When the Marvel Studio executives claimed a new character will be introduced via Falcon And The Winter Soldier into the MCU, we were speculating all kinds of characters. From mutants to Captain Britain, the list of guesses went on and on. After Episode 5 of the Falcon and The Winter Soldier streamed, we finally got to meet this mystery character. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine will be the new “grounded” character introduced to the MCU. In the comic books, Valentina is more than just a pretty face. She has ties to an organization named Leviathan, an organization powerful enough to giver Hydra a run for its money.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus made quite the impact when she appeared in the fifth episode of the series. Titled “Truth”, the episode explored the aftermath of John Walker killing a foreign national on foreign soil. Walker was stripped of his rank as Captain America. He was shown the way out. That is when Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine made her debut. She walked to to Walker and told him that she could use a man like him in her plans. But what exactly is Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine planning?
Valentina or “Val” for short is the representative of a powerful organization called Leviathan in the comic books. Marvel may just have doomed the Avengers. If you think HYDRA was a threat, Leviathan will give you freaking nightmares on weekends.
The penultimate episode of Falcon And The Winter Soldier gave us a glimpse as to what is to come. Karli and the Flag Smashers are planning something big. They intend to make the entire world watch and bend over to their demands. On the other hand, the US Government no longer has Chris Walker as Captain America. He may have been the only person capable enough to go against the Flag Smashers. He was the only one who has the same super soldier serum running through his veins. The Contessa has plans for him now that the Government no longer wants him. She sees something in Walker nobody else does.
We still don’t know what she intends to do with him though. The episode was not very detailed on revealing her plans. From the looks of it, Val is about to make a huge splash in the Marvel Cinematic Universe given the fact that she needs soldiers like John Walker in her ranks.
Enter Leviathan
Leviathan is not a new name in the Marvel Comic Book Universe. They have been around since 1967. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine first started out as a SHIELD agent. She was also Nick Fury’s romantic interest for a while. Valentina is a double agent. She is an operative of Leviathan, an evil spy agency that competes with HYDRA for world domination. Leviathan has had frequent run-ins with SHIELD over the years. It was formed during World War 1 in Russia. It has a global network and commands incredible influence and power. The only thing that was stopping them from becoming the most premier terrorist organization was ironically HYDRA.
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Now that HYDRA is out of the equation, it is time for Leviathan to shine. And unlike HYDRA, Leviathan will not be so easy to fight with. They have a non-linear approach to things, making them very unpredictable and dangerous.
What Does Valentina & Leviathan Want?
There are several theories on why leviathan peeked its head right now. With the Avengers all but gone, the world is ripe for the taking. There is no longer a Steve Rogers to lead the charge against evil terrorist organizations like HYDRA and Leviathan. The world has become complacent, more focused on rebuilding the world after the Blip. Their current focus is not on new threat containment. It is the perfect opportunity for Leviathan to make its mark.
In the comic books, Leviathan has had hands in many events. Their primary objective in the early years was trying to figure out a way to augment regular humans into super soldiers. They were trying to work on alien technology to do so. John Walker perfectly fits into this narrative. After Isaiah Bradley and Steve Rogers, Walker is the only human subject in their reach who has a perfect version of the super soldier serum running in his veins. A man like that is not just a soldier, he also happens to be the perfect guinea pig.
Leviathan might be aiming to replicate the serum to create more super soldiers. In the past, they have tried their hands in other super soldier projects as well. The Soviet Red Room program was an attempt by the USSR to create female super spies called Black Widows. The Widows would receive physiological and psychological augmentations that turn them into powerful assassins and saboteurs. Leviathan is responsible for the Red Room Program in the comics. Natasha Romanoff is Black Widow most probably because Valentina’s leviathan played a huge role in it.
Agent Carter
Leviathan has already made a live-action appearance in another MCU affiliated show. In Agent Carter, Peggy carter crosses paths with a secretive organization just as horrific and sinister as HYDRA. Leviathan is yet to make its official debut in the series but given Val’s flinching loyalties, it is easy to assume the Contessa might be a figurehead for Leviathan, and not HYDRA like everybody is speculating.
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Obviously Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ cameo appearance will not just remain a cameo in the MCU. The actor is a huge name in Hollywood. So there is absolutely no way Marvel will let the actor and the character she is playing slide so easily. Some claim Valentina might be trying to restart a sturdier, more violent version of SHIELD. But we suggest otherwise. Agent Carter’s Leviathan might create continuity issues. But just like Marvel ret-conned the Darkhold from Agents Of Shield to WandaVision, the same could be done for Leviathan.
Is Leviathan The Harbinger Of Evil For MCU Phase 4 & Beyond?
There is a high probability that the MCU goes for an entire evil organization as the big bad wolf of the MCU rather than a singular entity like Thanos. Leviathan fits the bill perfectly since it is mysterious as well as powerful enough to pull this off? We certainly believe so.
