From lots of Sharon Carter to sinister villains to a strong bond between Sam and Bucky, here’s what we want from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
A brand-new trailer for the newest Marvel mini-series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier dropped the other week, and it promises high octane action worthy of the big screen. WandaVision is currently warming up Disney+ subscribers for all the series to come, but with it coming to an end soon, it’s time to start boarding the hype-train for the follow-up.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will follow Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). The show looks like it will have the familiar thriller espionage feel of the Captain America trilogy, which will be a welcome return to form after the eccentric tone and unusual format of WandaVision. The titular duo has the burden of continuing Cap’s legacy after the events of Avengers: Endgame. They will also cross paths with past characters like Sharon Carter and Baron Zemo, who says he has “no intention of leaving work unfinished.” And Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent may present a possible new threat
While the trailer sets up a tense and action-packed series, we’re also looking forward to seeing how the show fleshes out these characters and adds to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After WandaVision, the bar is high. Here are four things we want to see in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Explore the conflict of carrying on Captain America’s legacy
At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers gives his shield to Sam, seemingly passing down the role of Captain America to him. At first, Sam is reluctant to accept the shield, but from the trailers, it seems like he and Bucky are using it during fights and while training. We expect that Sam might still be unwilling to wield it, as a shot from the trailer sees him cautiously looking at it, but as the series progresses, he’ll become more comfortable using it. We might even see his transformation into the new Captain America by the final episode.
But it’s going to be a bumpy road getting there. Sam and Bucky were Steve’s closest friends, so they should feel a bit conflicted or overwhelmed by the thought of carrying on his legacy. Bucky might have an easier time accepting this new responsibility or even try to coax Sam into the role as it seems like he and Steve might’ve discussed it before Rogers returned the Infinity Stones. If you pay close attention during the final scenes of Endgame, Bucky has a look on his face making it seem that he knew what Steve’s plans were.
Or we could see some real conflict between the duo as they fight over who deserves to be the next Captain America. It could be Marvel’s take on the Batman: Battle for the Cowl. In that storyline, the Bat-family fights each other for the right to become the new Batman following Bruce Wayne’s death. The trailer sets up a friendly rivalry between the two, but if Zemo gets involved and manages to manipulate them as he did with the Avengers, things could turn ugly quickly.
The pair have a lot of questions in front of them. How do they feel living in a world without Captain America? How do they feel knowing this responsibility has fallen on them? I’m eager to see them answered.