The Falcon and The Winter Soldier concluded its run on April 23rd with a thrilling episode, “One World, One People.” It certainly delivered in terms of great fights, MCU moments, and characters.
Before we continue, consider this a spoiler warning. If you have not watched any episodes of this series yet, or if you have yet to watch the finale, it is highly recommended that you do not read any further. In addition, just as indicated in the title, you are forewarned that this post is a literary discussion of the political messaging of a popular SFF series. If a political discussion isn’t your cup of tea, feel free to pass this one up.
With that out of the way, let’s dive in. The thing that stuck out the most for me were the themes of racial inequality and imperialism that ran deep throughout the short series. While some were not perfectly portrayed, the fact that the series raised these important questions in conversation, especially in these days of systemic racism, impressed me.
Racism
Before the series premiere, Malcolm Spellman, executive producer of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, promised the viewer an exploration of a “conflict for a Black man confronting those stars and stripes.” In addition, Spellman stated that Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) will “emerge from this story as a hero of the times and a hero of the people today. And that journey of whether it’s even appropriate to deal with the symbol, the Stars and Stripes, to me, felt super, super relevant and timely.”
Because the exploration of racial inequalities was so apparent in this series, occupying, in fact, a core position, central to the plot and the series discourse, Spellman largely succeeded in this case. This exploration, of course, is not unique to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Hints of the “stars and stripes” topic were explored in Endgame after Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) gave Wilson the shield of Captain America, the latter replying that he feels the shield “belongs to someone else.” In addition, in Black Panther, the MCU also beautifully tackled the legacy of slavery in the antagonist, Killmonger, displaying a Black man who was torn between living in a country that had enslaved his ancestors or his home country that did not accept him.
This series tackled more themes of racism, this time on the institutional and systemic level.
In the first episode, “New World Order,” Sam Wilson gave the shield away to the Smithsonian Museum as a preservation of Rogers’ legacy. At the end of that episode, though, the US Government decided to manufacture a new Captain America, giving the shield to a man named John Walker (Wyatt Russell) despite Wilson’s wishes to keep it preserved. Sam must watch the broadcast of Walker exiting the building in fury holding the shield meant to be Rogers’ legacy.
Walker was portrayed as another character that had visual characteristics of Steve Rogers: blond-hair and blue-eyes (obviously, however, a very different, more arrogant personality than Rogers). Shown here is the implication that the US Government preferred characteristics just like that for the next Captain America instead of what made Rogers the hero he was: his unselfishness, morality, and the will to do the right things.
Episode 2, “The Star Spangled Man,” dived even further with the introduction of Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), a veteran of the Korean War as well as the first African American Super Soldier. Bradley, having become a Super Soldier himself, was sent to South Korea to take down Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) who was the Winter Soldier at that point. Although he failed to assassinate Barnes, Bradley was able to wreck half of the Winter Soldier’s metal arm.
Despite his service, however, the US Government arrested Bradley, fearing the ramifications of a Black Super Soldier. He spent the three decades after that being experimented on by the government as well as HYDRA, essentially being treated as a lab rat. In the 1980s, Bradley escaped after his death was faked by a nurse, relocating to Baltimore where his grandson would take care of him and hide his whereabouts. This treatment of Isaiah is a thin-veiled representation of the Tuskegee syphilis experimentation that lasted from 1932 to 1972, where about 400 Black men with syphilis were left untreated, and as many as 100 were killed.
Here, Bradley’s story portrays government racism in respectful as well as even disturbing context.
The next scene, however, cuts right to the chase, depicting the injustice of systemic racism and how it affects policing. It is a poignant reminder that though this series is fiction, it articulates the real life pain many Black, indigenous, and POC suffer every day. A heated argument between Wilson and Barnes attract cops to the scene. They singled out Wilson, a Black man, and ask for his ID. Furthermore, the cop asked Barnes whether Wilson was “bothering you?” Only their discovery that Wilson was Falcon stopped the cops from outright arresting an Avenger. From there, they would proceed to instead conveniently arrest Barnes for missing his mandatory therapy session.
