With Phase Four now fully underway, Marvel trots out a series more in line tonally with its previous entries, most obviously Captain America: The Winter Soldier. A more grounded and serious plot is a bold change of pace following Wandavision, which ended just a few short weeks ago.
The series follows Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) as they attempt to adapt to the world six months after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Sam is working with the U.S. Air Force, and Bucky is trying to make amends for his actions as the Winter Soldier in years past. While their paths never cross in the first episode, I can only assume that will swiftly change after the closing moments of episode one.
Sam gets a bit of a Hawkeye in Avengers: Age of Ultron moment with the introduction of his sister and nephews. They’re facing financial problems that threaten their family business; this leads them to seek a loan. I never thought I would see a Marvel property tackle the disparities of the U.S. banking system and the pay of Avengers members, but here we are. These smaller-scale stories give Marvel the chance to go into territory they otherwise wouldn’t have time to.
Meanwhile, Bucky is in therapy, unhappily discussing his nightmares, PTSD and efforts to make amends with those his actions as the Winter Soldier affected. He has blocked out any contact with his friends, including Sam, only talking to his therapist and an old man named Yori. Yori’s appearance is short but extremely emotionally effective. Bucky also lands a date with a waitress named Leah because of Yori. The date goes well until Bucky gets uncomfortable and leaves.
While this episode mostly serves to reintroduce its central characters and introduce a few new ones, it’s a great foundational piece for the series moving forward, introducing several main conflicts. Sam feels unworthy of the title of Captain America, something Steve Rodgers passed on to him. Bucky wants a normal life free of constant fighting, something he both doesn’t know how to have, and is almost guaranteed not to have due to his abilities and past. An antagonistic group called the Flag Smashers aims to change the world back to how it was, prior to billions of people returning from the snap. And to add to all of that, a new Captain America, John Walker, has been appointed by the U.S. government just days after Sam surrendered the shield.
This series has so much promise, not just as a series but for a far more diverse and interesting MCU in the future. While it may be obvious where the show is heading in the end, with Sam taking his rightful claim to the shield and the mantle of Captain America, I have no idea what will happen before that, but I’m certainly looking forward to finding out.
