Gene Carson

"You know, people will think what I tell them to think. That's how authority works."

- Gene Carson

Gene Carson is the main antagonist in the 2005 film Flightplan.

He was portrayed by Peter Sarsgaard.

Film
Carson is an air marshal on board the same flight as aircraft engineer Kyle Pratt. He is in fact a hijacker, but he cunningly makes it seem as though Kyle is the hijacker. Carson and his fellow conspirators had previously killed Kyle's husband by pushing him off a rooftop, and Kyle had boarded the plane with her daughter Julia and her husband's coffin in order to bury him on Long Island. During the flight, Carson waits for Kyle to fall asleep before kidnapping Julia. When Kyle wakes up, she is startled to find that her daughter is missing. Carson secretly gets rid of all the records that Julia was ever on board the plane, including her boarding pass, making the other passengers believe that Kyle is becoming delusional due to her husband's death. After Kyle becomes increasingly frustrated, Carson is asked by Captain Marcus Rich to handcuff her and keep guard.

The captain later receives word that Julia died along with her father, to which Kyle angrily protests. This was of course set up by Carson, who is holding the drugged Julia in avionics. Kyle later sneaks into the freight deck to search for Julia herself, but Carson finds her there. He handcuffs her again and escorts her back to the cabin, but Kyle tries to convince him to let her search the plane one last time. Carson pretends he is going to talk with the captain but secretly returns to the freight deck to retrieve two explosives and a detonator hidden within the coffin of Kyle's husband. He then attaches the explosives to the platform before leaving.

Later, Carson informs the captain that Kyle is threatening to blow up the plane unless $50 million is transferred to a specific bank account (belonging to Carson, but believed to belong to Kyle). Since none of the crew believed Julia was ever on the flight, Carson convinces the captain that Kyle was using her as a cover, allowing her to place explosives within the plane during her supposed search. When Kyle goes to speak to the captain, he tells her to drop the charade and that the money has been transferred. Kyle then realises she has been set up and immediately suspects Carson, and when the crew exit the plane after landing at Goose Bay Airport, Kyle forces Carson to stay on board with her. Knowing his cover will be blown if he refuses, he is knocked out by Kyle before being handcuffed to a rail. However, he quickly regains consciousness and uses a hidden gun to shoot at Kyle. She quickly escapes into the depths of the plane with Carson hot in pursuit, having freed himself from the handcuffs. Kyle eventually finds Julia in avionics and manages to trap Carson in the compartment by locking the door on him. As Carson attempts to fire at her and Julia, Kyle uses the detonator to set off the explosives, engulfing Carson in a huge fireball and ending his life.