Marvel Cinematic Universe

[Huntn]

The Falcon and Winter Soldier has disappointed me by episode 3.
Posted at the other place...
Ep2- Falcon jumps on a USAF C-130 and flies to Germany to check out a terrorist group called Flag Smashers who wants things to return to the way they were during “the blip”. Bucky tags along and they discover Super Soldiers.

The new Captain America wants to work with F&WS but they tell him, that he has to get permission while they are free agents. Really? I’m not clear on what kind of relationship F&WS have with the US Govt.

What is Disney trying to pull?
Ep3- This seems expedited, short changed, the outline of a story ... Bucky breaks out Baron Zemo (Avengers: Civil War) from prison, he has his jet waiting, and they walk into a vipers pit, and the story goes down hill rapidly, at least imo. This abbreviated, rushed TV feel is really undermining the lead characters, maybe the franchise.

Think I’m out and I’m really disappointed with the content. Note, I happily made it through Wandavision.

https://www.wired.com/story/marvel-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-all-wrong-for-tv/

 

[Huntn]

Once again, it is a Marvel universe.

Does anyone REALLY know how time works, with all the variables added by a universe with space gods, sorcerers, mutants, and advanced science that is always in the hands of a ridiculously few?

Once the Fantastic Four & Reed Richards ( which will be hinted at in the next Ant Man movie, with Kang the Conqueror ) are introduced, all bets will be off.

They apparantly take their audience to be fawning, star stuck, whatever you say boss fan boys and girls.

 

[JayMysteri0]

The Falcon and Winter Soldier has disappointed me by episode 3.
Posted at the other place...
Ep2- Falcon jumps on a USAF C-130 and flies to Germany to check out a terrorist group called Flag Smashers who wants things to return to the way they were during “the blip”. Bucky tags along and they discover Super Soldiers.

The new Captain America wants to work with F&WS but they tell him, that he has to get permission while they are free agents. Really? I’m not clear on what kind of relationship F&WS have with the US Govt.

What is Disney trying to pull?
Ep3- This seems expedited, short changed, the outline of a story ... Bucky breaks out Baron Zemo (Avengers: Civil War) from prison, he has his jet waiting, and they walk into a vipers pit, and the story goes down hill rapidly, at least imo. This abbreviated, rushed TV feel is really undermining the lead characters, maybe the franchise.

Think I’m out and I’m really disappointed with the content. Note, I happily made it through Wandavision.

https://www.wired.com/story/marvel-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-all-wrong-for-tv/

I have to differ greatly, but I've already admitted my bias & love for the main 2 characters. So I'm hardly critical.

My biggest complaint is that they needed 1 more episode before the 5th. The Zemo decision by Bucky gave me whiplash, but I realized that was necessity due to the episode count. As well as the short changing of Sharon who has a legitimate gripe and a seeming major change, that we can't get really dive into well enough. That will be played for cheap shock value, when it deserves more. Also the issues & emotional weight could have been so much more for Isiah Bradley with more time.

As I was explaining to a friend, the strength of these series is the variety.

Falcon & Winter Soldier is about the people after 'the snap' & 'the return', something the other more fantastic Marvel properties wouldn't have the time to deep dive into. This is probably the most human of MCU properties, with the exception of Black Widow & the upcoming Hawkeye series. Because of the shortness the series can't do the real deep dive of what it means to come back 5 years later, but to you it was just a few minutes ago. For you when you go back to your home that you left this morning, only to find someone's been living there for the last few year & it's their home now. This makes for the strangest set of refugees that are NOT one group of people from one country. They are from everywhere and didn't have a thing to do with their sudden refugee status.

Those refugees are wide & varied and have returned to a taxed world that wasn't ready for their sudden unexpected return from nothing.

With the focus on Europe the refugee angle is a bit heavy handed. Imagine if they did a Ted Cruz sort who went away snapped, and suddenly came back. Such an entitled individual would demand everything back he once had, but the world's moved on. Not a senator, maybe not married, no home, but now a refugee. An individual that they would have previously looked down on, because they know it wouldn't happen to them. Until it did. The upheaval to the Marvel universe's non super hero people is an endless source for stories.

