Following the disappearance of Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, Sam Wilson hands over the hero's famous shield to the government, expecting it to become a permanent display in the Smithsonian. Wilson has decided not to take up the shield himself, as Rogers intended, but to remain as the Falcon, using his wingsuit
Sam's decision about the shield is not supported by Bucky Barnes, AKA the Winter Soldier. And it's a decision that Sam himself will soon come to regret, when the government promptly invents a new (white) Captain America and hands him the shield.
The two existing heroes and the new Captain America will need to table their mutual issues to some extent, however, as they must deal with the challenge of an organisation known as the Flag Smashers. Sokovian refugees who have been empowered by the same super-soldier serum that created the original Captain America, the Flag Smashers are angered by the international community's failure to properly care for their people, and are willing to take extreme measures to make their point.
America's racial issues and the refugee crisis are unusually complex and contentious topics for a Marvel show. I think this is good to see. Entertainment can - and in some cases, should - be simple escapism, but it can - and in some cases, should - also deal with real issues.
Of course, this is still a superhero story, so most of the resolutions it presents are a little simplistic and idealised, and involve a good deal more punching than is practical in a real world situation. Nonetheless, it is good to see Marvel/Disney using the greater flexibility of the TV format to explore a wider range of content and topics.
It's also conspicuous that Marvel/Disney are willing to invest feature film money into these flagship streaming shows. The budget for the show was apparently about 25 million USD per episode, which buys you the cast and effects that you need to make the streaming shows look like they belong alongside the big screen franchise.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier presents by far the most 'straightforward' superhero narrative of the first three 'phase four' TV series, though it definitely shares some themes with the other two shows (Wandavision and Loki): all three have a notable focus on their protagonists' struggles with what they've done, who they are, and who they are working to become. They all explore this in different ways, but it's a notable thematic link that they all share.
Overall, this is another entertaining Marvel offering, with a solid plotline, a very good cast, and a willingness to use its extra run-time - compared to a film - to explore its themes and concepts a little more deeply than the average big screen blockbuster.
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