The Contessa is a mysterious person. When we first meet her in “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” all we know is that she works for an organization that is interested in superhumans. That’s why she pops up to recruit John Walker after he’s stripped of his title and authority of Captain America. In the post-credits scene for “Black Widow,” de Fontaine interrupts Yelena Belova at her sister’s grave in order to give the master assassin her next mission, which happens to involve killing Clint Barton at the request of Eleanor Bishop (as seen in “Hawkeye”). But in her latest appearance in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the curtain finally gets pulled back more. The top secret organization she works for? The Central Intelligence Agency. Not only that, but she is the new director of the CIA. Plus, as an added bonus, we learn that she is the ex-wife of Everett K. Ross and they have been colleagues for some time.
Based on this new information, it’s safe to say that this woman has been in the spy game for a long time. Just like Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, she has developed a knack for espionage and manipulation whenever the situation calls for it. Fury even used Phil Coulson’s death and trading cards to get the Avengers to come together when his previous efforts weren’t successful. So when the Contessa is approaching her ex-husband, her star operative, and a potential recruit, it would make sense that she acts differently around each of them in order for her to get what she wants from them.
