Warning - This article contains spoilers for "Episode 1" of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier .
After a manageable two-week hiatus, Marvel Studios is officially back in action once again with the debut episode of its second Phase 4 property , The Falcon and the Winter Soldier . Following directly from the events of Avengers: Endgame , this series has already given some of the deepest looks into both Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes while setting up an epic world-traveling adventure for the duo and their allies.
While the first of the show's six entries largely focused on its two leads, new characters like Sam's sister, Sarah, and the highly suspicious U.S. Agent were introduced. One of the best aspects of the MCU's venture into storytelling on Disney+ is the way it will bring dozens of new characters into the story that will play important roles in the coming years.
Thanks to a new social media blast, another one of these new characters seems closer to being confirmed in the foreseeable future.
PATRIOT TEASED FOR THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER
The CESD Talent Agency's Instagram page recently posted about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , confirming the casting of young actor Elijah Richardson in the Marvel Studios series, whose first episode premiered on March 19.
It had been previously rumored that Richardson would be playing Eli Bradley , who becomes the Patriot in Marvel Comics, in two episodes of the series. This post lends further credence to that rumor.
🚨 Exciting Rumor 🚨 Another member of the Young Avengers might be appearing in the MCU soon. It sounds like Elijah Richardson may have joined the cast of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as Eli Bradley/The Patriot! Source | @MultiverseMurph https://t.co/EHKJuBqypF pic.twitter.com/SaPHtmksXj
ANOTHER YOUNG AVENGER JOINS THE PARTY
The Young Avengers are quickly becoming a hot topic in the world of MCU news, and this casting confirmation only adds to that considerable hype. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently indicated that this team's inclusion in the MCU , like Thanos in Endgame , was inevitable.
This has become clearer over the past few months with the inclusions of Wiccan and Speed in WandaVision along with other notable youngsters such as Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan and Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop taking center stage later in 2021. Even further down the road, the MCU will kick off the story for Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez while having Kathryn Newton go full superhero with Cassie Lang.
Elijah Bradley is the grandson of Isaiah Bradley, a former Captain America from Marvel Comics, who is rumored to be played by Carl Lumbley in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier . While it's still unclear exactly what route Marvel Studios would take for a potential Patriot origin story in this series, the starting gate for his arrival is starting to come into focus.
This series' debut episode did everything in its power to pay tribute to the Captain America legacy already laid out in the MCU's past while teasing new branches of the hero's story from the comics coming in later episodes. Combine that fact with the undeniable Young Avengers connection, and it seems to only be a matter of time before the MCU officially brings its third member of that team to life on screen.
"Episode 1" of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now available to stream on Disney+. The series will continue with "Episode 2," which premieres on Friday, March 26, 2021.
