People not knowing her origins is why the old "Video Game Reunion" web series ended with a Carmen Sandiego cameo for shock value. The cast included characters like Mario/Mega Man/Link/Simon Belmont/Peach/etc.
The thing about Carmen is that she'd represent early PC gaming and her franchise is the pinnacle of the 'edutainment' genre. She not only has a legacy, but she's never faded into obscurity. She has a signature look that crept its way into pop culture. Whether you recognize her from comics, TV shows, or her games, you know who she is. People from like... 3 different generations can recognize her from something. That's quite an accomplishment. Especially for a video game character. So, is she likely? Probably not. I wouldn't say she's impossible, however. There's no denying that she has a lot going for her.
I'm a little surprised that as a Sackboy supporter, you aren't keeping an open mind. She's even had games on Nintendo consoles.
Anyway, on the subject of Carmen, her games' soundtracks are actually pretty good. China, Morocco, and Brazil from Where in the World are three standouts, IMO. I'd love remixes of these: