- "The legacy of that shield is... complicated, to say the least."
- ―Sam Wilson to Bucky Barnes[src]
The First Season of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier premiered on Disney+ on March 19, 2021 and concluded on April 23, 2021.
Synopsis[]
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities — and their patience — in Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.[1]
Plot[]
Six months after being restored to life in the Blip and being handed Captain America's shield by Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson is working with the U.S. Air Force overseas to rescue a hostage from LAF, a terrorist group led by Georges Batroc. Later, Wilson's partner Joaquín Torres briefs him about the anarchist group the Flag Smashers. Torres investigates Flag Smasher activity in Switzerland, only to be attacked by one of them during a bank robbery. Wilson, struggling with the mantle of Captain America, decides to surrender the shield to the Smithsonian Institution, and explains to James Rhodes that he feels like the shield still belongs to Rogers. But while he was helping his sister Sarah with the family business in Louisiana, the U.S. Government subsequently appoints a new Captain America: Captain John Walker.
Bucky Barnes, who had been pardoned by the U.S. Government, is outraged by the appointment and confronts Wilson on the matter, who defends his decision. Barnes tags alongside Wilson to Munich, where they encounter Flag Smashers shipping vaccines. While attempting to combat the group, they discover that the anarchists are all enhanced by a Super Soldier Serum, and are overpowered. Walker and his partner Battlestar arrive to help, but are also defeated. Despite being on the same side of the conflict, Wilson and Barnes refuse to work with Walker and Hoskins. Wilson and Barnes travel to Baltimore and meet Isaiah Bradley, a super-soldier of the Korean War who was imprisoned and used as a blood experiment by HYDRA for thirty years before being released. However, Bradley kicks them out due to Barnes' presence.
Barnes is subsequently arrested for missing a mandated therapy session, but is freed by Walker. After refusing another request from Walker to cooperate, Barnes decides to go to Berlin and help Helmut Zemo escape from confinement, seeking his knowledge about the Super Soldier Serum. The three travel to Madripoor in search of the mastermind behind the resurgence of the serum, meeting with top criminal Selby, who reveals that Wilfred Nagel had been hired by the Power Broker to reproduce the fluid. Selby is killed when Wilson's disguise as a Madripoorean local is breached, which leads to bounties being placed on the trio's heads. They reunite with Sharon Carter, who had settled in Madripoor after going on the run for stealing Captain America's shield. She leads them to Nagel in his lab, who reveals that the leader of the Flag Smashers, Karli Morgenthau, had stolen twenty vials of the serum. Zemo suddenly kills Nagel and later fetches a getaway transport; Carter stays behind in Madripoor as Wilson promises to get her pardoned. As the Flag Smashers raid and destroy a Global Repatriation Council supply depot, Zemo leads the three to Latvia in search of Morgenthau.
While in Latvia, Barnes encounters Ayo of the Dora Milaje, enraged at him for releasing Zemo. She gives Barnes eight hours to use Zemo before the Dora move in to arrest him. Zemo leads the trio to a funeral Morgenthau is attending, where they encounter Walker and Hoskins. Wilson visits Morgenthau alone, who reveals that she fights the GRC to prevent their planned relocation of Blip refugees from occurring. Wilson tries to convince Morgenthau to end her campaign, but an impatient Walker moves to arrest her, sparking a brawl. Zemo attacks Morgenthau as she flees and begins to destroy the remaining vials of the serum. Before he can smash the last one, he is stopped by Walker, who takes the vial for himself. The Dora Milaje move to arrest Zemo, but as Walker refuses to hand him over on the claim of jurisdiction, a fight ensues which leads to Zemo's escape. Morgenthau threatens Sarah Wilson over the phone, forcing Sam and Barnes into a meeting with the anarchist leader as she attempts to goad them into joining her cause. Walker and Hoskins arrive, leading to yet another brawl in which Morgenthau accidentally kills Hoskins. A vengeful Walker chases down one Flag Smasher and brutally murders him with the shield to the horror of onlookers.
Thus, Wilson and Barnes confront Walker and violently take the shield away, while the U.S. Government relieves him of his rank and the Captain America mantle. Walker is then visited by a mysterious woman named Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, while Barnes tracks Zemo down to Sokovia and turns him over to the Dora, who take him to the Raft. Wilson leaves his wingsuit to Torres, which had been damaged in the battle with Walker, and revisits Bradley in Baltimore. After retelling his tragic past to Wilson, Bradley affirms to him that no self-respecting black man would ever want to become Captain America. Returning home to Louisiana, Wilson helps Sarah to fix the family boat, while Barnes arrives with a case from the Wakandans. Wilson and Barnes then train with the shield, all the while agreeing to settle their past grudges and work together as a team.
