After a six-week run, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will conclude its first season on Disney+. The series has been packed with plenty of twists and turns along the way from a surprise Wakandan arrival to bloody and brutal murder.
The Disney+ epic has largely acted in place of a fourth installment in the Captain America franchise, with the inclusion of many of the films' main and side characters. As such, the series has followed up on plot points and character arcs from across the entire MCU, making it a confusing watch for some fans.
The MCU will expand more than ever going in Phase 4, however, with 24 films and two Disney+ series already released, entering the universe is becoming increasingly daunting for new fans.
But, it seems Disney and Marvel are aware of this as they continue to introduce ways to help newcomers catch up on the 13 years of history that have come before.
FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER FINALE CATCH UP LIST
A post by Disney+ on the official The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Twitter account revealed Marvel's list of MCU films to watch in preparation for this week's climactic finale.
The marathon watch list includes:
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Captain America: The Winter Solider
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Captain America: Civil War
- Black Panther
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Marvel Studios' Legends: Falcon, The Winter Soldier, Zemo Sharon Carter
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier — Episodes 1-5
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier — Final Episode
A HELPING HAND FOR MARVEL FANS
Disney+ released a similar image last month prior to the concluding installment of WandaVision, revealing previous films that tied into the overall plot of the series. As a whole, these lists would be much more helpful prior to the series premiere to allow casual and hardcore fans alike a refresher on what's come before.
It's understandable why releasing this image weeks ago wasn't possible as the inclusion of Black Panther on the list would have spoiled the Wakandan surprise. However, Ayo and the Dora Milaje arrived to recapture Zemo in the third episode, meaning this could have been released several weeks back.
Dropping a watch list of seven blockbuster films to catch up on with under 24 hours to go until the finale seems like an impossible feat for most fans. Additionally, the list includes mentions of the Marvel Studios' Legends Disney+ series that acts as a recap of the events that have come before, with each episode focusing on a different hero.
An interesting note is that several items on the list have been circled in red or blue, namely Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War, and Marvel Studios' Legends: Falcon. This is likely due to the significance of these critical installments in Sam and Bucky's story.
Throughout the Captain America trilogy, viewers are introduced to Bucky Barnes as a World War ll soldier before transforming into the Winter Soldier in subsequent films. Additionally, the latter two modern-day installments introduce Sam Wilson as the Falcon and establish his relationship with Steve and Bucky.
The decision to highlight the Legends episode is an odd one, however, it is probably there to recap viewers on Sam's arc in the Captain America and Avengers films Viewers are also enticed to check out the rest of the series as a result.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will release its long-awaited series finale exclusively on Disney+.