The 5th episode really brings that home after it's great opening 15 minutes, and a cameo / character that had me howling. Then it was about the people & the importance of a symbol. Then it was 80s training montage & finally dealing with issues from the first episode. The 5th episode is all about the emotional payoffs, because they won't have any time in the last episode as they really really really really just sped to the end set piece of the series. I loved the return from the first episode of -

My other complaint... NO therapist! She NEEDS to be in every episode, even if it's only on the phone or Facetime.

DORA MILAJE!!!

As I've said, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is my favorite MCU movie, and this series is a continuation. I admit I am completely & happily biased.

They apparantly take their audience to be fawning, star stuck, whatever you say boss fan boys and girls.

You're finally getting it.

 

[Edd]

I was expecting a bit more flash/bang from episode 5 of Falcon/WS but after sleeping on it I’m happy with the episode.

The scene with Sam and Isiah was great stuff and I like Marvel wading into the racial waters. Younger people watch this content. It makes an impression.

Tangent: I was born in 1970. My values on racial matters came from TV. Sesame Street, Mr Rogers, Little House on the Prairie, All in the Family, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Barney Miller (underrated!), even Brady Bunch reruns tackled race. I took it all at face value and walked away convinced about what they were preaching. It stuns me that someone my age could watch the same shit (there was nothing else to watch!) and come away a racist.

On topic: I’ve read that, due to Covid, plot lines were dropped and the show didn’t turn out as intended. The surprise character here was intended to first be seen in Black Widow. The overall pacing of the show, and this episode in particular, feels off.

The Sam/Bucky stuff was great. John Walker, great. As long as they don’t shit the bed next week I’ll be happy with the show overall.

 

[DT]

I have to differ greatly, but I've already admitted my bias & love for the main 2 characters. So I'm hardly critical.
Also the issues & emotional weight could have been so much more for Isiah Bradley with more time.


The 5th episode really brings that home after it's great opening 15 minutes, and a cameo / character that had me howling. Then it was about the people & the importance of a symbol. Then it was 80s training montage & finally dealing with issues from the first episode. The 5th episode is all about the emotional payoffs, because they won't have any time in the last episode as they really really really really just sped to the end set piece of the series. I loved the return from the first episode of -

Wow, E05 was fantastic. Loved Sam's story, the boat, the people - I could use much more Isaiah Bradley, doesn't hurt that I _love_ Carl Lumbly (and he has great genre cred, love his voicework for animated JL stuff). Zemo has to escape, hahaha, he's so great and terrible at the same time - maybe just a =dance= show

That cameo, hahaha, I lost my shit and starting giggling with nerd-ish delight. Apparently they're in other MCU properties as well, that's as much as I'll say about the who and the what

The scene with John in the warehouse, some of those tight shots, the shield, the blood, juxtaposed against the "perfect" model of Captain America, his blonde hair, blue eyes, just great stuff.

To be totally honest, I had forgotten the run was only 6 EPs, I had Wandavision in my head so I was sort of tracking 8-9. Where the latter may be done, I could see them returning to TFatWS again, another short run as a bridge between theatrical events.

 

[DT]

Here's my problem with negative critique of time travel in the MCU:

If we agree on some time travel basic concepts, which includes a couple of variants of how it might work, nearly all the YT reviews I've seen __still__ get it wrong (I mean, I've written 1000s of words on the subject, built a timeline for Primer before most people had seen it, you know, that level of Nerd-dom, those YT-ers are late to the party ... )

But more importantly, people are arguing time travel and attempting to use some kind of real world reference points, in a universe, where, if we consider "real world" physics, etc., then ...

Where does Hulk's extra mass come from? Is Thor's hammer creating gravimetric force to prevent being lifted? If so, when extreme force is applied it should crush the - for example - table it's sitting on. Cap's shield violates all sorts of rules of kinetic energy, rebound/elasticity/materials physics, even with the "but Vibranium ..." explanation. I'm not talking the suspension of disbelief over, "Can you really build a tiny arc reactor or repulsor cannons?", that's a given, it's their universe, I'm talking where there's clearly violation of actual real world science that people ignore, yet, will argue over the THEORETICAL science of time travel.

It kind of misses the point, you can't have it both ways.

 

[Huntn]

I have to differ greatly, but I've already admitted my bias & love for the main 2 characters. So I'm hardly critical.

