We were promised a major cameo in episode five of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and that ended up being Julia Louis Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The comic book version of the character has ties to S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, and Leviathan, and while she's set John Walker up as U.S. Agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we don't know what her endgame is.
In an interview with The Playlist, director Kari Skogland seemingly confirmed rumours that "Val" was supposed to make her big screen debut in Black Widow.
"Cate [Shortland] and I talked back and forth about Valentina, here and there," she told the site.
Had we seen Black Widow before The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, chances are Val's return would have made more of an impact. Still, the same can now be said for the upcoming movie starring Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff. As that's set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, it's clear Fontaine has been plotting for a while.
In the same interview, Skogland opened up about seeing Anthony Mackie first arrive on set as Captain America.
"The whole place went silent," she revealed. "Just to see this iconic costume symbolizing this show we’re making and where we’re taking the world, not just the MCU but the fanbase at large, a Black man carrying the shield. And watching Anthony come on set, with his wonderful charm and humor, was a pinch-me moment for sure."
"It was always in this wheelhouse because [the comic version] looked great," Skogland said of the costume. "So, there was no need to change or fix what wasn’t broken. But the design team spent months with us working on it."
What do you guys think Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is up to in the MCU?