue. 1) It doesn’t actually take that long to insinuate yourself prominently into society if you have enough power and money, so the ten years between Civil War and now is ample time. 2) It’s just as likely that it’s an inherited title. Most people don’t ever get a face-to-face with the Power Broker so most wouldn’t know the difference. No, it doesn’t make sense for two reasons having to do with Carter’s characterization and motivations.
In Civil War, it’s pretty firmly established that Sharon Carter is the product and embodiment of her Great Aunt Peggy Carter’s principles and beliefs. She’s very obviously following in Peggy’s footsteps with a career first in S.H.E.I.L.D and later with the CIA. Even her motivations for eventually becoming a fugitive are rooted in the idea of doing the right thing even at great personal cost. While it is understandable to be very disillusioned with a world that cast her aside after she had devoted herself to fighting for it — even Peggy seemed to share some of that disillusionment — it doesn’t make sense that she would pull a full 180 and turn super villain, abandoning every single principle she ever held. Unless she’s in Madripoor and doing all this with some serious ulterior motives, which there is zero evidence of that.
The other thing that doesn’t make sense to me is if Sharon Carter really is the Power Broker, why would she lead Sam, Bucky and Zemo to her golden goose when they have strong motives to roast said goose and eat it for dinner? And for what? A pardon she doesn’t need if she’s sitting on a powerful empire in Madripoor? Further, when it becomes clear that Karli Morgenthau is in possession of the last remaining vials of serums, she receives a threat from the Power Broker. Why, then, would the Power Broker turn around and offer Karli MORE help in the form of arranging Batroc’s participation in their next move? The Power Broker has no way of knowing all the vials were destroyed and even if they did, why would they be inclined to offer assistance to the person who carelessly lost the most valuable substance in the world? Carter, on the other hand might see the benefit of tearing down the old world that is trying to reemerge post-blip and have amassed enough means to help. Not to mention she’s got a major axe to grind with the Avengers and her former government for leaving her to twist in the wind.
