The following contains spoilers for Episode 1 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
The first episode of the hotly anticipated Marvel series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has finally premiered on Disney Plus. Starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan as the titular characters, the show takes place several months after the events of Avengers: Endgame. These two characters, who have until now been largely defined by their association with Steve Rogers, must figure out what their place is in this changing world without him.
At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers does not come back to the present after returning the Infinity stones to their rightful places in time. Instead, he is seen back in the forties, dancing with Peggy Carter. He appears to his friends back in the present as an old man, having lived out an entire lifetime. He gives his shield to Sam Wilson, passing on the mantle of Captain America.
While it is unknown whether Steve is still alive after his appearance in Avengers: Endgame, his story and run as Captain America in the MCU have come to an end regardless. Despite this, his presence can still be felt in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This is natural, since both Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes had strong and important friendships with Steve. The looming shadow of Steve Rogers and Captain America is used sparingly, but effectively, during the premiere, entitled “New World Order.”
“New World Order” follows Sam and Bucky’s individual journeys after the events of Avengers: Endgame, as they find their purpose and try to adjust to life both post-battle and post-blip. Sam has not taken up the Captain America mantle, but has been working with the US Airforce as Falcon. While on a job, Joaquin Torres, a soldier working with Sam, tells him that some conspiracy theorists online think that Steve is now living on the moon, watching over everyone. While comedic, this moment also shows that the world has not forgotten about Captain America and still craves his protection, subtly setting up the ending of the episode.
Following this scene, Sam is shown giving a speech to the press and onlookers in Washington. It’s revealed that despite being given the shield by Steve himself, Sam is not willing to take on the mantle of Captain America, and the shield is being placed in a glass museum case. Sam says to his audience, holding the shield, “We need new heroes, ones suited for the times we’re in. Symbols are nothing without the women and men that give them meaning. And this thing, I don’t know if there’s ever been a greater symbol. But it’s more about the guy who propped it up, and he’s gone. So today, we honor Steve’s legacy. But also, we look to the future. So thank you, Captain America. But this belongs to you.”
While giving his speech, Sam stands under a giant banner of Captain America, reflecting how he feels smaller, in Steve’s shadow, undeserving of the title. He says to Rhodey, after the shield has been locked up, that after being given the shield he felt like it belonged to someone else, and that someone else was only Steve. This relinquishing of the shield is a powerful moment to place near the beginning of the episode. It sets the tone for Sam’s character throughout the rest of the episode, and possibly for the rest of the series. Sam is a good man, a brave man, and a hero in his own right, but he does not feel like he is Captain America.
These scenes occur within the first third of the first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, setting the stage. However, Steve and Captain America are not the focus of the rest of the episode, which mostly follows Sam and Bucky individually. When the audience sees Bucky in “New Order,” he is living in New York City, seeing a therapist as a condition of his pardon and trying to make amends for his actions as the Winter Soldier, which still plague him.
Steve is never mentioned directly during these scenes, but his presence can still be felt. The therapist mentions that Bucky doesn’t have many friends–and of course, Steve was one of his few, now gone. He calls back to the first Captain America movie when asked about dating, saying “I haven’t danced since 1943…it feels like,” a reference only Steve would have understood. The lack of a direct mention is a smart move, as it could have been overwhelming for a premiere episode combined with some of Sam’s more Captain America heavy scenes.
At the end of the episode, the government shocks Sam–and the rest of the world–when it’s revealed that they had no intention of actually retiring Captain America’s shield. They believe that America still needs a hero in these times, someone who embodies America’s values, and so introduce John Walker, the “new” Captain America. If this John Walker is anything like his comic book counterpart, then the government-sanctioned super soldier will be more ruthless and aggressive than Steve Rogers, and generally will not embody everything that made Steve a true hero. As it is, the government is already presenting him with the Captain America shield as nothing but a symbol. This scene is a stark and effective contrast to Sam’s speech earlier in the episode.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was always going to have to deal with the legacy of Captain America. It is important that they are able to do so without overwhelming Bucky and Sam’s journeys, but also not understate the importance of Steve Rogers in the MCU. The first episode proved that they are capable of it, and it will be interesting to see where the series takes it from here.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney Plus.
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