The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Can Marvel’s new Miniseries Live Up to the Reputation of its Old, Young, and Undeniably Gargantuan Predecessors?

By Lisa Alexander

Two years have passed since Marvel closed its doors on its first-generation heroes. However, the fans of Marvel have yet to move on. This is understandable, with Tony Stark's passing, arguably the hero who first stole the hearts of all Marvel Cinematic Universe fans, and the end of the tumultuous storyline with Titan Thanos. But Marvel managed to re-excite viewers with "WandaVision," the first production from Marvel after "Endgame" (barring the second Spider-Man movie). However, giving watchers a taste of the fantastical new Marvel Era created another benchmark for its new miniseries, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (TFATWS), to meet.

"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" brings fans back to a familiar pace that juxtaposes the mind-boggling, confusing speed of "WandaVision." Thus far, the show has done a marvelous job at bringing fans back to a reality they can relate to. No, I am not asserting that we understand Sam Wilson's (the Falcon) internal conflict about giving up the shield Steve Rogers bestowed upon him. Or Bucky's (the Winter Soldier) rage towards the Falcon for denying Steve's final wish—which, of course, left the door open for character John Walker to make his debut as a very subpar, boring, and easy to hate (I mean, only according to me… and all of Twitter) replacement for Captain America. And we definitely don't understand the Winter Soldier's experience of living well past our terrestrial expiration date. But as the show follows the Falcon's fight against a new radical group and Bucky's struggle with the loss of Steve Rogers (Is he dead? Hanging out as the 100-year-old we last saw him as? That is still uncertain), their storylines begin to reflect the world around us. 

For one, "TFATWS" brings back somewhat typical villains. Compared to the glowing purple witch Agatha from "WandaVision," at least. The Flag-Smashers, the new terrorist group, dreams of a world with no borders or country division. Though this may seem admirable, the origins of this dream come from the darker desire to return to life during the Blip— A.K.A., the time where half of the world's population ceased to exist at the snap of Thanos' fingers. And if you're waiting for the not-so-relatable zinger? Oh, they just happen to have super-soldier serum coursing through their veins—which, of course, means they are cut from the very same cloth as Bucky. The same cloth that made him a murdering zombie! I know Marvel relentlessly uses continuous trauma for poor Bucky to live through to entertain us.

But, Bucky finds a way to battle with the demons of being a mind-controlled Hydra Zombie with… you guessed it (or probably didn't) good old cognitive-behavioral therapist. Seeing a superhero with burly muscles and an icy cold stare having his feelings probed as I do with my therapist every Tuesday felt surreal. Marvel deserves credit here for their subtle advocacy that even the most macho of men need to renounce toxic masculinity and get in touch with their emotions. 

The commentary on toxic cultures that relate to our own world doesn't stop there. In a scene where Sam is blatantly profiled and harassed by the police, the tension created on-screen surpasses any fight scene thus far as Marvel portrays a real threat that black Americans face every day. 

I am not surprised to say that Marvel has met their own unreal expectations once again. Though the show could do without shorter scenes of the Falcon trying to get a boat mortgage, it makes up for this with its carefully constructed tension, agile midair fight scenes, and brilliant commentary on issues that plague the America we know. Not to mention the adorable relationship between Bucky and his 100-year-old friend, Mr. Nakajima.

Though I cannot say I have faith that this new Captain America will fill his predecessor's shoes, I am reassured that Marvel's latest miniseries will meet the marks made by "WandaVision," all while ushering in an unprecedented and exciting new generation of heroes and many villains; villains belonging to the big three—Androids, Aliens, and Wizards—of course. And yes, that is a reference that you will just have to watch the show to understand.