Emmy Award–winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus made a surprise cameo in episode five of the MCU show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. According to Vanity Fair, due to a mix-up with Covid, Dreyfus was supposed to first appear in the Black Widow film which was set to debut in theaters May 1st, 2020. Because of this, her cameo in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was a huge surprise to audiences. Since then, it has been said that Marvel has even bigger plans for Louis-Dreyfus’s character in the MCU universe. 

Marvel producer Nate Moore and head writer Malcolm Spellman have kept Dreyfus’  new role in the Marvel universe a secret for a long time after she was supposed to debut in Black Widow, but they did get fans excited, hyping up episode 5 on their social media. Tony Hale and showrunner David Mandel were really the ones who gave away their excitement.

When Hale was asked what Louis-Dreyfus should do next he stated: “Selina was so atrocious, but then you loved her at the same time. And I think that makes a really good Disney villain”. Mandel was the one who suggested Dreyfus should portray a Marvel villain. 

After her cameo on Falcon and the Winter Soldier, some fans believe that Louis-Dreyfus might also be in mind to play the comic book role of the Power Broker. In the comics, Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine has gone by many names, but one that carries the most potential in this context is Madame Hydra.