Expanding her small role in 2014’s Captain America: Winter Solider, Emily Van Camp returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the much anticipated, Captain America: Civil War. The former star of ABC’s Revenge, took part in a conference call to speak to college journalists from around the country to speak about her experience with the film.

Question: This is your second time working with the Russo brothers. Can you describe what it’s like, working with them, and how working with a pair of directors feels different than working with a single director? 

Emily Van Camp: Absolutely.  I mean, this is my second time working with the brothers. I worked with brothers on Carriers as well — honestly, I think it’s an amazing way to work. I mean, they obviously are brothers so they have a tremendous rapport. But with a movie of this scale, it kind of is amazing to have two people that, one person can be focusing on one thing, one person can be focusing on the other.  So they really get great performances.  They get great effects.It’s double the power, you know what I mean?  So — so to sort of keep this huge engine moving, it really helps to have two people, and they are both brilliant and kind of extraordinary in their own way.  So honestly it’s a huge bonus, and they’re great guys and really fun to work with, so it’s like a win-win all the way around.

Question: What new things can audiences expect from your character in this film that they might have gotten specifically in Winter Soldier, without giving spoilers, obviously?

Emily Van Camp: We were really planting a seed in the Winter Soldier.  Cap didn’t even know that she was Sharon Carter, within that film.  So that’s definitely something new we find out. We find out who she is — well, Steve finds out who she is — and that’s sort of, I think, just inevitably deepens their connection because of obviously the shared tie with Peggy. There’s just an inevitable, immediate trust between them.  And we really explore that throughout this film, and we see that the stakes are high for her because, her job is at stake if she’s helping Cap.  That’s the bottom-line, but we really see her sort of follow her heart rather than her head, I suppose, which is cool.

Question: Did you do any research via comic book reading in preparing for your character?  And have you been a past fan or a reader of comics?

Emily Van Camp: Um, I was not a fan, previously, but when I sort of joined the universe as Agent 13, they handed us all of these bibles, which is everything.  From years — everything Sharon Carter, and I just sat with it and went to town, and really kind of fell in love with Sharon and her relationship with Cap.  

And it’s really interesting because all of the comic books are different.  Their stories are different.  Her relationship to Peggy varies from comic book to comic book, all of that, but it’s fun to kind of take elements of all of the different stories and really piece together a character that hopefully the fans enjoy.  And it’s a really interesting process, because you don’t always have that kind of information readily available when you’re researching for a part, so it makes it a really cool process.

Question: What are your feelings on playing the strong female role, and empowering women across the country in the process?

Emily Van Camp: I think Marvel’s really trying to diversify, they’re really sort of incorporating more women in these great parts, and I think it’s just kind of heading in the right direction, you know?  But it’s super-enjoyable to play, too.

Question: I know a lot of Marvel fans are picking Team Captain America and Team Iron Man, so my question is, if you were to choose a team independent from the character that you play, which side would you choose and why?

Emily Van Camp: Hmm, that’s a really good question that I’ve been asking myself quite a bit.  I mean, I always…I guess, because I have such an attachment to Sharon and her loyalty to Steve and Captain, I just feel that I sort of agree with him.  It’s tough, though, because to have superheroes running around, without any sort of monitoring, it does seem wild and crazy.  But I really see both sides.  

It’s kind of hard to, even watching the movie, it’s hard to see the Avengers going at each other.  But you really do see the right and wrong of both sides.  It’s a tough one, but just because of my attachment to the character I’d probably go Team Cap.

Question: As an actor with extensive experience in television, what was it like to transition from those television projects to roles that involve a franchise like this one?

Emily Van Camp: I always say that having a TV background is amazing, because you move so fast and you really have to be quick on your toes, which kind of prepares you for anything that’s thrown at you. Obviously they take more time in the film, so it’s a luxury, really, to have that kind of time, but there are moments.  I remember we did a little fight sequence on Captain that, you know we were just losing the day.  We were running out of time and we had to shoot it in an hour and a half, or something ridiculous.  

And because I had that TV background, it makes it a lot easier to sort of learn quickly and get it done.  So I really enjoy doing both, to be honest, but it was obviously amazing, entering into this universe, and sort of getting to experience the scale of these films.  It’s really impressive and just super-fun.

Question: How do you feel that the film differentiates itself from the previous two Avengers films, and makes itself truly a new Captain America movie?  

Emily Van Camp: It’s interesting. It does really feel like the Avengers.  Everybody is in it, pretty much.  So it is hard to differentiate it, but they really are kind of focused on the relationship between Tony and Steve, and what they represent.  

And the rest is just sort of people picking sides.  And they really delve into the depth of what these two characters within the universe truly, truly feel.  And they are the extremes of those feelings that, you know, other people are kind of following, so it still does feel like a Captain film.

Captain America: Civil War is in theaters May 6 and is rated PG-13 for extended sequences of violence, action and mayhem.