My biggest complaint is that they needed 1 more episode before the 5th. The Zemo decision by Bucky gave me whiplash, but I realized that was necessity due to the episode count. As well as the short changing of Sharon who has a legitimate gripe and a seeming major change, that we can't get really dive into well enough. That will be played for cheap shock value, when it deserves more. Also the issues & emotional weight could have been so much more for Isiah Bradley with more time.

As I was explaining to a friend, the strength of these series is the variety.

Falcon & Winter Soldier is about the people after 'the snap' & 'the return', something the other more fantastic Marvel properties wouldn't have the time to deep dive into. This is probably the most human of MCU properties, with the exception of Black Widow & the upcoming Hawkeye series. Because of the shortness the series can't do the real deep dive of what it means to come back 5 years later, but to you it was just a few minutes ago. For you when you go back to your home that you left this morning, only to find someone's been living there for the last few year & it's their home now. This makes for the strangest set of refugees that are NOT one group of people from one country. They are from everywhere and didn't have a thing to do with their sudden refugee status.

Those refugees are wide & varied and have returned to a taxed world that wasn't ready for their sudden unexpected return from nothing.

With the focus on Europe the refugee angle is a bit heavy handed. Imagine if they did a Ted Cruz sort who went away snapped, and suddenly came back. Such an entitled individual would demand everything back he once had, but the world's moved on. Not a senator, maybe not married, no home, but now a refugee. An individual that they would have previously looked down on, because they know it wouldn't happen to them. Until it did. The upheaval to the Marvel universe's non super hero people is an endless source for stories.

The 5th episode really brings that home after it's great opening 15 minutes, and a cameo / character that had me howling. Then it was about the people & the importance of a symbol. Then it was 80s training montage & finally dealing with issues from the first episode. The 5th episode is all about the emotional payoffs, because they won't have any time in the last episode as they really really really really just sped to the end set piece of the series. I loved the return from the first episode of -

My other complaint... NO therapist! She NEEDS to be in every episode, even if it's only on the phone or Facetime.

DORA MILAJE!!!

As I've said, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is my favorite MCU movie, and this series is a continuation. I admit I am completely & happily biased.


You're finally getting it.

As someone vested in both characters, my observations are based on abbreviations, shortcuts, and short changing. And since I already complained about just 6 episodes and then someone else who has seen more than me, calls it slow, or wonders if they had enough material, and they had to fill out 6 episodes, and then horrid Ep3. Maybe this is Disney’s version of story telling on a budget.

 

[JayMysteri0]

As someone vested in both characters, my observations are based on abbreviations, shortcuts, and short changing. And since I already complained about just 6 episodes and then someone else who has seen more than me, calls it slow, or wonders if they had enough material, and they had to fill out 6 episodes, and then horrid Ep3. Maybe this is Disney’s version of story telling on a budget.

I would strongly disagree with "they had to fill out 6 episodes". If anything to me it's clear they wanted to do more than their 6 episodes allow. Characters literally come & go, because there just isn't room for them across episodes. So anyone not a main character is literally only in set episodes then completely gone, as opposed to organic story telling flowing through out. It's almost like characters literally only exist to say their designated lines, then disappear with no life of their own. It made for jarring jumps & pacing.

My biggest gripe is with Sharon Carter. The big surprise with her to be revealed isn't earned. It's a literally a surprise based on the show NOT giving you the clues to figure out her mystery, because there's seemingly no time. Basically it won't be a surprise because your wildest guess is the only guess allowed by the show.

A friend did wonder if it's because of budget reasons that this & Loki are only 6 episodes. All of the action stuff always happens in Europe, while the "people" stuff was shot in Atlanta. That could well be what dictated their choices.

Side note: I learned watching WandaVision on the DIsney+ app on my iPad Pro, that for me audio description was on by default for me. The weird thing is that it turns out audio description & subtitles often give clues that you may not pick up on your own. Some of the little easter eggs in the end credits of WandaVision with her energy, the audio description clearly spells out for you.

Seems the same thing MAY have happened with sub titles in Falcon & Winter Soldier. A point that SOME of us may have missed ( I can't explain why without spoilers ) is given away by having subs on.

Spoiler: If you want to know...

