In the weeks that came beforeThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier’spremiere, the show was teased and labeled by many as a showcase for how Marvel Studios could bring MCU blockbuster levels of action onto the TV series format. Instead, much likeWandaVision, it’s proven to be an emotional journeyfor its protagonists, because one simply does not become Captain America on a whim.
Indeed, Marvel Studios received plenty of praise for the wayWandaVisioncarried across its core themes of grief and loss, behind the usual coating of superpowered special effects that pushed its budget into the $200m mark, all while paying homage to the many decades of television that inspired it. Like Kevin Feige said of the series, they’re the kind of experiences that couldn’t have worked out as movies, but the same could be said ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
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For all its worth,WandaVision’semotional character arc still remains disguised under a thin veneer of conceptual episodes which -at first- are there mainly to fool audiences and its main characters. At the same time, the looming shadow of elaborate fan theories fueled by havingEvan Peters show up for a casual reality-twistingcameo reminds viewers that it’sall about Wanda Maximoff and her own emotions, nothing else.
SinceThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier’stakes place in the real world, its approach is much different. Unlike Wanda, Sam Wilson’s decisions lead to more real consequences in the real world, the first of those being the introduction of another complex character like John Walker. As if that weren’t enough, at the same timeBucky starts off trying to sort out his owntwisted mind with court-designed therapist Christina Raynor.
Everyone inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldieris undergoing a deeply transformative process that leaves them standing in theeaster egg-packed season finaleas very different people than they were when the show started. Take Walker’s case, for example, first introduced as the idealCaptain Americaposter boy, a blue-eyed blond exemplary military officer that slowly devolves into a violent rogue officer because his PTSD gets the best of him, especially after witnessing his best friend being killed by the very threat he as a superhero is supposed to stop.
Throughout six episodes, the show lays the groundwork forWalker the antihero to stay in the MCUas a new character with many layers who, at his best, can work alongside the heroes fans know and love; yet at his worst can quickly turn into the kind of murderous threat the Avengers seek to stop. His reveal as U.S. Agent makes it possible for viewers to feel somewhat happy for him because they’ve just witnessed his good side, and at the same time everyone knows Walker’s darker side will suddenly burst with madness at any moment in future appearances.
Of course, Sam’s evolution from just Falcon to “Captain Black Falcon America” is the real treat here. His reluctance to take theCaptain Americashield stems from him feeling intimidated by Steve Rogers’ legacy and due to the pressure he’d be subjected to as an African-American if he were to become the newCaptain America. Bucky knows this and that’s why he introduces him to Isaiah Bradley, his governments’ darkest secret.
The shameful treatment Isaiah Bradley received from the US government is a huge part of what motivates Sam to take up the mantle. It’s what finally makes him see that he has to wield the shield, not because Steve said so, but for what he can do for other people like him by carrying it.Isaiah’s public redemption and embrace of Samis perhaps one of the most emotional moments in the entire MCU, again because his harrowing story is sadly based on real-life events.
Everyone grows inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierand this perfectly showed in the aftermath of the finale’s battle when Sam, Bucky, and Walker briefly reunite. It’s there when Sam introduces himself as Captain America to the world, in a speech that would definitely make Steve Rogers proud, when Sam can finally tell the whole world what he thinks, the kind of Cap that he aspires to be, and how his own views can inspire others.
For Walker, the moment is all about seeing this non-super soldier man uphold the values he was supposed to fight for; it’s the realization that he came up short as Captain America, that he never really stood a chance. This is perfectly captured as he and Sam acknowledge each other leaving the scene, the former being humbled by what he just saw.
In Bucky’s eyes, just like the episode that came before it, this means he’s finally learned tosee Sam as someone who becomesCaptain Americafor his own reasons, not because of what Steve and he believed. The two leave the scene as real friends and like the post-battle celebrations show, they’re really more like family now, especially for Bucky who goes from brooding loner to cheerful uncle Winter Soldier.
On a personal level, Bucky goes from sleeping on the floor of his dark apartment and fighting his therapist to thanking her for what she did form him with his fully crossed off list. His most touching moments come from his relationship with Mr. Nakajima, his toughest assignment, the one that makes viewers' hearts wrench, and the person that he’s simply not ready to take on until he’s sorted out his superhero problems.
It’s not too surprising for aCaptain Americaspinoff to bring forward political and social issueslike PTSD affecting war veterans, racial discrimination and the geopolitical ramifications of refugee migrants, nevertheless,The Falcon and the Winter Soldiermasterfully manages to place each of its characters inside these narratives making them feel packed with emotion because they’re real and they’re a huge part of what keeps the cast evolving.WandaVisionmay be about grief and acceptance, butThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierinstead takes on the old army motto of really being all that you can be.
