By Adriana Rodriguez, Contributing Writer
Originally airing on Disney+ in 2021, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” miniseries provides answers for previously unanswered questions from the Marvel movie franchise, “The Avengers.”
At the same time, the series continues the character development of Captain America/Steve Rodgers’ best friends, James “Bucky” Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier, and Sam Wilson, who previously went by Falcon. He is now the new Captain America.
The series also continues the character arcs of Baron Zemo, a previous antagonist from the film “Captain America: Civil War,” and Sharon Carter, one of Steve’s love interests and a former SHIELD agent.
The series starts with Bucky, portrayed by Sebastian Stan, and his struggle with his traumatic past under HYDRA control as the Winter Soldier. It also starts with the loss of his best friend, and one could even say, anchor, Steve Rogers, portrayed by Chris Evans.
Throughout “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” Bucky continues to face other personal issues: the appearance of a new Captain America, something which he sees as an attempted replacement for Steve, the loss of Steve’s shield, also represented as Bucky’s last connection to the past, and his complex relationship with Sam, someone whom several Marvel fans – and maybe even Bucky himself – view as Steve’s replacement for Bucky.
Bucky’s struggles deeply resonate with the audience as they relate with their own feelings of loss, trauma, and the fear of being unwanted and unneeded. His problem with PTSD and the struggle of confronting a previous oppressor – Zemo, portrayed by Daniel Bruhl – also encourages awareness and empathy for these real-life problems.
A call for awareness does not end with Bucky, but continues on with issues that are still present today such as racial discrimination.
Sam, portrayed by Anthony Mackie, is an African American male who returns to a world that has moved on without him, since only half of the universe was left alive post-snap. He struggles with the financial needs of his family, while grappling with the idea of having to live up to Steve’s legend as a black male who is not a super soldier and, therefore, not considered as strong or as accepted.
Sam’s reservations against being the new Captain America are proven to be well-founded as seen through the scene where a policeman approaches him and Bucky as they’re arguing. He immediately asks Bucky if Sam is bothering him. This instant racial stereotyping from the policeman alludes to the real-life problem of racial discrimination, especially by the police.
This does not include the plot-twist that is Isaiah Bradley, portrayed by Carl Lumbly, an African-American Korean War veteran who unwillingly became the first Black super soldier. However, he was eventually imprisoned and experimented on by the U.S. government without any recognition of his war contributions.
Although its last episode was aired on Apr. 23, 2021, the series has accumulated a large fanbase which continues to anxiously wait for the next release.
As a series that touches sensitive and controversial topics to the world, and more specifically to the United States, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” is a show that is sure to gain a loyal audience as it expands on the Marvel universe while closing any plot loopholes.
