Author: anthonycanton905

The landscape in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has shifted after the fifth Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode titled “Truth” was released. The stakes have been raised, and the pieces on the board get set up for the finale. So, let’s take a closer look at where our protagonists are.

Sam Wilson

The journey for Sam has been about realizing why Steve Rogers gave him the shield. Through it all, Bucky questioned him, and he got confronted by John Walker. It got exacerbated by Walker’s actions in which he tainted the shield with blood. It was time to get it back. There was more to the lesson. His world view is similar to Barack Obama‘s when he said: “Yes we can.” He believes in his way of not only fighting but figuring things out. More importantly, he believes that there’s a better way to do so. It wasn’t until he speaks to Isaiah Bradley that the truth and the context push him forward. Isaiah is steadfast in his belief that:

They will never let a Black man be Captain America. And even if they did, no self-respecting Black man would ever wanna be.

 

The heartbreaking tale of Bradley’s past would’ve deterred most men and maybe it should have, but Sam thought otherwise. He empathized with what he went through but understood that by avoiding the reality of things, he wouldn’t be able to make a change.

But what would be the point of all the pain and sacrifice, if I wasn’t willing to stand up and keep fighting?

It was time for Sam to become Captain America. He had to live his truth beyond what Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, or Isaiah Bradley thought. As Sam gets ready to take flight with an assist from Wakandan technology, he’s finally in a position to take on Karli and the Flag-Smashers. This time, he’ll do it his way on his terms.

Bucky Barnes

Bucky has had to come to grips with his reality. Steve Rogers is no longer there to be his crutch to lean on. He’s not aimless, but he’s struggling to find his place in the world. Sam confronted him with the cold-heart truth to stop depending on others. Ultimately we’ve seen Bucky start to make his own decisions to varying results.

The moment he freed Zemo to locate the super-soldier serum as a means to an end ended up as a betrayal. Ayo and Wakanda took care of Bucky at a very vulnerable time in his life. He’ll have to live with that decision. There’s still a part of him that believes it was the right movie. It’s why, even though Zemo gets taken into custody, Bucky’s path is more open-ended than Sam’s. There’s a chance that these two will eventually cross paths again. It feels like those two are destined to work together in some capacity.

Finally, Bucky learned a bit about accountability. There was the ignorance that he had towards Sam’s plight and the complexity of becoming Captain America. There’s also the idea that just because you’re trying to make amends doesn’t mean you’re making them. As Sam advises: “Start with one.” We can surmise that in the finale, Bucky may try to give some closure to Yori. As Bucky promises to help Sam with Karli, we also know there’s always a bit of Winter Soldier inside of him.

John Walker

John Walker started the season as the face of propaganda. Now he’s the symbolism of Captain America’s values. They’re tainted, like the blood on the shield. After losing the fight to Bucky and Sam, John immediately got shunned. He loses his rank, title, and pension. The same government who trotted him out as the savior has discarded him like trash.

After he met with the senate, what perhaps could be an important nod to his future, Walker is greeted by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) or “Val” for short. She offers him not only sympathy for what he’s done but a role in the future. In the comics, she’s known for a spell as Madame Hydra. In this iteration, she could be the Fury for a team of villains. So, we might finally get the Thunderbolts in the MCU. One has to think Walker will take her call.

Walker’s dishonorable discharge also led to him lying to Lemar’s parents about getting revenge for their son. His lying dishonors Lemar’s legacy and continues his denial of truth. Walker isn’t down for the count, as we see him mid-credits creating his shield. It looks like John is going to be an agent of chaos.

All roads lead toward Karli and the Flag Smashers in the finale. One can only wonder how our main characters handle their new personas as they try to live their truth.

In the second episode of the Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Lemar Hoskins chats with John Walker. They discuss the weight of taking on the mantle of Captain America. It is the first time we get a feeling of the pressure on Walker’s shoulders. It is a brief look into his humanity before he wears the legacy left behind by Steve Rogers. The most poignant line spoken was when Lemar pointed out his war buddy:

You can’t just punch your way out of problems anymore, you know?

How different that line hits now. As the whole world is watching, John forgets Lemar’s lesson in a blind rage. He’s caught on camera brutally killing a member of the Flag-Smashers. John Walker was trying so hard to be like Steve Rogers that he ended up becoming something else entirely.

When we think about who Steve Rogers is and why he got idolized so much, we’re always presented with his unwavering penchant to do the right thing. He’s willing to give up his life to save Bucky from Hydra. It’s the willingness to make sure not only Hydra but S.H.I.E.L.D. all goes down. It never mattered about how he was perceived or the narrative. As Dr. Erskine points out in Captain America: The First Avenger, there was an important reason why he got the serum, to begin with:

Bad becomes worse. This is why you were chosen. Because a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength and knows compassion.

