The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
What we know: anthony Mackie’s sam Wilson — newly armed with Captain america’s mantle and vibranium shield — will team up with Cap’s other BFF Bucky Barnes (sebastian stan). they’ll be going up against Captain America: Civil War villain helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl), and emily Vancamp is also reportedly returning as CIA agent sharon Carter.
What we predict: The Falcon And The Winter Solider has the strangest title of the upcoming MCU miniseries, given that neither character goes by those monikers any more (Captain America And The White Wolf has a nice ring to it). But on closer inspection, it makes perfect sense: even though they’ve taken on different names, there’s a sense that both sam and Bucky need to do a little soulsearching before feeling fully comfortable with their new roles.
this should be especially compelling in sam’s case, because rumour has it he’ll have to figure things out in a world that won’t want to accept a black Captain america. When he became Cap in the comics, sam had to reckon with the social and political consequences of donning the red, white, and blue, and that’s a hurdle this show would do well to explore. the question of what a black man wearing that symbol means in 2020 — or 2023, in the MCU’S case — is a significant one, and it could yield powerful answers if executed well.
to say that Bucky has not had much screen time in his recent MCU appearances is an understatement, so this miniseries will also be hugely beneficial for steve Rogers’ oldest friend. For the first time in a long while Bucky should get to be more than just a plot device or weapon. as stan himself stated, “I think it’s time for Bucky to go out
there and have an identity outside of the circumstances that we’ve met him through,” and it will be interesting to find out what that looks like.
Brühl’s return as Zemo — this time with his comics-accurate purple mask — should throw a major spanner in their plans. One of the few MCU villains to actually accomplish his goal, his inclusion guarantees that our titular duo won’t be able to just punch their way to victory. Zemo’s schemes are more cerebral than physical, which makes him a far more dangerous adversary. But if this all sounds a little too serious, relax: the bromance between Sam and Bucky (and the off-screen antics of Mackie and Stan) has already yielded many memorable moments in the MCU, and it will almost certainly form the heart and soul of this series as well.