The Falcon and The Winter soldier is officially underway on Disney+. It was initially supposed to be the streaming service's first MCU project but after filming shutdowns and delays, WandaVision ultimately took its spot as the premiere MCU series on Disney+. Both shows have been received well by audiences, but The Falcon and The Winter Soldier performing at a historic rate .
Fans got dropped directly into a high-flying action scene with Sam Wilson in Episode 1, "New World Order." After a heart-pumping opening, most of the remaining minutes in the episode caught audiences up on the world six months after The Blip as well as gave background on Wilson and Bucky Barnes' lives without Steve Rogers. An important point in the episode is when Don Cheadle's Rhodey questioned Wilson why he didn't take up the mantle of Captain America.
Wilson responded, "When Steve first told me about the shield, the first words I said were, it feels like it belongs to someone else. That someone else is Steve." So even though Wilson is still fighting for the greater good, it left the position of God's Righteous Man up for grabs.
At the end of the episode, it was unveiled that the US Government has decided it's time to fill Rogers' shoes without Wilson.
HUMAN HUNTING CAPTAIN AMERICA
In a recent interview with USA Today , actor Wyatt Russell teased how his new Captain America is "a little bit more gnarly" of a character than Chris Evan's previous rendition. Russell is playing John Walker, who was previously a Marine before being handed the shield.
“I don't think there's really been many MCU characters who've had quite the dilemma he's had in terms of trying to fit into this sort of moralistic superhero world. He's been thrust into this role as Captain America and he's going to do it his way, and he wants to do it right. But his way is a very specific way that he has learned through being basically a trained human hunter. I mean, that's what Marines are. They're not Steve Rogers, they're not the same. They're not like Boy Scouts anymore. They're a little bit more gnarly."
Russell added that "it's not always pretty" in the Marines and that is a part of his character.
“There's always an element of reality (in the show) where it's like, well, sometimes you need that guy, and it's not always pretty. It’s fun to play those characters because they're always at odds with themselves. They're always at odds with their own abilities and with their own moral compass. They know what is right, kind of, but they also want to win and they battle with that.”
The Winter Soldier himself, Sebastian Stan added that his character and John Walker have similarities. One of them is that soldiers "come back with PTSD" which both of these characters must deal with.
"A lot of times (soldiers) go out there and put their hearts and bodies on the line, they come back missing limbs, they come back with PTSD. That's some of the Bucky stuff (and) a lot of that is also part of John Walker's story."
Russell continued, complimenting the job Chris Evans did with the character, saying "nobody" can play Cap as Evans did. He also hinted at the poor reception his character may receive as America's New Hope.
“He did have an unreal, unbelievable job. That was a really different version of Captain America, with far less problems. He was fighting Nazis and he had less internal issues to deal with because everyone thought he was perfect. That's just so hard to play, and he did such a great job of actually bringing some conflict with the character. He’s perfect. Who else can play Captain America like Chris Evans? Nobody. And what's good about this show is that it takes that in hand, where it's like, ‘Well, who else is going to (expletive) play Captain America? This guy?' "
FAPTAIN AMERICA
Before saying one line in the MCU, Russell's John Walker is already hated by fans on the internet. In a way, this is the sign of a great villain, but most people are just poking fun at how he looks in the suit compared to Steve Rogers.
It is clear by interviews and previous marketing images that Walker's character will be deeper than just a puppet of the government. He is not just merely a face to put in the suit, he is "a trained human hunter" as Russell put it. This is indicating that Walker will be asked to take action as the newly appointed Captain America, instead of just make more anti-bullying videos to be played at Midtown High School.
Another important element of these quotes is the possible connection between Bucky, Sam, and John as former soldiers. Stan only mentions his character, but Sam Wilson mentioned in Captain America: The Winter Soldier that he lost his wing-man, Riley. In fact, Wilson had initially left active duty and was helping others deal with PTSD.
In a way, these three have a lot more in common than they realize at this point and a part of the show may be seeing them connect. It is unclear Walker's motives or how he was able to land the role of America's New Super Soldier, but it's clear he's willing to get his hands dirtier than Steve Rogers.
The journey continues March 26 when the second episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier releases on Disney+