'Falcon and Winter Soldier' Subtitles Accidentally Reveal Major Plot Point | Inside the Magic

'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' accidentally revealed a major plot point involving Sharon Carter and Baroc in the Episode 5 subtitles.

insidethemagic.net

Toward the end of “Truth”, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. character Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) — who we encountered last week in Madripoor — was seen making a phone call that ended with, “I promise you won’t regret saying yes”. As ComicBook pointed out:

Shortly after Carter offers the caller double whatever their last price was, the captions signify it’s “Batroc speaking in French.”
Fast forward a little bit and we see Batroc (Georges St-Pierre) meeting up with Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman) and the rest of the Flag Smashers as they look to stop the Global Reparation Council from passing a new law detrimental to their cause. It’s here Batroc says he wants to kill Sam Wilson, apparently joining forces with the radical group.

 

[Huntn]

Here's my problem with negative critique of time travel in the MCU:

If we agree on some time travel basic concepts, which includes a couple of variants of how it might work, nearly all the YT reviews I've seen __still__ get it wrong (I mean, I've written 1000s of words on the subject, built a timeline for Primer before most people had seen it, you know, that level of Nerd-dom, those YT-ers are late to the party ... )

But more importantly, people are arguing time travel and attempting to use some kind of real world reference points, in a universe, where, if we consider "real world" physics, etc., then ...

Where does Hulk's extra mass come from? Is Thor's hammer creating gravimetric force to prevent being lifted? If so, when extreme force is applied it should crush the - for example - table it's sitting on. Cap's shield violates all sorts of rules of kinetic energy, rebound/elasticity/materials physics, even with the "but Vibranium ..." explanation. I'm not talking the suspension of disbelief over, "Can you really build a tiny arc reactor or repulsor cannons?", that's a given, it's their universe, I'm talking where there's clearly violation of actual real world science that people ignore, yet, will argue over the THEORETICAL science of time travel.

It kind of misses the point, you can't have it both ways.

Talking about this subject is fun.

Thor’s hammer does not bother me because it is imbued with worthy magic. Cap’s magically returning shield, it must be that vibrainium.

This is what Banner should have said while looking into the camera, This is not my area of expertise, I don’t understand it, it does not make logical sense to us but in the quantum world, somehow it works. Now maybe that might be passable, but the issue is still they are using the quantum realm just to travel to a different point in time. For everything else, time flows forward as we experience it

My impression, time is a flowing river. It has been proven that time passes at different rates based on relative motion, so we know that you can travel ahead in time relative to the earth if you travel close to the speed of light. Everything beyond that is conjecture, ok fine.

So if you have the mechanism to travel back in time, once you arrive in a point back in time, and you cause a ripple, you change something that is carried forward, most likely a bunch of things (butterfly effect).

So unless a reason can be produced other than magic if all of the Infinity Stones were taken, at that point in time the change immediately takes effect and all future time has been altered. No Infinity War, no time machine althouh a time machine might have been invented for another reason. Bottom line they would have never gotten back to beat Thanos, because he was probably off doing other things because he could not find the stones.

And Capt America would not have had the opportunity, by virtue of being stuck in the past of putting the stones back at the exact moment they were taken. And by virtue of being stuck in the past, a whole new history would be created of them possessing the stones, and other creatures trying to find them.

Anyway for the time traveler who is relying on a time machine in the future to retrieve them, the real danger is that no one in the future is even aware that they went back in time and then there is the issue with the huge paradox of meeting yourself like Captain America did, because there is only one of you, which puts the entire ability to travel back in time doubtful. No there are not 2 of you, so really this is a basis for declaring time travel backwards impossible

Now, one thing I like about HGWells, The Time Machine was that the time traveler was traveling to a point in time in the distant future (not the past) effecting the future as it happened, and he traveled so far forward that besides him disappearing from the time line, the minor changes he makes when he goes back, long enough to gathers some books and tools, the changes were trivial although I acknowledge that theoretically those minor changes could have changed time enough to make him lose the future he wanted to return to. Bottom line, this did not break my suspension of disbelief.

I also like the premise in the Sound of Thunder (movie) if I have the right story back in time, someone steps off the path accidentally, where the future is messed up and they make multiple tries to try to get back to the future they left.

