The series premiere is a perfect introduction to Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It shines a new light on secondary characters who now become the main characters of their own stories.

Today is finally the day, fans can watch the series premiere of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier! The first episode is entitled ‘New World Order.’

The Post-Blip World

This series premiere takes place six months after the events of Avengers Endgame giving us our best look at the world post-Blip. Sam Wilson a.k.a The Falcon is now working for the America Air Force. He also gets a brand new suit which is for me Sam’s best suit so far. The red and white feel like a throwback to the comics, which is nice!

Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios’ THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

The Falcon gets one hell of an action scene at the beginning with the return of Batroc. This villain was first introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s not the last time we see him as he survived this episode. The action is impressive. I can say it – it’s movie quality. After what we got in WandaVision, I had no doubts they’d nail this part for this series too!

New enemies arise in this post-Blip world – the Flag Smashers, a classic group of villains in the comics. We don’t see much of them in this first episode but we get a look at what’s coming and what type of villains they are. Sam is not the only one with a new life, Bucky has to try and learn to live in this world. All he ever knew was the fight, it’s the first time since the Blip that he gets time other than fighting.

The Legacy of Steve Rogers

It’s a bit unclear whether Steve Rogers is still alive or not. But his legacy lives on. Unlike what we could expect, Sam does not want the shield (at least for now). Instead, he gives it back to the Captain America Museum. This scene allows us to see James Rhodes again! Don Cheadle had previously revealed in an interview that we would see him in the series. We didn’t have to wait long to see him!

The conversation between Sam and Rhodey is a nice scene. It’s short but a lot is said. Rhodey hints at some allies turned enemies and broken alliances. It’s intriguing and I’m excited to find out more about this! When Sam gives the shield back to the Museum, he intends that it stays with Captain America. However, he gets one big surprise at the end of the episode – a new Captain America is announced. The way he is introduced gives me a bad feeling about him. And by bad, I mean he is probably not as good as we think.

Everyday Life
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Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) in Marvel Studios’ THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier does something that the MCU never did before with Sam and Bucky – showing us their everyday life. It is a series so the writers have time to get into the details giving us the possibility to learn more about these characters. Sam is trying to help his family with their financial issues. It’s interesting and it shows us he is facing the same problems as normal people too. It’s a real challenge too for him.

Bucky is having a hard time adapting to this world, mostly because of his trauma. He is someone who has been through a lot of trauma and I really love that they are exploring how he deals with it, just like they explored Wanda’s grief in WandaVision.

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier - Bucky Barnes
Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) in Marvel Studios’ THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

He is trying to make amends for his crimes, we see that during his conversation with his government-mandated therapist. (He’s been pardoned and has to consult his therapist to be sure he won’t go back to his brain-washed self). However, making amends is not always easy. We also see him spending time with the father of one of his victims and you can tell it eats him up. He wants to do good but he also knows that if he tells the truth, it’s going to be a problem for how he sees him. The exploration of characters is something I’m looking forward to seeing more with this series.

Verdict

The series premiere is a perfect introduction to Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It shines a new light on secondary characters who now become the main characters of their own stories.

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier is streaming exclusively on Disney+  NOW!

 

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