Sharon Carter, as played by Emily VanCamp, didn’t really have much to do in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. She’s ostensibly the love interest in the film, but she’s not the woman that Cap actually kisses in the movie (that would be Black Widow). The movie ends and Captain America still doesn’t know that she’s the niece of Peggy Carter. Luckily, despite the massive roster of superheroes in Captain America: Civil War, Sharon has much more to do. Despite her distinct lack of superpowers, she heads into battle, and even shares a moment of romance with Steve, which may disappoint Stucky fans who have imagined a world where Steve and Bucky are the ones in love.

Ms. VanCamp had never heard of the world of internet slash fiction and the fictional gay adventures of Captain America and The Winter Soldier, so we introduced her to that world and talked about the future of Sharon Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Minor spoilers for Captain America: Civil War ahead.

Your character and Captain America finally have that romantic moment together they’ve been hinting at since Winter Soldier. Yet, there’s a big group of fans online who have really been rooting for Steve and Bucky to have that romantic moment.

(Laughs) I haven’t heard of that. That’s really interesting. I know quite a bit about their friendship, but I didn’t know there were any romantic discussions about it.

Yeah, quite a few. They even have a portmanteau: Stucky.

I will look this up. I am going to Google this.

You may get some X-rated artwork.

(Laughs) Wow, OK. I may pass on that. I guess it’s possible that there’s something going on between those two? I don’t think that’s what they were going for but…I think that’s great that’s a discussion that’s happening, especially around something as big as Captain America. I do believe they are just friends though. Otherwise Sharon may have to have it out with Bucky. Which she kinda does actually in the movie, which is hysterical!

Yeah, wow she goes right up to Bucky, knowing how dangerous he is, and starts some s---. I mean she gets bodyslammed onto a table, but…

Sharon’s tough! She’s really tough. I don’t think she’s scared of much. She’s worked really hard to get to where she is and i thought it was great that we got to see that side of her in this film. We saw a little bit of it in The Winter Soldier that, well, she’s a badass. It’s really fun to play and to get to do some of that stuff. I was really happy to show a different and more mature version of her. I felt like in The Winter Soldier she was a bit of a rookie, trying to find her way and figure it out. Also trying to figure out her own moral compass and where she stands. She’s a bit more self-assured. Obviously she has to play both sides because she’s battling her head, which is her work, but then she’s battling her heart, which aligns with Steve. It’s interesting to see her try to navigate that.

There’s a lot to this character in the comics that we haven’t seen in the films and may never get to see in the films. Do you ever get a sense of her future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

I feel like we’re really just scratching the surface for her. I can’t say I’m going to be in [Avengers: Infinity War], because you never know. That’s completely up to Marvel and the Russo Bros. who are working on it now. I can say in terms of their relationship in the comic books, it was very complicated and we’ve only just scratched the surface. [She and Captain America] had only that one romantic moment in this movie, so it will be interesting to see where they take things with her. I certainly know within the comic world, it definitely becomes a lot more complicated.

She kills him!

(Laughs) Yup! There was that. There are a lot of places to go with her still. It’s just as exciting for me to see what they do with her.

What was your reaction when you first heard just how massive this movie would be?

I was like, “Whoa, this reads like an Avengers movie.” I was really excited! Initially it was going to be something different and then it evolved into Civil War. When I first read this script, I said in my head, good luck to the Russo Bros. because this is SO big. But they obviously did an incredible job with this, as they did with The Winter Soldier. They’re just super talented guys. It’s just exciting to have the opportunity to work with all these awesome people. It really does play like an Avengers film.

Marvel is known for being very secretive –

(Laughs)

– so what’s it like when you first get this script? Do you have to sit in a locked room with a security guard?

No, they sent the script. It’s just a known thing that something really terrible is going to happen to you if anybody finds out. I’m kidding! It’s just known we’re all trying to be very secretive so I’m super careful with the script and always know where it is. Just those extra precautions. It was really nice though, when I got it, I sat out on my porch and had a good read. I hate to say it, but you know that they’re going to do an amazing job with these films so you kind’ve know going into it that you’re embarking on something special. You just sort of enjoy the process of figuring out the character and where she’s at. You don’t have to worry about anything else.

Do you ever have a moment, almost like Paul Rudd in the movie, where you look around and go, “Hey, I know you!” to all the actors and characters you saw on set?

I think, for me, absolutely. Of course, you get into the swing of it and you’re working, but there are absolutely moments where you step back and…like it’s the little things like seeing the lineup of all the actors’ chairs and you’re like, “Oh shoot, I’m a part of this. This is real.”

 

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