 

[Huntn]

I would strongly disagree with "they had to fill out 6 episodes". If anything to me it's clear they wanted to do more than their 6 episodes allow. Characters literally come & go, because there just isn't room for them across episodes. So anyone not a main character is literally only in set episodes then completely gone, as opposed to organic story telling flowing through out. It's almost like characters literally only exist to say their designated lines, then disappear with no life of their own. It made for jarring jumps & pacing.

My biggest gripe is with Sharon Carter. The big surprise with her to be revealed isn't earned. It's a literally a surprise based on the show NOT giving you the clues to figure out her mystery, because there's seemingly no time. Basically it won't be a surprise because your wildest guess is the only guess allowed by the show.

A friend did wonder if it's because of budget reasons that this & Loki are only 6 episodes. All of the action stuff always happens in Europe, while the "people" stuff was shot in Atlanta. That could well be what dictated their choices.

Side note: I learned watching WandaVision on the DIsney+ app on my iPad Pro, that for me audio description was on by default for me. The weird thing is that it turns out audio description & subtitles often give clues that you may not pick up on your own. Some of the little easter eggs in the end credits of WandaVision with her energy, the audio description clearly spells out for you.

Seems the same thing MAY have happened with sub titles in Falcon & Winter Soldier. A point that SOME of us may have missed ( I can't explain why without spoilers ) is given away by having subs on.

Spoiler: If you want to know...

'Falcon and Winter Soldier' Subtitles Accidentally Reveal Major Plot Point | Inside the Magic

'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' accidentally revealed a major plot point involving Sharon Carter and Baroc in the Episode 5 subtitles.

insidethemagic.net

Toward the end of “Truth”, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. character Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) — who we encountered last week in Madripoor — was seen making a phone call that ended with, “I promise you won’t regret saying yes”. As ComicBook pointed out:

It made for jarring jumps & pacing.
I agree, enough to ruin the story Imo. So they had too much stuff and had to basically short change the Story on that basis...

TV seasons used to be 30 episodes, then streaming and the standard drops to the 10-14 episode range. Now Disney is at 6 episodes which down to mini-series range. Why? $$ seems to be the kneejerk answer.

 

[SuperMatt]

Here's my problem with negative critique of time travel in the MCU:

If we agree on some time travel basic concepts, which includes a couple of variants of how it might work, nearly all the YT reviews I've seen __still__ get it wrong (I mean, I've written 1000s of words on the subject, built a timeline for Primer before most people had seen it, you know, that level of Nerd-dom, those YT-ers are late to the party ... )

But more importantly, people are arguing time travel and attempting to use some kind of real world reference points, in a universe, where, if we consider "real world" physics, etc., then ...

Where does Hulk's extra mass come from? Is Thor's hammer creating gravimetric force to prevent being lifted? If so, when extreme force is applied it should crush the - for example - table it's sitting on. Cap's shield violates all sorts of rules of kinetic energy, rebound/elasticity/materials physics, even with the "but Vibranium ..." explanation. I'm not talking the suspension of disbelief over, "Can you really build a tiny arc reactor or repulsor cannons?", that's a given, it's their universe, I'm talking where there's clearly violation of actual real world science that people ignore, yet, will argue over the THEORETICAL science of time travel.

It kind of misses the point, you can't have it both ways.

Exactly. So, they are willing to accept that there is a magic gauntlet that, when you stick in a bunch of colored gems, has the power to wipe out half of all life in the universe, but time travel inconsistencies are where they decided to get picky?

 

[JayMysteri0]

It made for jarring jumps & pacing.
I agree, enough to ruin the story Imo. So they had too much stuff and had to basically short change the Story on that basis...

TV seasons used to be 30 episodes, then streaming and the standard drops to the 10-14 episode range. Now Disney is at 6 episodes which down to mini-series range. Why? $$ seems to be the kneejerk answer.

I believe the short episode season model is based on the model we got from the likes of the BBC.

6 - 10 episodes to reduce filler & cost.

Netflix took it to 10 - 13 episodes, and still suffers from the Netflix mid season curse of 3 boring middle episodes.

