Steve Rogers may be retired, but Captain America's legacy lives on.
Sam Wilson is set to take on the Star-Spangled Man's mantle in the upcoming The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, but it looks like the transition won't be easy. Despite the future of the iconic red, white, and blue shield resting in the Falcon's hands, our winged hero is looking towards the past for inspiration.
NEWS
Marvel President Kevin Feige unveiled the first trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Disney+ series today. In just under two minutes of footage, we have learned a couple tonal themes of the series, particularly revolving around Anthony Mackie's growth from supporting character to lead hero.
The opening shots of the trailer reveal a Captain America museum of sorts, with numerous 1940s newspaper headlines commanding screens. Some of those headlines directly reference events from Captain America: The First Avenger.
'400 PRISONERS LIBERATED' calls back to Steve Rogers's first Captain America mission, when he goes against his general's orders and saves Bucky, the Howling Commandos, and hundreds more from a Hydra facility.
Below that headline is a poster that reads 'TOUR CANCELED,' referencing the end of Cap's song-and-dance routine after he becomes a full-fledged member of the United States Army.
'NAZIS IN NEW YORK: MYSTERY MAN SAVES CHILD' is from when Cap chases down the Hydra agent that blew up the Super Soldier lab in his first experience in his new bulky body.
We also see numerous black and white images of Steve Rogers. From left to right, we see pre-Super Soldier serum Steve from when he was training at Camp Lehigh and Cap using a car door as a shield during that initial Nazi chase.
Finally, Cap can be viewed giving orders during that World War II montage.
WHAT THIS MEANS
The opening shot of this trailer being so heavy with Steve Rogers references leads fans to believe that Sam Wilson will be doing his research in preparation to take on the Captain America mantle.
“The legacy of that shield is... complicated.”
Sam's transition won't be without its fair share of turbulence, and this visit to a Captain America museum of sorts indicates that Falcon will be keeping tabs on what Chris Evans's Cap was up to in his early outings.
How did Rogers adapt to adversity? Does the mantle come with baggage? Is Sam even the right man for the job?
All those questions likely race through Falcon's mind early on, and learning of Cap's early adventures will likely steer him in the right direction.
Beyond that, it is refreshing to see one of the MCU's earliest flicks being referenced so strongly. It's no secret that the MCU is all connected, but call backs to Marvel's Phase 1 pictures make this decade-long investment all the more worth it for OG fans.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is set to stream on Disney+ starting March 19, 2021.
MCU Writer, Editor, Podcaster