Meanwhile, The Power Broker had secretly employed Batroc, assigning him to join the Flag Smashers as they plan an assault on the GRC in New York City. Wilson opens the case and finds a new wingsuit with the Captain America motif, finally adopting the Captain America mantle as he arrives to confront the anarchists. On the ground, Carter joins Barnes in an effort to escort the GRC members to safety. Walker arrives with a crude homemade shield, hoping to kill Morgenthau once and for all. However, he abandons his vengeance to save GRC members from peril. Carter confronts Morgenthau and offers her a new position at her side; Batroc arrives and deduces Carter as the Power Broker, Morgenthau realizing Batroc was hired as a spy. Carter swiftly kills Batroc when he attempts to blackmail her identity for increased pay. Wilson refuses to fight Morgenthau and attempts to reason with her, but Carter kills her as well when she attempts to kill Wilson.
Moved by Morgenthau's cause, Wilson convinces the GRC to shelve their relocation efforts and instead directly help those who are displaced by the Blip. The remaining members of the Flag Smashers are apprehended and were set to be transported to the Raft, but they are killed by a bomb set by Zemo's butler Oeznik en route. de Fontaine recruits Walker as a U.S. Agent, while Barnes fully makes amends with the people he has affected as the Winter Soldier. Wilson takes Bradley to the Smithsonian and reveals he had erected a monument to immortalize his story, driving him to tears. As the Wilsons, Barnes and the locals enjoy a celebratory Louisiana cookout, Carter is officially pardoned by the U.S. Government. However, this allows her to secure direct access to government resources for her buyers in Madripoor.
Cast[]
Starring Cast[]
- Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon/Captain America
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier
- Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter/Power Broker
- Wyatt Russell as John Walker/Captain America/U.S. Agent
- Erin Kellyman as Karli Morgenthau/Flag Smasher
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
- Florence Kasumba as Ayo
- Danny Ramirez as Joaquín Torres
- Georges St-Pierre as Georges Batroc
- Adepero Oduye as Sarah Wilson
- Daniel Brühl as Helmut Zemo/Baron Zemo
- Don Cheadle as James Rhodes
Recurring Cast[]
- Desmond Chiam as Dovich
- Dani Deetté as Gigi
- Indya Bussey as DeeDee
- Amy Aquino as Doctor Christina Raynor
- Chase River McGhee as Cass
- Aaron Haynes as AJ
- Gordon Danniels as Tommy
- Alphie Hyorth as Government Official
- Charles Black as Carlos
- Clé Bennett as Lemar Hoskins/Battlestar
- Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley
- Renes Rivera as Hector Lennox
- Tyler Dean Flores as Diego
- Elijah Richardson as Eli Bradley
- Noah Mills as Nico
- Gabrielle Byndloss as Olivia Walker
Episodes[]
| Image | Title | Number | Airdate | Writers | Directors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New World Order | 1.01 | March 19, 2021 | Malcolm Spellman | Kari Skogland |
| Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes realize that their futures are anything but normal. | |||||
|
The Star-Spangled Man | 1.02 | March 26, 2021 | Michael Kastelein | Kari Skogland |
| John Walker is named Captain America, and Sam and Bucky team up against a rebel group. | |||||
|
Power Broker | 1.03 | April 2, 2021 | Derek Kolstad | Kari Skogland |
| Sam and Bucky go to a criminal safe haven to find information about the Super Soldier serum. | |||||
|
The Whole World Is Watching | 1.04 | April 9, 2021 | Derek Kolstad | Kari Skogland |
| John Walker loses patience with Sam and Bucky as they learn more about Karli Morgenthau. | |||||
|
Truth | 1.05 | April 16, 2021 | Dalan Musson | Kari Skogland |
| John Walker faces consequences for his actions, and Sam and Bucky return to the U.S.. | |||||
|
One World, One People | 1.06 | April 23, 2021 | Malcolm Spellman & Josef Sawyer | Kari Skogland |
| As The Flag Smashers escalate their actions, Sam and Bucky take action. | |||||
Videos[]
[]
Special Looks[]
Trailers[]
TV Spots[]
Clips[]
Deleted Scenes[]
Other[]
Music[]
| Song title | Artist | Location(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Is You Ready? | Migos |
|
References[]
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| Season One | New World Order • The Star-Spangled Man • Power Broker • The Whole World Is Watching • Truth • One World, One People |
| Phase Four | Films | Black Widow • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings • Eternals • Spider-Man: No Way Home • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness • Thor: Love and Thunder • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever |
| TV Series | • The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (Season One) • • • • • • •
| |
| Specials | • | |
| Phase Five | Films | Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 • The Marvels • Deadpool & Wolverine • Captain America: Brave New World • Thunderbolts* |
| TV Series | • • • • • • • • • | |
| Phase Six | Films | The Fantastic Four: First Steps • Avengers: Doomsday • Spider-Man: Brand New Day • Avengers: Secret Wars |
| TV Series | • • • | |
| Unknown Phase | Films | Blade • Armor Wars |
| TV Series | ||
| Specials | ||