Why Disney went with 6 for Falcon & Loki I have no clue. The one time I remember Feige being asked this he put it to episode length. WandaVision episodes were usually 30 minutes, while ALL of Falcon & Loki episodes are around 50 minutes. So cost could very well be a large factor in their decisions. The interesting thing will be from onwards with second seasons, do they stick with this formula?

 

[Huntn]

Exactly. So, they are willing to accept that there is a magic gauntlet that, when you stick in a bunch of colored gems, has the power to wipe out half of all life in the universe, but time travel inconsistencies are where they decided to get picky?

The infinity stones and the gauntlet are firmly anchored in the magic realm, technology so advanced, alien, primal, or deity discards, that you can use whatever premise you want and it makes a good story. W With Dr. Strange’s Time Stone, time can be slewed back and forth. With the Reality Sone, reality can be altered, no problem unless someone bad decides to abuse this power.

But time is something real, and time travel forward through relativity has been proven, so there is a basis to critique. And although there are tons of theories about the effect of traveling backwards, although as far as I know there is zero scientific basis to make the claim it is possible. So maybe traveling back in time is akin to magic, but because there time travel forward there is somewhat of a basis for critiquing such a story.

 

[Huntn]

I coined Marvel’s Infinity Stone Saga (at least here ) and describe it as one of the monumental feats in movie making history to tie 15 or so movies from the same intellectual ecosystem all leading to an explosive climax Avengers: End Game. Planned from the start! Uh... well it’s still monumental but apparantly there was no master plan for this from when the first Infinity Stone appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger. Not even right after. SHOCKING.

Marvel's Infinity Stones plan was far less planned than we thought​

Marvel didn't know the Infinity Stones plan when they were introduced in the MCU

You don't need to know it all to make it work.

www.digitalspy.com

From the moment Thanos appeared at the end of The Avengers, it seemed as though the Marvel Cinematic Universe was building to the epic Infinity War/Endgame conclusion.

Key to it all was the gradual introduction of the Infinity Stones – renamed from the Infinity Gems in the comics – across the subsequent movies, before Thanos gathered them all together to devastating effect in Avengers: Infinity War. It seemed like such interconnected storytelling that it had to be planned out from the very beginning, but it turns out that was just not the case.

During James Gunn's recent live tweeting of Guardians of the Galaxy, he revealed that the only thing he was asked to include in the first movie was a cameo from Thanos and "an origin for the Infinity Stones".

This led to the scene on Knowhere when the Collector (Benicio Del Toro) explains where the Infinity Stones come from to Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and co:

"Before creation itself, there were six singularities. Then the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots... Infinity Stones.
"These stones, it seems, can only be brandished by beings of extraordinary strength... These carriers can use the stone to mow down entire civilisations like wheat in a field."

So, sure, Marvel might not have known what the origins of the Infinity Stones were in the MCU, but it clearly knew how important they were and that they'd eventually lead to Thanos using their destructive power, right?

Nope.
Gunn was then asked whether it was a "big responsibility" to come up with an origin for something that would prove so crucial to the MCU's future.
"We didn't know at that time it was going to be as big a deal as it turned out to be," he replied, later adding in response to what he knew of the future plans for them: "Everything: There were none at that time."

 

[JayMysteri0]

It made for jarring jumps & pacing.
I agree, enough to ruin the story Imo. So they had too much stuff and had to basically short change the Story on that basis...

TV seasons used to be 30 episodes, then streaming and the standard drops to the 10-14 episode range. Now Disney is at 6 episodes which down to mini-series range. Why? $$ seems to be the kneejerk answer.

Separately.

You have to let know when you do / if you watch episodes 4 & on.

I say that because in episode #4 an important decision is made that takes us further into comic book lore, but was also an important plot point. Revolving around Zemo's beliefs & predictions. It also informs Sam's place in the Marvel universe. I ask & mention this because of a review I was reading. I won't link to it as it has spoilers, but I will quote the part that I think stands out.

But Sam’s storyline and character arc certainly didn’t have the kind of easy gaps where one could wonder what he was doing in his downtime. Unlike Steve’s re-entry into the modern world, and Bucky’s time being deprogrammed in Wakanda, Sam’s story has lain fallow in the MCU. He seemed somewhat un-mysterious: He’s not a man out of time, he doesn’t have superpowers, he doesn’t feel like an abandoned rich boy like Tony did. He was born human and he’s determined to stay so. The part of him that is intriguing is what this show explored—his goodness, his trustworthiness, his anchor-like quality to the people around him. How he actually feels about the people around him, despite his fierce loyalty. And of course, what is must be like to be a Black man surrounded by white men who are given so much license to do whatever the hell they want—more so than usual, because they had those superpowers, those gadgets, the money he doesn’t have.

