Avengers: Endgame set up the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a very unique way. We lost three of our favorite heroes in Iron Man, Black Widow and Captain America. The former two perished in the hopes of restoring the universe after Thanos’ snap and the latter went back to the past to live out the rest of his life with Peggy Carter. Steve Rogers comes back as an old man to give Sam Wilson his shield and pass on the mantle of Captain America, setting the tone of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and leaving the series with fewer surprises than its predecessor WandaVision.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was originally supposed to be the first Marvel Studios series to hit Disney Plus until the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world, causing all productions to come to a halt. This caused Disney and Marvel Studios to shuffle their entire film and streaming slate and put WandaVision at the forefront of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. WandaVision was released to critical acclaim and the show was lauded week after week. Now, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is set to premiere tomorrow and the question on everyone’s mind is if it will it live up to the hype. I’ve seen the first episode of the series and I can confirm that it does.
Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier feels like a direct sequel to Captain America: The Winter Soldier in the way it handles the action and weight on our heroes’ shoulders. The series’ first episode feels like an action epic with movie-style effects and is close to an hour-long in duration. While it isn’t as ballsy as WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier fits right in with the rest of the MCU and is sure to make fans happy.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier takes place six months after Avengers: Endgame and it puts you smack in the middle of Sam Wilson’s decision on taking up the mantle of Captain America. Wilson is currently working for the United States Air Force, helping with some very unique missions. Meanwhile, Bucky Barnes has been pardoned of his crimes after the events of Endgame and is dealing with the trauma of being Hydra’s weapon for so long. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan handle their new material very well, with Mackie getting to dive into Sam’s family and Stan diving into Bucky’s psyche.
Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan make their first appearances as Sam Wilson/ Falcon and James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes/ The Winter Soldier since the events of Avengers: Endgame in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Mackie flies back into the role with equipped with even more bad assery than we’ve seen before. He’s more confident in the role and is finally at the forefront of an MCU project. Some of his best moments are when he’s alone doing missions as Falcon and when he’s dealing with the weight of being chosen as Captain America’s successor. In the first episode, Sam doesn’t really get to share any scenes with Stan’s Bucky Barnes, but it just builds up the hype for when they finally do get to meet on screen again. Sebastian Stan is by far my favorite part of the first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This is the first time we see Bucky Barnes without Steve Rogers and what the people behind-the-scenes do with the character is pretty darn great. Barnes is dealing with the trauma of his past sins as Hydra’s weapon and Stan handles things with charm and sincerity.
In the premiere, we are also introduced to some old villains as well as some new ones and without saying too much they add an interesting threat for our two heroes. Georges St-Pierre returns as Batroc the Leaper during the first episode of the series and he’s still up to no good. He takes on Falcon in an insane action sequence and things get intesnse. While he only makes a brief appearance, Batroc definitely leaves his mark. The series also introduces us to a new supervillain gang known as the Flag Smashers. They appear to be a credible threat in the absence of Captain America and are the perfect antagonists for Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes. With its amazing cast and visuals, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is an absolutely fantastic entry into the MCU. If I were you, I’d check it out when it hits Disney Plus this Friday.
Overall Thoughts: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is fantastic. With its movie-style action sequences and the emotional depth it adds to its two main characters, the series will fit right in with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sebastian Stan absolutely nails his performance as Bucky Barnes and I am dying to see more. The series features some choice language, but is still perfect for the entire family. I can’t wait to see who takes up the mantle of Captain America.
Rating: 8/10
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will premiere exclusively on Disney Plus on March 19, 2021. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for all the latest news on the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
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