Photo courtesy of Vulture
On Friday, April 23, Marvel’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” miniseries came to an end. The show consisted of six episodes total and was exclusive to the Disney+ streaming platform. Unlike the previously released series from Marvel, “WandaVision,” which had a zany, unique approach to its narrative, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” feels like a traditional action serial film from the fifties, split up over the course of weeks in telling the story. Nearly two years have passed since the release of the last Marvel movie in cinemas as a result of many being pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For now, this is the best return we could ask for.
The series follows the Falcon, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), and the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), after the events of “Avengers Endgame,” with Sam training to take up the Captain America mantle placed before him by Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). Before he can take up the title, the pair set out on a journey that challenges their friendship and character.
The series also sees the return of familiar faces from previous Marvel projects in supporting roles, including Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) and Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl), as well as a new Captain America played by Wyatt Russell.
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” was a pleasant surprise, and many are hopeful for more content like this from Marvel in the years to come. When initially announced, fans speculated the series would be nothing more than a buddy cop show, with the pair likely to get involved in some sort of adventure each week.
Fans also expected lots of witty humor interjected given the relationship previously established between the two in other Marvel films. Overall, a good time, but nothing serious or bringing anything new to the table. Surprisingly, the series is more than this, with the ideas of responsibility, character and what it means to be a hero raised and intertwined throughout the entirety of the show.
Unlike “WandaVision,” which encompassed many different themes, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” had a storyline typical of a hero’s journey, with a complicated challenge in regard to race and difficult decisions placed in front of Sam.
Unfortunately, the finale suffers from clutter and doesn’t deliver on the impact writers intended, with too many plot points and themes to be tackled in a limited hour time slot. Between handling the character development and consequences surrounding this new Captain America played by Russell and wrapping up storylines involving Sharon Carter, on top of proving that a Black man can be Captain America, it became a bit of a mess. Despite the finale not living up to expectations, the series does do what it was meant to do: provide tension surrounding Sam becoming Captain America to a degree that is satisfying enough and leaves us wanting more from this character.
Following the release of the final episode on Friday, April 23, it was announced shortly after by Hollywood Reporter that series showrunner Malcolm Spellman will pen a new Captain America movie. While no official reports of the cast have been made, one can assume it’s very likely that Stan and Mackie will both reprise their roles, with the latter’s character having taken up the mantle of Captain America in the finale. Until then, Marvel fans will just have to wait and see what the future has in store for Captain America, the Winter Soldier and all of the other heroes and villains, with numerous shows and movies set to release later this year.
