The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Trailer Includes References To MCU's Second Captain America Movie

By Tom Drew Updated:
Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes

Disney's Investor Day 2020 brought a plethora of new reveals for its upcoming Marvel slate, giving attention to currently known projects in addition to announcing brand new ones.

The event brought new information to several upcoming Marvel shows for Disney+, including Tom Hiddleston's Loki and the much anticipated Ms. Marvel. Head of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige didn't shy away from dropping multiple bombshells either, with the Marvel producer announcing a Secret Invasion series for Disney+ and the return of Marvel's first family in a Fantastic Four project led by director Jon Watts. 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was one of the few upcoming projects to receive an all-new trailer, which has been released to drum up hype ahead of its March 19, 2021 release date.

Although it was short, the trailer managed to sneak in a few references to an important film in the MCU's past...

NEWS

In the latest trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, several key references are made to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. At the 0:56 mark, Bucky Barnes performs a quick knife flip, a callback to the knife flip he does when fighting Steve Rogers. 

Bucky knife flip
Marvel Studios

At the 1:00 minute mark, Bucky Barnes asks Sam Wilson "So no plan?" In response, Falcon jettisons out of their aircraft into the skies, a subtle nod to Captain America jumping out of the plane with little regard to his surroundings in the opening of The Winter Soldier.

Bucky knife flip
Marvel Studios

The full trailer can be watched below:

 

WHAT THIS MEANS

As always, it is nice to see that the team at Marvel Studios is infusing interconnectivity into its projects, even down to the smallest of references. The Captain America legacy will be a focal point for the upcoming Disney+ series, so it makes that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will be paying homage to one of Steve Rogers' most celebrated films. The overall tone of the show seems to be similar to that of The Winter Soldier, so fans should expect more than just a few callbacks to the Captain America sequel.

These references also demonstrate a few interesting notes about the characters and how they have progressed since fans last saw them. Falcon seems to share a bravado with his former comrade, taking inspiration from Captain America when propelling himself into action. Bucky on the other hand still retains some of the quirks from becoming the Winter Soldier, being able to instinctively perform impressive action. Whilst T'Challa worked to get Bucky's head straight, perhaps some of his demons still remain after all this time.

More Easter eggs and references will surely be found when The Falcon and the Winter Soldier releases on Disney+ on March 19, 2021. 

Release Date
March 19, 2021
Platform
- About The Author: Tom Drew
Tom Drew is the Executive Editor at The Direct. Tom writes for The Direct's Marvel, Star Wars, and DC branches while specializing in all things movies, from blockbuster to indie darlings.