With two thrilling installments in the bag and on the eve of episode three, we were able to sit down with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star Erin Kellyman to chat about her scene-stealing role as Karli Morgenthau, a.k.a. Flag-Smasher.
During our chat, we learned more about what's really driving Kellyman's character this season as she puts a plan in motion that could have serious global ramifications.
It's revealed in episode two that Karli and her group of believers are being hunted by the mysterious Power Broker, a character from Marvel Comics that has some shady ties to John Walker (Wyatt Russell). While Kellyman couldn't say much about Karli's history with the increasingly dangerous villain, she did touch on some of what's motivating her character throughout the course of the season.
"I think essentially what she’s trying to achieve is - so, when 50% of the world’s population disappeared, the 50% that remained kind of came together and unified a little more because of the loss of their friends and family. So, that’s what she’s trying to get back to, she’s trying to have people work together a little more and not have the borders closed.
She thinks that everything that happened during the blip was the best way to live. She’s trying to support people who are now affected by people coming back whilst also trying to convey her fight and just say that it was so much better during the blip compared to how it is now."
In addition to Captain America, Flag-Smasher has been an adversary of The Punisher, Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, and Deadpool, amongst others, but when pressed on which of those heroes she'd want to potentially square up against in the future (if she makes it out of the series alive), she reiterated her previous sentiment while sharing more insight into Karli's mindset.
"This is another reason they’re so different, I don’t feel like Karli wants to square up against anybody. She doesn’t want to fight, that’s not what she wants to do, she just wants to get vaccines and medical supplies, and food to people who need it. She’s ultimately stealing, which is obviously a problem, and she was compared to Robin Hood in episode two. But, she doesn’t want to fight anybody, she just wants to support people."
As for the upcoming reintroduction of Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl), Kellyman coyly averted even hinting at any potential interactions between Karli and the presumed big bad of the series.
"I think you’re going to have to wait and see for that one. I don’t want to give any spoilers, I don’t want to hint at anything."
Check out our full video interview (which includes mild SPOILERS) with actress Erin Kellyman below, and please don't forget to like and subscribe!
Marvel Studios’ “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier. The pair, who came together in the final moments of “Avengers: Endgame,” team up on a global adventure that tests their abilities—and their patience. Directed by Kari Skogland with Malcolm Spellman serving as head writer, the series also stars Daniel Brühl as Zemo, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, and Wyatt Russell as John Walker.