Note: This article contains spoilers for the first three episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier!
Episode One of TFATWS is the most watched series premiere on Disney+, and there’s definitely a reason for that. The show is absolutely riveting, and it’s amazing to reconnect with characters that we have not seen for a few years since Avengers: Endgame and Captain America: Civil War. While I have so much more to say about this, I can’t help but mention that Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie have such natural chemistry together that you can feel through the screen. As the series progresses, I think we all have some burning questions about what will be addressed by the end of the show. Episode Three especially left me wondering what Marvel is cooking up for us—there always seems to be a cliffhanger! So, here are questions that I’ve been thinking about while waiting for the next episode (alas, I wrote this article before Episode Four came out):
- Will Sam take the shield back?
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Although Sam and Bucky are finally on their mission together, they are more focused on taking down the Flag Smashers than John Walker. Bucky seems to be more affected by the possession of the shield than Sam, because he knows Captain America to the core and was best friends with Steve since the beginning. Sam feels that he cannot live up to Steve’s legacy and that the shield “belongs to someone else”—after all, Steve was the only person behind it. It is also extremely difficult to be a hero that represents America with the existence of racism and inequality in this country, which is something that Sam has to deal with. While we can assume that Sam will become Captain America again, I can’t wait to see how it goes down and what this means for the future MCU movies.
- Will Bucky tell Yori about his son?
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The tragic scenes in the first episode show how Bucky has befriended an old man named Yori (so wholesome) because he unknowingly killed his son when he was the Winter Soldier. We can see how much of a weight Bucky has to live with now that he is a civilian again, and he constantly tries to distance himself from his dark past because he is “not a killer anymore”. It is especially difficult for him to face a person that he knows he has hurt, against his own will, in an effort to “make amends”. I wonder if Bucky will tell Yori the truth, because I can see his heart breaking more and more every time he’s reminded of the young man he killed.
- Will Isaiah Bradley get some sort of justice?
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Isaiah was treated horribly by the government and HYDRA, imprisoned while a white super soldier like Captain America was glorified as a hero. He deserves recognition and I hope the government will at least acknowledge him at this late stage in his life. It’s possible that Bucky only went to see him to get information about the serum, but since there’s so much more to his story I think he could return in the show again. It would be amazing to see Sam work to get Isaiah recognition, as he was rightfully hurt and angered to see another African American man treated so unfairly.
- Will Zemo turn on Sam and Bucky?
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It was so suspenseful to find out that Bucky did in fact break Baron Zemo out of jail (so it wasn’t a hypothetical), especially after Zemo further ruined his life in Civil War. At times, he honestly seems trustworthy because he is willing to use his expansive knowledge of the Super Soldier Serum to help Sam and Bucky. He has always been such a complex villain that it doesn’t seem entirely out of the question for him to still have some secret, self-serving plans. Something that strikes me is how he says that “Superheroes cannot be allowed to exist”, which calls back to his original motive to break up the Avengers. Since Bucky is a super soldier, I wonder if Zemo still has something against him—I really hope not.
- Is Sharon Carter the Power Broker, or does she have connections with them?
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All I’m saying is that it seems odd that she chose to live in Madripoor. I know she’s still technically “on the run”, but Sam is right that she could easily be pardoned and return to the U.S. She seems to know a lot of secrets—like, did she really just ask around and find out where the Super Soldier Serum was, or did she already know? How did she know that Sam, Bucky, and Zemo were in Madripoor? Who killed Selby at the perfect moment to save them? I find it interesting how we see “Power Broker is watching” on the wall, and then Sharon magically appears in the street and saves everyone. Another interesting theory relates to how Apple does not allow villains to use iPhones in shows and movies. And, you guessed it, Sharon doesn’t have an iPhone. There could be different reasons for this, but we all know that Marvel generally doesn’t do anything accidentally — every detail matters. This theory also confirms that Karli Morgenthau is not truly a villain, and she will likely develop into an antihero with her iPhone by her side. Anyway, maybe the writers want us to question Sharon’s character as a distraction, but it would be such a twist to see a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent turn to the dark side.
- Will John Walker become a villain?
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Okay, I know none of us like the new “Captain America”, but he doesn’t always seem like an evil person. He seems to be more of an annoying and narcissistic newcomer than a villain most of the time, but there is something more about him that we’re waiting to explore. He certainly cannot live up to the legacy of Steve Rogers, but the way that he lashes out at people for no reason makes him look even worse. What superhero goes up to someone and yells, “Do you know who I am?” or tells two Avengers to “Stay the hell out of [his] way?” I wonder if there is something deeper than his selfishness and sense of entitlement, and surely we will find out.
- Will Sam and Bucky finally become besties?
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I think the answer to this is YES. Ever since Civil War, they were often annoyed at each other and would fight over the most random things. Sam, I guess you just have to deal with Bucky refusing to move his seat up. Deep down, we know they care for each other, especially after seeing them ask if the other was okay in Episode Three. Sam putting his hand on Bucky’s vibranium arm made me emotional. Let’s hope that by the end of the series, they decide not to take long vacations alone like Sam said in the therapy scene.
- Please give Bucky a cat.
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This isn’t even a question, it’s a request. In the comics, Bucky adopts a cat named Alpine, which is the cutest thing ever. Bucky deserves happiness, and a pet would hopefully help him feel less lonely as he deals with his demons. It is such a rare sight to see Bucky smile genuinely, and as much as I love his death stare, maybe Alpine could make him happier and provide companionship. Besides, if Sebastian Stan takes a bunch of medication, could his cat allergy temporarily disappear
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