Following the events of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier's finale last Friday, the Marvel Cinematic Universe now has a new Captain America. At the end of the penultimate episode, Sam Wilson opened the case Bucky Barnes had asked Ayo to send him from Wakanda, but that wasn't actually the moment The Falcon decided to wield the shield.
Talking to USA Today, Anthony Mackie was asked when he feels Sam made that life-altering decision and pointed to a very specific exchange between his character and Bucky in "Truth."
"It was the training scene with Bucky, when they were throwing the shield," the actor started. "America struggles with acknowledgement, specifically acknowledgement for Black Americans and their contributions to what this country has become. It meant a lot to Sam just simply for Bucky to say, 'I never considered what it would mean for a Black man to become Captain America.'"
"That was the huge turning point for Sam," Mackie continued. "It was a cathartic experience, and his ability to release that pain and frustration in that moment turned that character completely on his head and moved him in the direction of accepting the idea of being Captain America."
It's interesting that the actor singled out this moment, in particular, but it does make perfect sense.
Up until this point in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Bucky has been critical of Sam's decision to give up the shield. However, by the time this episode rolled around, the Winter Soldier had finally managed to empathise with his friend and understand why Sam couldn't just start wearing the stars and stripes at Steve Rogers' behest.
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6. "Power Broker"
Our trip to Madripoor should have been one of the most exciting parts of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, but it was...just okay. Unfortunately, this episode felt a little too much like filler, with its saving grace being Daniel Brühl's unmissable performance as the villainous Baron Zemo.
The actor was clearly having an absolute blast with this retconned version of the character, and there was heaps of intrigue to be found from start to finish as we learned more about the Power Broker and "his" super soldier serum. At this point, we didn't know the ultimate reveal would be such a let-down.
Ultimately, Madripoor deserved more screentime, making this episode feel somewhat unsatisfying.
Our Review: Daniel Brühl is extraordinary as Baron Zemo, while Emily VanCamp delivers the tough-as-nails Sharon Carter we've been waiting for in this exhilarating episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
5. "Truth"
The penultimate episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier put action to one side to prioritise the show's characters (which is no bad thing). However, after the events of the fourth instalment, fans were keen for answers and "Truth" glossed over those in order to make us wait for that final chapter.
On the plus side, that battle pitting John Walker against The Falcon and Bucky was phenomenal, as was the spotlight being put on the friendship the latter two heroes had managed to develop here.
Sure, some of the dialogue was a tad on the nose, but this was still a solid effort for the most part. That training montage was badass, and the final tease when Sam opened that case made for a fun ending.
Our Review: Flag Smasher and her crew continue to underwhelm, but another strong character-driven episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier nicely sets the stage for a finale that is likely to be a game-changer for the MCU.
4. "New World Order"
The opening episode of the Disney+ series kicked off with some blockbuster visuals and an action scene that would have looked incredible on the big screen. From there, we quickly delved into what makes Sam and Bucky tick away from their fellow Avengers, and that proved to be fascinating.
The premiere was somewhat lacking on laughs, and often a little too sombre. Despite that, this was still a solid opener for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier that nicely set the tone for the series.
Its biggest mistake, however, was not bringing together the show's two leads at any point. It even failed to lay the groundwork for that in any way, making what we got in the second episode feel forced.
Our Review: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier brings the big screen blockbuster experience to Disney+ in a promising premiere that lays the groundwork for another Marvel Studios series which defies expectations and takes its leads on a thrilling journey.
3. "The Whole World Is Watching"
The spotlight was put squarely on Captain America in this episode, giving Wyatt Russell the chance to shine as he came to terms with what it meant for him to wield the shield as a normal man. That led him to tragedy, and down a dark route after taking the final vial of Power Broker's super soldier serum.
Seeing the Dora Milaje in action was also a treat, and even Erin Kellyman was given the chance to shine alongside Anthony Mackie (the best the Flag Smasher had been up until this point). That villain's group was a disappointment throughout, but at least Marvel Studios gave her some depth here.
Throw in a killer - literally! - ending, and this was a great episode of the Disney+ series.
Our Review: "The Whole World Is Watching" finds a quintessential balance of action and character moments, putting the spotlight on the excellent Wyatt Russell's John Walker and what it means to be Captain America in today's world.
2. "One World, One People"
The finale wasn't to everyone's liking, and that's understandable. Things wrapped up far too quickly for some characters (that Power Broker reveal sucked), and it felt like this episode needed at least another 10 minutes or so to really let that final act breathe. Bucky, in particular, deserved better because while we didn't expect to see him make all those amends, he did so far too quickly!
Still, that U.S. Agent reveal was awesome, and most importantly, so was Sam Wilson's evolution into a new role. That all worked wonderfully, and his speech cemented him as the MCU's new Captain America. That was the goal this series set out to achieve, and it did so in an effective, memorable way.
Carl Lumbly also deserves a special mention for that fantastic final scene in the museum with Mackie.
Our Review: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier's finale ushers in a bold new era of storytelling for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in an episode that sees Anthony Mackie firmly establish himself as the deserving new face of this shared world.
1. "The Star-Spangled Man"
This is perhaps the closest The Falcon and The Winter Soldier got to perfection. With the two leads finally together, the chemistry between Sam and Bucky was really allowed to come to the forefront. With heaps of humour and action, this really did feel like a full-blown Marvel Studios movie.
It didn't gloss over the issues Malcolm Spellman put the spotlight on in his premiere, but added to that by further exploring its leads and the new Captain America's place in this shared world.
We'd have loved to see more of this tone in the rest of the show; instead, there were just glimpses of it. We can only hope that Michael Kastelein gets to return to the MCU down the line.
Our Review: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is the Marvel Cinematic Universe at its best with this second episode. Michael Kastelein's script tackles timely issues, while making Wyatt Russell's John Walker a character we can't wait to see more of.