The falcon and the winter soldier is four episodes in and it’s already a complicated story of power, violence, justice and what America Cap’s red, white and blue shield really represents. The new trailer that Disney released on Monday also reminds us that the series will end in just two episodes.
[Ed. note: This story contains spoilers for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier up to episode 4.]
The new trailer consists almost entirely of footage previously shown on the show, with one major exception: in the final few seconds, we see John Walker, the new Captain America standing with Bucky and in a warehouse with Sam battling him out. In other words, Disney and Marvel are teasing the showdown we all knew was coming.
But even if this struggle was obvious, there are many unanswered questions and questions that are not. For example, is John Walker really the last super soldier? Where did Zemo go after briefly escaping from Dora Milaje? What will happen to the Flag Smashers and Karli Morgenthau, who the show seemed to sympathize with so much in the first four episodes?
Nearly two dozen previous stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe suggest that New Cap will be defeated, Karli’s violent means will ruin their noble goals, and that Sam will feel bad for her, yet deliver the simplest version of “justice” the show can offer can handle. It would be a disappointing ending for a series that was ready to play on the moral edge of the MCU in the first four episodes, but it’s also likely considering Marvel’s mega franchise is open.
On the other hand, with only two episodes left and a power broker that may have yet to be revealed The falcon and the winter soldier will continue its ambitious line-up. So far, the show has spent a significant amount of its time giving its characters their own unique viewpoints on issues and making them explain valid, reasonable arguments for their opinions. It would be difficult to untangle the web in just two episodes. Perhaps on the show we can draw some of our own conclusions about right and wrong.