It made me do a quick think. In the MCU proper ( meaning NOT Sony, Fox, Netflix, or earlier movies ) what Black men or women have powers & interact? It's just Black Panther, a king who is given super human abilities by birthright. Sam is literally a guy in a flying suit that was stolen from the military by Captain America & Black Widow, then later upgraded with Stark tech. Sam IS the regular guy along Hawkeye. Unlike Hawkeye though, Sam doesn't have issues about whether or not he belongs or if he is a hero of sorts. He just wonders whether he should carry on another hero's legacy.*

Later if you keep that in mind, it really hammers home Isiah Bradley, and what it means for another Black man to have actually super powers in the MCU who isn't a king.

Which I think informs Sam's decisions later on, and his place in the MCU & perhaps him becoming his own ideal.

There is a small scene in 5 that seems to be of importance to me that I want to point out, but I will wait until you see it to mention it.

For anyone who has seen it, this is the really super small scene that spoke to me

Spoiler: Huntn do NOT read yet, until you watch episode #5

Sarah's kids playing with the . I wondered if that was a concept they could imagine, not because of few if anyone get to actually touch it, but that THEY for who they are get to touch it. I may have read more into it, but seeing the look on Sam's face when he sees them, made me think of it's importance.

I get it that I'm more excited by the series than you are, I easily forgive it's issues, because I've enjoyed the few payoffs it's delivered.

Luke Cage on Netflix made obvious sense with it's dive into Black culture, it's literally the other main character. I didn't think it would play as much a part as it does in The Falcon & the Winter Soldier.

* We will revisit this point at series end, depending on how it shakes out. I could be completely wrong. It's my belief the gov't shows it's contempt in believing that Captain America is like a Power Ranger, to be replaced when a series ends. Steve Rogers was Captain America. The world knows Steve Rogers is Captain America. Steve Rogers is the guy that gave the stirring speeches, NOT Captain America. There is only ONE Captain America, and it isn't a role it's Steve Rogers. At least to me that is.


The look on Tony's face & Rocket's realization says it all about Steve Rogers / Captain America.

 

[JayMysteri0]

An update on the character I alluded to episode #5 of Falcon & Winter Soldier.

I of course geeked out for WHO played the part, as well as the character themselves.

If you aren't aware of their history, someone was nice enough to do the write up explaining. It's exhausting...

Spoiler: IF you have not seen Falcon & Winter Soldier #5, DO NOT OPEN!!!

That Surprise Falcon and the Winter Soldier Character Explained

"Truth," this week's penultimate episode of Disney+'s Falcon and the Winter Soldier, introduced a major cameo in guest star Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Her character has some major links to a lot of Marvel Comics history—and even more to the future of the MCU.

io9.gizmodo.com

 

[JayMysteri0]

Guess you better finish Falcon...

https://www.Twitter or X not allowed/i/web/status/1385694538606563330/

I'm betting this was the strategy. Test out ideas on a smaller budget. If successful you've already made a built in audience for your project, and get big budget Marvel movie money, THEN show it on Disney+.

 

[Huntn]

Guess you better finish Falcon...

https://www.Twitter or X not allowed/i/web/status/1385694538606563330/

I'm betting this was the strategy. Test out ideas on a smaller budget. If successful you've already made a built in audience for your project, and get big budget Marvel movie money, THEN show it on Disney+.

Will the new Captain America be Wyatt Russel in the movie? I miss Chris Evans already.

 

[Pumbaa]

Will the new Captain America be Wyatt Russel in the movie? I miss Chris Evans already.

I think that would be as likely as Hurtfan endorsing Biden.

 

[JayMysteri0]

Will the new Captain America be Wyatt Russel in the movie? I miss Chris Evans already.

Have you finished Falcon & Winter Soldier, because it does show you at the end?

I don't want to spoil it if you haven't finished it yet. Not like those yutzes @ MR.