The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

 The legacy of that shield is... complicated; the future of it burns bright

(Spoilers for everything in the MCU leading up to and including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)

Mackie and Stan sell their rivalry perfectly both on and off screen.

Of all the projects announced in Phase 4's reveal, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier seemingly generated the least amount of buzz. Exactly why this is is hard to discern and is relatively subjective, but the prevailing opinion (one that I myself subscribe to) is that Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) has had very little fanfare throughout his prior appearances, and subsequently made next to no impression. The same could be said for Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) who arguably peaked with his rebirth as said Winter Soldier in Cap's second film. Since then he has been used as a plot device and a developmental tool for Captain Americas arc. They were both serviceable sidekicks to Cap, but nothing more. That changed with the retirement of Steve Rogers at the end of Avengers: Endgame. It was a poignant send off for a beloved character, but felt controversial in the fact that Cap decided to pass the shield to Sam instead of Bucky; a move with origins in the comics sure, but with both auxiliary characters wielding the shield at one point or another and Bucky being the more popular character, it felt to some like a let down and anticlimactic. Even I yearned to see Bucky with the shield, even for a short while. What did Cap see in Falcon that would make him the worthy successor? Sentiment suggested we hadn't seen anything thus far to validate that choice. Bucky had been quintessential to Caps story from the beginning, so why not him? Sam, as a black man inheriting the shield, would by default be a big statement to the MCU community. Sam Wilson couldn't possibly live up to the moniker of Captain America; or perhaps more importantly, Steve Rogers? 

This question (amongst others), to my surprise, was at the core of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I'm hardly the most appropriate person to touch on the authenticity of the depiction of the black experience in modern America tackled in the show, but I can speak to my overwhelming reaction to the bluntness of the messaging. It is evident even within the first two episodes (arguably even just the first) that Marvel aren't shying away from the inevitable and unfortunately controversial conversations that arise as soon as Sam picks up the shield. I'm skipping ahead slightly, but in the vein of this specific conversation, Isaiah Bradley is without question the biggest runaway success of the show in my opinion (besides Sams acceptance of the mantle and making it his own), and Isaiah is the biggest step Marvel and Disney has taken in "crossing the neutral line" that they have been so hesitant to approach until now. The revelation that Isaiah Bradley was a super soldier in the 50's who was horrifically mistreated by the government that created him, and his unjust 30 year imprisonment for taking the exact same heroic rule-breaking approach Steve Rogers did, highlights the inequality rife in America; let alone the racism and the persistent emphasis on the "othering" of anyone with racial or ethnic differences. Isaiah, played masterfully by Carl Lumbly, acts as a walking conduit and a poignant example of the ingrained biases that are the hurdles Sam encounters on the road to becoming Captain America. The script in this show (and WandaVision for what it's worth) has been hit and miss for me; mainly when encountering Erin Kellyman's Karli Morgenthau, the supposed overarching villain of the series. I'll divulge on that later, but the flip side is that when the script hits, it really hits. In WandaVision, it was Vision's "What is grief?" line. Here, to me, it comes from Isaiah;

"They were worried my story might get out. So, they erased me. My history. But they've been doing that for five hundred years. Pledge allegiance to that, my brother. 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 most pivotal and shell shocking scene of the entire show pulled no punches.

I was floored. It seemed Sam was too. It's an all too familiar feeling, even for me, that the true black experience in America, or any part of particularly western society for that matter, is hushed away, treated as a distant relic that time has been all too kind to. The crushing reality is that segregation ended in the 60's. That's just over half a century. I never consider it, mostly due to privilege I suppose, but my grandparents experienced life with those barbaric laws in place, and perhaps most terrifyingly either partook in those perceptions, or were ignorant to the suffering of ethnic minorities. Isaiah embodied that to me. A black man who could have been a hero, an icon and a figurehead, was wiped from all records because they feared backlash simply because of his race. That treatment, rightly so, wore down Isaiah and caused him to become disillusioned with the concept of Captain America and the corporations behind his creation (much like Steve Rogers did now I come to think of it). A lot more can be said, but in the interest of pacing, I'll move on.

Karli Morgenthau, as mentioned above, is the antagonist of the show on a surface level. Wyatt Russell's John Walker, a government sanctioned Captain America, is the other antagonist. Both give solid performances, particularly Russell, who luckily appears to have longer legs in the MCU's future than I would have anticipated. The issue with the scripts inconsistencies arise in these characters, who are often used as conduits to provide ideological exposition for their backstories, experiences and world views. The aforementioned bluntness of the political and social commentaries rooted in the narrative of this show often inevitably leads to clunky moments of dialogue that occasionally dragged me out of my immersion. I picked up on what they were putting down, but it was often a disservice to the sensitive and well-intentioned overall message of the show. Whilst commendable and I feel the approach was necessary, even appropriate, it's a shame that Karli particularly turned into a caricature by the end of the show.

This leads me to a point that's swirled around my head since the finale aired; Yes, there are villainous characters but in reality, as cheesy as it sounds, to me the main villain in this show is society, or more specifically the fear brought about due to societal expectations placed on the characters within. The expectation for Karli to concede her life for others and displace herself, the expectation of Walker to be the new Captain America (without the moral compass or serum of Steve), the expectation of Bucky to blend back into society seamlessly and the expectation on Sam to be Steve's chosen successor, and what that means as a black man in modern America. All of these expectations are communicated well, and remain the corner stones of each individuals arc throughout the series. 

"Every time I pick this thing up, I know there are millions of people out there who are gonna hate me for it [] The only power I have, is that I believe we can do better."

Despite the fluctuating quality of the script, and a painful lack of exploratory depth to a number of Bucky's scenes, the show soared way above my expectations, and is my preferred series compared to WandaVision. Seeing Sam become Captain America in the final episode with a brand new costume and a closing speech that left me floored, I can wholeheartedly say that Sam Wilson is my Captain America. The fact that they convinced me so seamlessly within 6 hours is nothing short of spectacular, and I can't wait to see where his journey takes him. With a Captain America 4 now in early development, and a new beginning for both title characters, this series more than anything has been breathtakingly refreshing, and a true sign that Marvel aren't resting on their laurels and are striving for representation, diversity, authenticity and variety. "Generic Marvel" is dead. I feel like I did back in Phase 1 where everything is new and the possibilities are endless, and I cannot express how excited that leaves me. 

SH