Walker is a classic strong man who has known power all his life. MIT even studied his body. So, of course, the government saw him as the perfect replacement for Steve Rogers. It is that perception that John not only feeds into but allows to consume him. It’s the way his insecurities come into play when Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes don’t want to work with him. You feel the need to prove something to himself and the world that Steve never exhibited.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely is the saying, and John Walker taking the serum is the culmination of letting perception be his guide. The embarrassment of being soundly defeated by the Dora Milaje was the point that his inner demons took over. It echoed the words spoken by Zemo in a conversation with Sam, as they discussed if he would ever take the serum if he had the choice.

The desire to become a superhuman cannot be separated from supremacist ideals. Anyone with that serum is inherently on that path.

In a way, one could downplay the events. John was taking vengeance for the death of his best friend. Yet, he was headed down this road long before. It was just an accelerant. His thirst for power, which is unchecked, was always leading him down this path. The idea that Walker decided to escalate a situation that Sam was trying to deescalate. It is something that Steve Rogers would never do. Captain America: Civil War echoes the importance of these events. In a fight for his life, Steve could’ve killed Tony Stark, who was in a rage after finding out Bucky was behind his parent’s death. Steve had gotten the better of the fight and finished Tony by slamming the shield into his arc reactor. However, he never went through with it. John was not in the same scenario, but there was a choice. His anger overtook him as he killed Nico. 

The episode ends with John holding a bloody shield after he showed the world his true colors. Lemar prophetically says when John asks about taking the serum. John asks the questions that Steve always had the answer to. Captain America was never about the shield but the person behind it. John Walker wanted to be Steve Rogers so desperately that he becomes something darker and uncompromising. His actions have left their mark on the symbol that once had the weight of the world on it.

Nowadays, a good television show is not always defined by its main characters. Sometimes as a supporting act, one character can change the game. Baron Zemo strolled into the third episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has given the show a jolt of swag. Once again, Zemo gets what he wants without having to get physical with an Avenger. Sam and Bucky need him. Plus, Barnes is desperate to atone for his prior sins that he breaks Zemo out. This episode is Daniel Brühl shooting from half-court like he’s Steph Curry.

As they’re going to Madripoor, we get a call back to Captain America Winter Soldier, when Sam and Zemo are ribbing Bucky for not liking the Troubleman soundtrack. We get the iconic line from the Baron that even Sam ends up agreeing to:

It’s a masterpiece, James. Complete. Comprehensive. It captures the African American experience.

Even in an episode filled to the brim with action and Sharon Carter’s return, Zemo was the main event. He revealed himself to be a Baron embracing his comic origins. We even see him don the purple mask that the iconic villain wore in the comics. Not just that, Zemo is rich with a collection of classic cars and a private plane. We get a hilarious scene of him dancing in the club like no one is watching. We have to say that it is villainy you have to respect. There is no doubt that he’ll betray Sam and Bucky, and we cannot wait to see it happen.

Later, as the crew catches up to Wilfred Nagel, who is the creator of the new super-soldier serum, we know Zemo will probably try and kill the scientist. Zemo still hates the idea of powered individuals. True to form, the Baron shoots Nagel after the mad scientist reveals his work. Even with that happening, our heroes have no time to reprimand Zemo as bounty hunters from all over are coming for them. He provides the shots to get the squad free and the getaway car to freedom. His appearance gets summed up by the end of the episode, as Ayo of the Dora Milaje reveals she is here for him.

Baron Zemo provides both humor and zest. One can only wonder how much chaos Zemo will cause going forward. It opens up some questions regarding the next three episodes:

• When is John Walker going to snap? We only briefly see John and Lemar hot on the tail of the Flag Smashers. The new Captain America gets all hot and bothered when he didn’t get answers. That dark turn is coming soon.
• Is Sharon working for someone? Sharon has another agenda going on as she speaks to someone on the phone regarding Sam and Bucky. Is she involved with the power broker, or is she the power broker? One has to wonder.

• Did Karli Morgenthau just break bad? There was a sense earlier that Karli & co. were freedom fighters with a worthy cause. After their actions in episode three of blowing up and killing guards, how far are they willing to go to achieve their goal?
• What is Zemo’s master plan? He states that he is looking forward to coming face-to-face with Karli. One has to assume Zemo wants all of these super soldiers dead. How does he get that job done? The Machiavellian Baron has to be up to no good for anyone involved but his ends.

• Is Sam going to get a better handle on things? This episode felt like more of a backseat for Sam, literally. He drank some snake guts and dressed like a pimp. So, let us hope he has some more substantial scenes and moments next week.

As WandaVision has concluded, we quickly transition to this week’s premiere of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier series on Disney+. There’s no time like the present to catch up with the characters that we’ve come to know and love (or even hate). The upcoming series has an extensive cast returning and continuing their stories in the series. Today, we’ll explore the history of the only MCU character who probably gets a neck spasm because he’s always looking to his left, Sam Wilson. It’s time to catch up to the Falcon’s story.

