The Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently a bit out of whack. We all know a lot of their content is supposed to follow a very specific timeline, but unfortunately due to COVID, a lot of that had to get moved around. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was supposed to be the first Disney + TV series, but due to delays, it ended up being WandaVision. There are a million theories out there but what references might be lost from one thing to the next product, but it seems a lot of the titles will be working on their own. This is nice because as much as I loved WandaVision, it feels as my mind might not be as distracted looking for clues to other things like Mephisto. 

As someone who’s a pretty fan of the MCU, but very quickly and often being overwhelmed by both the amount and hold they have over the movie sphere, it has been a refreshing break to no longer have a new film released every 3 months. But, due to all the delays, I once again find myself looking forward to future installments, I adored what happened on WandaVision. A lot of that is because of what the show was discussing in terms of grief and attempting to overcome that. From what I’ve seen out of the pilot, I’m excited to see what they’ll be diving into more.

This series will consist of 6 episodes, nearing a reported 6-hour season. It’s one of the few times in the MCU I feel like I’ve gotten a brief image of what these people do in their day-to-day life, and that entices me. I don’t need every movie or show to be facing the end of the world, the stakes have been raised far too high. But in the first episode of this show (probably not for much longer), we get this brief glimpse of what both Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) do when they’re not suited up. I found these moments very exciting, to see the demons that Bucky is fighting, and also Sam interacting with his nephews and sister after being gone for the past 5 years. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier takes place six months after the events of Avengers: Endgame, and speaks about how the world has changed during the time that both Sam and Bucky were gone.

The action in the first episode is pretty incredible. To avoid spoilers, I’ll just mention it involves Falcon flying around. The good thing is that the sequence or the show never feels like a “show,” it fits in perfectly with the rest of the MCU. Take that as you may like, as either a compliment or a diss to the visuals or style of the show (it’s both). The same goes for WandaVision, the real-world sequences felt akin to the films that preceded it. It isn’t the case of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that felt like a show.

As fans, we all know that Sam and Bucky are the two characters we love watching interact and always look forward to more of their sibling-like rivalry. It all boils back to the moment when they both saw Steve kiss Shannon Carter and they both look at him and smile exactly the same. They’re both Steve Rogers’ best friends, one that represented his past and present, and one that represented his present and future. That’s where this show will shine, discussing what exactly does Captain America – as a symbol, but also as Steve Rogers, means to the world? And to both Sam and Bucky.

The pilot is a great taste of what’s to come (presumably), it doesn’t reveal all of their cards, but enough to bring you back for more. As if we could skip out on more MCU content.

The first episode premieres Friday, March 19th, 2021.