WandaVision was widely embraced by fans and critics alike, and Marvel will be looking to capitalize on the show's positive momentum with its second Disney+ show, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Have they succeeded? Based on the series premiere... it's a little hard to tell, actually.
It's always difficult to get a read on any series after just one installment, and it's fair to say TFATWS is in no rush to get the story moving. This isn't a criticism, but it is a challenge to review 40 minutes of setup without simply recapping the events of the episode - especially when it ticks all the usual Marvel boxes.
Again, not a dig, but after WandaVision (or at least, the first half of the season) subverted expectations for a genuinely unique return trip to the MCU, we are firmly back in familiar territory with TFATWS.
The episode opens with an extended (thrilling, but overlong) action sequence, as Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) suits-up for a mid-air rescue and finds himself going up against Captain America: The Winter Soldier baddie Batroc (Georges St-Pierre). We then learn that Sam has been struggling to adjust after "The Blip," deciding to return Steve Rogers' shield and pass on taking up the mantle of Captain America in order to prioritize helping his sister Sarah (Adepero Oduye) get the family business back on its feet.
The scene in which they attempt to take out a bank loan is a highlight, and subtly ties into Wilson's reluctance to become America's new star-spangled defender.
Sam is also made aware of the existence of a terrorist organization known as the Flag Smashers by a vaguely irritating government agent (Danny Ramirez), and notices that one of their members appears to have super-strength.
Bucky (Sebastian Stan) has been having an even harder time of it. Plagued by nightmares triggered by the various murders he committed as The Winter Soldier, he's required to visit a therapist as a condition of his pardon, and he's not much of a sharer.
Plot wise, that's pretty much your lot. The episode does end with a big reveal (we won't spoil it here) which suggests things might kick up a gear or two next week, and maybe we'll actually get to see The Falcon and the Winter Soldier share the screen! There will be plenty of time for Sam and Bucky to do their thing, of course, but it is a little disappointing that the leads don't cross paths for a single scene here.
All in all, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is off to a solid, if unspectacular start. There's some iffy dialogue ("When I first got the shield I said it felt like it belonged to someone else... that someone else was Steve") and trite plot points (can you guess who Bucky's elderly neighbor will turn out to be?), but Marvel does seem to be laying the groundwork for a far more engrossing story that will address some weightier themes as it continues.
If you're a fan of CATWS and Civil War, you'll likely be very happy with how The Falcon and The Winter Soldier kicks off. It does thread some familiar ground, but Mackie and Stan are as magnetic as ever playing two of Marvel's more underutilized heroes, and we're excited to see what next week's episode has in store.