Sam Wilson’s MCU journey begins right at the outset of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Sam meets Steve Rogers as they’re both going through a jog in Washington, D.C., which leads to the iconic “on your left” line. They become fast friends as Sam empathizes with Steve’s history as a soldier, as Sam himself was a veteran of the United States Air Force Pararescueman. He served tours in overseas military actions, and he was selected to test a prototype military wingsuit with his friend Riley, who tragically perished during combat. Later, as Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff are on the run from Hydra, Sam lends his help along with the suit. He then decides to join Cap on his mission to find his old friend.

In Avengers Age Of Ultron, Sam returns in a brief cameo as he attends an Avengers party in celebration of retrieving Loki’s scepter from Hydra. They briefly discuss the search of Barnes. It isn’t until the end that he officially joins the superhero team. He does make a brief appearance in Ant-Man, where he fights Scott Long. By the end of the film, we find out through Luis that Sam is looking for Scott.

We next see him in action alongside the other Avengers, as they are taking down Crossbones. After tragedy strikes and the Sokovia Accords are set into motion, Wilson joins Rogers’s firm stance against them. Once Bucky is suspected of bombing and killing T’Chaka, they track him down as multiple confrontations ensue. Eventually, all three of them get arrested along with the Black Panther, T’Challa. Even after Zemo releases Sam doesn’t trust Bucky but continues showing loyalty to Steve. Sam suggests to Steve that he should recruit Scott Lang to help them out. Wilson takes part in the battle at the Berlin airport. After the fight, he ends up getting arrested. When Tony Stark arrives at the Raft to find out Rogers’s whereabouts, he reluctantly tells him their location.

After Steve breaks out his friends, we see them return in Avengers: Infinity War. Wilson is part of the group that rescues Wanda Maximoff and Vision from Thanos’ children. They return to the Avengers base for the first time in two years, where they finally get to reunite with James Rhodes. Next, he ends up in Wakanda, where he takes part in the battle against Thanos’ army. Even as he does his best, Thanos snaps his fingers, and he gets dusted alongside the rest of them. He doesn’t return until Avengers: Endgame. After dropping an iconic line, Falcon joins the rematch with the Mad Titan. He attends Tony’s funeral and is there when Rogers brings the Infinity Stones back to when they got them.

That isn’t the end of his story so far, as he meets an older version of Steve, who lived out his life with Peggy Carter. With it, he passes on the torch of Captain America to his good friend. We’re left with Sam Wilson holding the shield as his story continues when The Falcon and The Winter Soldier premieres on March 19th on Disney+.

James Buchanan Barnes is no stranger to a fight. He’s about to embark on another one in the upcoming The Falcon and The Winter Soldier series premiering this week on Disney+. Let’s take a look back at his complicated and sometimes horrid history within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers grow up together as best friends. he was always there to help the weaker Rogers when it came t handling bullies. During a double date, Bucky reveals that he’s enlisting in the army. While fighting in the 107th infantry, he is captured by Armin Zola unaware of Steve’s transformation into Captain America. When he found out about his friends’ torture, he heads out to help him, where he uncovered strange experiments were being done to him. In a mission to capture the German scientist, Barnes gets caught in the ambush and plummets to his presumed death.

It isn’t until Captain America, the Winter Soldier that we are introduced to the Winter Soldier. Bucky survived the fall from the train but lost his left arm in the process. He was found by the Soviet Union and HYDRA, who experimented on him. They gave him superhuman strength and a cybernetic arm. Over the next fifty years, he was their number one assassin, eliminating anyone who posed a threat. Steve confronts him and can reawaken Bucky’s consciousness. He went into hiding ever since until he was framed for the bombing of the UN in Vienna two years later.

He becomes the catalyst of Captain America: Civil War, as Zemo uses him to get his hands on the whereabouts of proto-Super Soldiers in Siberia. He used a secret code implanted into Bucky’s mind that activates his murderous side. It turns out, the wild goose chase with the Avengers was all to unveil secret footage of him killing Stark’s parents to rip the Avengers apart from the inside. Stark attempts his life, where he teams up with Rogers to stop him. In fear of the programming within his mind, he has frozen again in Wakanda so that no one can manipulate him again.

After taking some time to recover, Bucky joins the group of former Avengers to aid them in a battle against Thano’s army in Avengers: Infinity War. He battles alongside Steve and Rocket Raccoon, who tries to buy his new Wakandan arm. Unfortunately, Thanos achieves his goal of gaining all of the stones and snaps half of all life out of existence. Bucky happens to be one of the people who fade from existence. It isn’t until five years later that Bucky is resurrected and participates in the final battle against Thanos. After the war has finally been won, he says farewell to his old friend in a somber moment before allowing Sam Wilson to take

How does Bucky live in a world without Captain America? More importantly, can he?  Will his time as the Winter Soldier continues to haunt him? These questions and more will be answered as The Falcon And The Winter Soldier commences on March 19th on Disney+