For dedicatedMCUfans, the name Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is familiar but drowned in mystery. In a recent interview, Julia Louis-Dreyfus revealed that her character might get more screen time in upcoming MCU projects.
First introduced in 1968, Valentina is an Italian S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who quickly rises through the ranks and works alongside Nick Fury to combat Hydra until it’s revealed that she has been involved with Hydra the entire time. Onscreen, Valentina has occupied a similarly morally-ambiguous space, allying herself withMCUcharacters like John Walker and Yelena Belova, who have acted as antagonists in their respective shows. So far, Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina has appeared inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier,Black Widow, andBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever. Yelena also mentioned Valentina inHawkeyeas the person who hired her to kill Clint Barton. She will appear inthe upcomingThunderboltsmovie.
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According to Louis-Dreyfus,Thunderboltswon’t be her last appearance in the MCU. During an interview withRolling Stone, Louis-Dreyfus was asked, “Are you signed to a 20-picture deal, or how long will you be Valentina?” Louis-Dreyfus responded, “For a while, it seems!” suggesting Valentina will be a staple in the MCU’s upcoming phases.
Louis-Dreyfus also revealed howshe landed the part of Valentina. “I met with Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito at Marvel because they wanted to meet, and we had a lovely conversation,” she said. “My boys arehugeMarvel fans — massive — and I was down to do it because I thought my boys would get a kick out of it. And then it happened! I had to immediately educate myself on this universe and this world, and who Valentina was — which I’m still doing, by the way, because there are so many characters and there are so many universes and these lives are so intertwined with one another. I’m by no means a scholar when it comes to the Marvel universe, but I’m working on it. And I was so delighted to jump into another genre. […] It’s an absolute gas.” When asked if securing the part earned her some “cool points” with her sons, she said, “Yeah. They aredownfor this. Totally down for it.”
Although she didn’t say how long Valentina will stick around, Louis-Dreyfus has seemingly confirmed that her character will play an important part in the MCU’s future. Exactly what role she will play is still unclear, but hints could be found in the character’s Marvel comic history. In the comics, Valentina is involved in theSecret Warstoryline andtheSecret Invasioncrossover. Valentina is being impersonated by a Skrull agent spying on Nick Fury for much of theSecret Warstoryline. The fake Valentina reverts to her Skrull form after being massacred by Nick Fury.
InSecret Invasion, it’s revealed that the real Valentina is alive and well. She’s rescued with otherhumans impersonated by Skrulls. InSecret Warriors, Valentina’s true alliances are revealed when she betrays S.H.I.E.L.D. and becomes the new Madame Hydra. There’s no telling how faithful the MCU will be to the comics, but historically, the franchise hasn’t had a problem straying from the comics' cannon. Whether Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina is headed down a similar path as her comic counterpart or diverging entirely, it sounds like her story is only getting started.
