"The Falcon and the Winter Solider" is noting to Marvel at
By Benny Adler, A&E Editor
“The Falcon and The Winter Soldier”- a miniseries targeted to follow up Marvel’s first Disney Plus show, “WandaVision”- hit Disney Plus with six episodes as of April.
“The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” tracks the human fallout from the events of the “Avengers: Endgame” movie. With half the population returning after Thanos snapped them out of existence for five years, the world is full of people and lacking ample resources. The two Avengers, The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), must fill Captain America’s shoes. Throughout the show, they tangle with government agents, anarchist insurgents and underworld criminals.
The main antagonists are a group known as the Flag Smashers who want the world to be run by an egalitarian, single government. The show attempts to make these villains sympathetic by expanding on their motivations and giving them plenty of characterization. However, the actual behavior of the villains, which is namely killing civilians, works directly against the show’s effort to display their “just” cause. “Falcon and Winter Soldier” also has commentary on race relations in America through the Falcon character. This is a far more compelling point as the show tries to explore the implication of a Black man becoming the new Captain America. Unfortunately, with all the time spent on its villains, the show simply doesn’t have the time or nuance to eloquently convey its message.
The show’s practice of overstuffing is not limited to the dialogue—the plot is overcomplicated as well, essentially its bogged down by trying to incorporate elements from three Captain America movies, on top of introducing even more characters. While the peripheral characters seem shallow and poorly executed, the titular characters are anything but underbaked. A highlight of the cast is the chemistry between The Winter Soldier and Falcon; their tumultuous friendship provides an interesting plot hook while the actors' energies add laughs to an otherwise superfluous cast. As the show oscillates between many settings and introduces new characters, the core friendship between Stan and Mackie keeps the viewer anchored. Their dynamic is not only banterous, but the actors bring verbal fights and emotional trauma to life.
Ultimately, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” feels like a bit of a clumsy attempt at a more nuanced MCU. It is definitely well-intentioned, as it tries to explore more complex themes than a standard good vs. evil model, but due to its boated plot it is not quite the showstopper it promised. While the main character’s delightful interactions will leave any hardcore Marvel addict happy, it won’t be bringing any new fans into its ever expanding universe.