We first met Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, while she'd later return in Black Widow. However, both stories hinted that the mysterious government figure might have bigger plans than just recruiting U.S. Agent and sending Yelena Belova after her sister's "killer," Clint Barton.
The character's endgame is unclear, though we know she'll return in Thunderbolts. In that movie, Val will be joined by John Walker, Bucky Barnes, Yelena, Red Guardian, Taskmaster, and Ghost. It's a formidable team, and the prevailing theory is we'll see them assemble to square off with Harrison Ford's Red Hulk.
While time will tell on that front, a new rumour (shared by CBR) claims that Val plans to lead the United States in a war against Wakanda!
We're not sure why or whether that would be explored in Thunderbolts, but it sounds oddly similar to the premise of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In that movie, T'Challa's home is invaded by Namor the Submariner and his Talocan army, though we suppose it's feasible he weakens the fictional nation enough that the U.S. decides to go in and take their Vibranium.
Regardless, this would be a very politically charged movie from Marvel Studios and one we have to believe would have a massive impact on Wakdanda's place in the MCU. It's also hard to say how a storyline like this might fit into the wider Multiverse Saga...perhaps the plan is for Wakanda to develop an outer space colony similar to recent comic books?
Marvel Studios clearly has big plans for Val, and just because Kang the Conqueror is looming doesn't mean there isn't still room for movies that explore what's happening on Earth-616. It could be a while before we learn more, but something tells us Val is someone we should be keeping a close eye on.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to be released in theaters on November 11, while Thunderbolts will debut on July 26, 2024.