The New Captain America: A Review of ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’
Marvel’s new miniseries featuring Anthony Mackie as ‘The Falcon’ and Sebastian Stan as ‘The Winter Soldier’ is an action-packed show that delves into the future of one of the franchise’s most-beloved superheroes.
The shield depicted is most commonly associated with Steve Rogers, better known as his superhero alter ego Captain America. At the end of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ Rogers passes on his shield to Sam Wilson, also known as Falcon.
The end of Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame left many questions about how the Marvel Cinematic Universe planned to take up Captain America’s mantle. Disney Plus miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier provides the first look into how Marvel plans to answer these questions.
A quick recap on the events leading up to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: At the end of Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers, portrayed by Chris Evans, decides to retire as Captain America in order to marry Peggy Carter in the 1940s. Right before he dies, he passes his shield to Sam Wilson to be the next Captain America.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier picks up the story a few months after Avengers: Endgame. The show focuses on Wilson as well as Rogers’s long-time friend James ‘Bucky’ Barnes. Portrayed by Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, they are better known as ‘Falcon’ and the ‘Winter Soldier,’ respectively. Wilson and Barnes team up to defeat a terrorist organization known as the Flag Smashers, a super soldier group created in the aftermath of the ‘Blip,’ the event that erased half of the world’s population.
Wilson and Barnes are a dynamic duo that provide constant comedy to the action-packed show. In addition to fighting the Flag Smashers, they learn to deal with their own personal struggles: Wilson learns how to take up Captain America’s mantle, and Barnes deals with the aftermath of the assassinations that he committed when he was brainwashed by a malicious terrorist organization named HYDRA that was introduced Captain America: The First Avenger, the first movie of the Captain America franchise.
The show also brings back characters from the well-known franchise, like former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter, and the villain of Captain America: Civil War, Helmut Zemo. The return of Zemo shines a new light on the former villain and brings back memories for original Captain America fans.
The show also touches on issues of race as Wilson struggles to take on the symbol of Captain America. Because Captain America represents a country that has continually failed to act against racial discrimination, Wilson is unsure about whether or not he wants take up such a symbol.
Commenting on the show’s current relevance, Amanda Ng ’22 said, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a significant achievement for the Marvel Comics Universe. In a world of aliens, monsters, and ‘wizards,’ the show takes a bold chance at tackling socio-political issues that many face today.”
The show is perfect for fans of Captain America. Those nostalgic for the old Captain America films will be satisfied by both the protagonists, Wilson and Barnes, and other returning characters, like Carter and Zemo. The show dives into a new era of Captain America and is a must-see for those who wish to keep up with the future of Marvel’s Avengers.
To watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+ (subscription required), click HERE.
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a significant achievement for the Marvel Comics Universe. In a world of aliens, monsters, and ‘wizards,’ the show takes a bold chance at tackling socio-political issues that many face today,” said Amanda Ng ’22.
Jillian Chong is an Editor-in-Chief for ‘The Science Survey.’ As a journalist, she loves that she has the ability to voice her opinions and inform...