Karli Morgenthau
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Karli Morgenthau |
| Occupation: | leader of the Flag Smashers |
| Relationships: | |
| Fandom: | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Karli Morgenthau is the alter-ego of Flag-Smasher, an antagonist in the MCU miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. She is the leader of the terrorist organization Flag Smashers. Morgenthau is played by Erin Kellyman, a mixed race actress of Irish and Jamaican heritage. Kellyman's race has sometimes been discussed by fans in light of the themes and politics presented by the series.[1]
Fandom
Fan Reception
Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers have been the topic of discourse and political discussion from inside the fandom and elsewhere. As jackoshadows argues, the choices made by the series in depicting Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers as:
"anarchists who want no borders and food and medicines for refugees. Oops there she goes threatening Sam’s family and killing Lemar Hoskins. She’s right, but it’s terrorism. I hope she does not turn out to be the ultimate baddie in this, but given Marvel’s track record, it’s not looking great for the character."[2]
is a form of "subtle capitalistic propaganda [... where] reformers are always doing it wrong, going about this the wrong way."[2] Others have argued that Karli Morgenthau is genuinely flawed in her approach[3] or that the series has a more complicated overall message.[4]
Karli also has a small sapphic following,[5] probably fueled by the character being played by a lesbian actress.[6]
Shipping
As of April 15, 2020, just before the release of the fifth episode in the miniseries, Karli Morgenthau is not a largely popular character in ships for the series. There are two works shipping her with Sharon Carter on AO3.[7]
Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fanfiction
- 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹𝘀 || Karli Morgenthau by Vict0ria007
Meta & Fan Commentary
- "The way Sam talked to Karli, gentle but firm, was so great on so many levels.", Archived version by starstruckmyths (April 9/21)
Archives & Resources
- Karli Morgenthau on the Ao3
- Flag Smasher on Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
- Karli Morgenthau on Wikipedia
References
- ^ Tumblr post by fatws2021. "they rly called a biracial, effectively homeless woman fighting for refugees “a supremacist” because she’s a bit more buff than the average person", April 9, 2021. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021.
- ^ a b jackoshadows. Tumblr post, April 9, 2021.
- ^ sersi. Tumblr post, April 9, 2021.
- ^ carolxdanvers. Tumblr post, April 4, 2021. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021.
- ^ marvelousescapism. "in other news i’m helpessly in love with the leader of the freedom fighters", March 26, 2021. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021
- ^ Tumblr post by baberahamlinkin. "karli morgenthau is played by a lesbian and therefore belongs to the lesbians i will not elaborate i will not take any criticism lesbians stay winning", March 29, 2021. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021.
- ^ Tag on AO3. Sharon Carter/Karli Morgenthau. Accessed and archived April 16, 2021.