Are you down with Emily VanCamp? I thought she was adorable onEverwood,and though I’ve gone offRevenge(the second season didn’t live up to the promise of the first), I like her as the cold-blooded Emily Thorne. But she seems to polarize people like few actresses do—either you think she’s a good actress or you don’t; there doesn’t seem to be a lot of middle ground happening with her. My defense on her behalf for the people who think she’s horrible and wooden onRevengeis that she plays such an emotionally stunted, closed-off character there isn’t much she can actually do.
But now she’s got a chance to show another side as Emily VanCamp has come out of nowhere to land the female lead inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier.
Marvel saw a lot of actresses for this part, still officially unnamed but assumed to be SHIELD agent Sharon Carter, but never did VanCamp appear on anyone’s list of prospects. It’s a huge get for an actress that’s moved up the ranks steadily on television but hasn’t yet gotten a major break in film. It’ll be interesting to see if she can make the leap. And she’ll certainly get plenty of chances with Marvel—if this really is Sharon Carter, there’s potential for her to appear in not only future Captain America films but inThe Avengers, too. Although I’m not a huge fan of Sharon Carter—she’s descended from Steve Rogers’ first love, Peggy, and that is never not going to be creepy—but VanCamp does bear a resemblance to the currentiterationof the character in the comics. It’s workable, and with Chris Evans’ comic chops and directors Joe and Anthony Russo’s comedy background, that connection could be mined for some solid humor.
I had hoped this part would go toAnna Kendrick(and that it would be as Janet Van Dyne, not Sharon Carter), but I’ll accept Emily VanCamp. As I have no problems with her acting, I think she can do a good job as an ass-kicking secret agent. And I like Marvel’s trend for casting strong, athletic types in their female roles. This is a world of capable women who get sh*t done. Emily VanCamp will fit right in.
