In the comics, Power Broker, Inc. is run by shady businessman Curtiss Jackson. He wasn't overly interesting but was responsible for U.S. Agent, The Grapplers, and Battlestar being imbued with the Super Soldier Serum. He'd later be taken out by The Punisher, and recent comics have introduced a new version every bit as forgettable as the first.
Given how much effort Marvel Studios is going to in order to build a sense of mystery surrounding Power Broker's identity in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, there have to be big plans in place for him...
He's Mephisto!
Kidding.
There's no getting around the fact Power Broker is a formidable, scary villain, and today's episode confirmed that it's a "he" who rules over Madripoor and is distributing this serum. It wouldn't be remotely surprising if this mystery baddie was also Sonny Burch's "benefactor" in Ant-Man and The Wasp, but who is he really? We have some theories!
5. Doctor Faustus
There was something a little off about Sharon Carter in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier's latest episode, so perhaps, like her counterpart from the comics, she's fallen under the spell of Doctor Faustus?
A psychiatrist turned criminal mastermind, he's frequently aligned himself with Red Skull, and once drove Captain America insane (he's also the one who brainwashed Sharon into gunning Steve down shortly after the events of Civil War).
We're not sure what he'd want an army of super soldiers for, but as the ruler of Madripoor, some superpowered bad guys guarding you isn't a bad idea.
Plus, if he's a remnant of HYDRA, he might have bigger plans for controlling the MCU post-Blip.
4. William Burnside
We've already learned that Isaiah Bradley was used as a super soldier during the Korean War, but who's to say he's the only one?
William Burnside loved Captain America as a child and later managed to create his own version of the serum which gave him powers. Unfortunately, he also went insane, calling himself "Steve Rogers" and literally transforming himself into his idol.
Burnside was eventually captured by Doctor Faustus and brainwashed into becoming "Grand Director" of an evil group called National Force. There are elements of this that would work nicely in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, with Burnside a failed super soldier whose serum perhaps didn't take and is now desperate to recapture the glory he once nearly had as a replacement for Captain America.
He could even play a pivotal role in why John Walker goes from Captain America to U.S. Agent!
3. "Thunderbolt" Ross
We know that General "Thunderbolt" Ross will be in Black Widow, and the prevailing theory online is that he's there to recruit Taskmaster and Yelena Belova to his team of Thunderbolts.
After losing control of the Avengers, forming a team of his own is a logical next step for Ross,
This could lead to Red Hulk's introduction, of course, but why would Ross be ruling over Madripoor? That's a little harder to explain, though we know he wasn't among Thanos' victims, and a lot can change in five years. Thinking about it, it could even be his Red Hulk persona that's in charge of that side of things.
Ross has been desperate to create a super soldier since The Incredible Hulk in 2008, so he's certainly a contender for the MCU's Power Broker.
2. Norman Osborn
We know this isn't likely, but it would be cool.
There have been rumors for years Marvel Studios might have plans for Norman Osborn, and while it's a little strange for him to be ruling over a nation like Madripoor, don't forget that the Green Goblin started off as a criminal and gangster.
That means it wouldn't be too tough for Norman to be a respected businessman in the United States, but a feared crimelord on this island nation (where he surely makes himself richer).
He might have a reason for wanting that super soldier serum, but a tainted sample might be what leads to him becoming the Green Goblin and making him powerful enough to after that teenager who was bitten by one of his spiders...
1. Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola played a crucial role in Bucky Barnes becoming the Winter Soldier, and later found a place within S.H.I.E.L.D. (while secretly furthering HYDRA's cause from the shadows).
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we met a robotic version of the villain's consciousness, with one early idea being to give him a robotic body just like in the comics. It seemed like he was destroyed, but there are ways around that, and he could quite easily have set up base in Madripoor using a proxy as the "Power Broker."
Then again, it's just as feasible he's got a new, robotic body, and Zola would make a great baddie for Captain America and Bucky to fight in this show's final battle.
He's a classic Captain America villain, and making super soldier just continues his work from World War II.