Starring Anthony Mackie as Falcon and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a 2021 Disney+ Original Series focusing on the dynamic duo. The series also stars Daniel Brühl continuing his role as the antihero Zemo, and introduces Wyatt Russell to the Marvel Universe.

OUR THOUGHTS ON EPISODE 2

Last weeks premiere episode sold me on the concept of this new series, and the latest episode kept things moving right along. Last week ended with the introduction of a controversial new character that rubbed Sam and Bucky the wrong way, to say the least. One of the most pivotal moments of Avengers: Endgame was Captain America passing on the shield to Sam. We were essentially left to wonder if he would in fact continue the legacy, but he felt that only one man deserves the shield so decides to essentially retire it to a museum figuring that will be the end of it.

This grand gesture is short lived as the decision is made to introduce a new Captain America, a decorated seemingly qualified soldier named John Walker, played by Wyatt Russell. Sam and Bucky don’t agree on much but they do agree this is a bad idea. The problem is Bucky puts the blame on Sam for passing on the shield in the first place, a grievance that runs deep as proven throughout the episode. A new and extremely formidable threat is revealed and the boys need to play nice in order to stop them, but will they?

Walker makes it clear that he is not trying to replace the great Steve Rogers, but all of his efforts to make peace are not well-received. Sam and Bucky decide they are better off as free agents with more flexibility as opposed top being under the thumb of the U.S. Government (been there, done that), so coming together as a team will have to wait until another day. Will the legacy of the great Captain America help to create unity, or continue to divide the only heroes we have left? Time will tell.

Overall, I really enjoyed this episode. We were finally treated to some cool fight scenes and were afforded the opportunity to see Sam and Bucky fight alongside each other, even if it was for a short time. Staying consistent with the framework of the Marvel Universe, the humor and back and forth banter is great in this episode as well. Between Bucky’s propensity for giving people the death stare and Sam’s general refusal to see things any other way, I think it’s safe to say the friction will be alive and well for the majority of the season.

THE VERDICT

Continuing to build a solid foundation for the series sure to please hardcore fans, the latest episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will leave you wanting more. This new series is great so far, and I am really starting to see why they chose to build things around these two characters. As a familiar face is introduced we are once again left with one heck of a cliffhanger, so stay tuned for our thoughts on next weeks episode dropping on Friday, April 2nd, only on Disney+.