I don’t have to explain this scene here. It’s an obvious representation of the systemic racism found in police departments underscored by recent killings by police of Black citizens like Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ma’khia Bryant. While it did feel like a scene they just added in (the story would flow the same if the cops didn’t harass Wilson and just arrest Barnes), it is an effective shot at racial profiling by police officers, a major problem in the US, one that denies equal justice to many citizens. For that reason, I must give the Spellman’s team kudos. This scene was a perfect example of the racial inequalities this series explores.
The side story with Sam and his sister Sarah (Adepero Oduye) is another periscope into racial. Sarah owns a seafood restaurant in Delacroix, Louisiana. During the Blip (the MCU time period where half of all life turned into dust when Thanos snapped his fingers with the Infinity Gauntlet), Sarah struggled to keep her business operating while raising a family of two kids as a single mom. Sam must convince Sarah not to sell their family boat.
I feel like this plot tackles the overall systemic disparities that put Black citizens at a disadvantage vs white Caucasians, which is widespread. Episode 5, “Truth,” gave a very heartwarming moment when the community came together to help the Wilsons rebuild their boat.
Another thing I liked was the development of Bucky Barnes’ character. He would evolve from a character still haunted by his past as Winter Soldier as well as one who showed anger towards Sam Wilson for giving up Rogers’ shield into an understanding partner to Wilson who saw what he had to struggle with as well as one who wants to make amends with the people he hurt.
One thing I noticed how Barnes’s white privilege is explored, particularly in “The Star Spangled Man,” the second episode. Right after the meeting with Bradley, Wilson confronted Barnes, infuriated that he hid the fact that there was a Black Super Soldier. Furthermore, when the argument triggered the cop to interfere and harass Wilson for his ID, Barnes told him to “just give him your ID” intending to calm the tension (though again displaying his white privilege).
By Episode 5, “Truth,” Bucky is more emphatic towards Sam’s decision to retire the shield as well as his overall struggles.
Finally, we get to tackling the Stars and Stripes itself. Sam would meet with Isaiah Bradley again in “Truth” after fighting Walker in Riga. Isaiah would continue to talk about his past, such as the US Government taking in additional Black soldiers to test the Super Soldier Serum on. After hearing an officer’s intention to destroy the POW camp where the Black soldiers were held to erase the evidence, Bradley broke in and freed them. Again, this gives a reference to the historical experimentation of Black people.
After Sam, distraught about Isaiah’s story, suggested revealing it to the world, Bradley said:
Man, that’s why you’re here? You think things are different? You think times are different? You think I wouldn’t be dead in a day if you brought me out? You wanna believe jail was my fault because you got that white man’s shield. They were worried my story might get out. So, they erased me. My history. But they’ve been doing that for five hundred years. Pledge allegiance to that, my brother. They will never let a Black man be Captain America. And even if they did, no self-respecting Black man would ever wanna be.
Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), Falcon and the Winter Soldier
This displays the symbolism of the shield, which is a reference to the benefits and recognition white people have had over the years while, despite the many achievements and inventions made, Black people are not held in the same standard. It also displays the racial inequalities in the country that still have yet to be solved.
Isaiah’s story is wrapped up in heartwarming fashion upon seeing Sam don the Captain America mantle, saying a great line: “You’re no Malcolm, Martin or Mandela” (referring to Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, and Nelson Mandela; iconic Black figures that fought against racism and imperialism). Sam would send him to the Smithsonian where he set up an exhibit for Isaiah Bradley’s story, bringing the Black Super Soldier to tears.
It’s obvious that racism was a topic that was taken very seriously by Malcolm Spellman as well as his writing staff (who were “largely” Black). There was another batch of themes that was tackled by “Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” While not as perfect, these themes formed a basis and I absolutely appreciate that. So, without further ado, let’s get to the second half:
Imperialism
Racism and imperialism have a relationship with each other; after all, the settlers’ ambitions in the colonial era came from the feelings of superiority they had over the indigenous people that lived in the regions they conquered, such as the Americas or Africa. However, the reason why I have this part separate from the other is because I feel like it deserves its own section to talk about.
I applaud the fact that this series tackles the effects that imperialism have on the people that lived there, especially with today’s world still dealing with such effects, such as the Middle East or Africa. Spellman certainly set up a very good base for that idea with the introduction of the antagonists of this series, the Flag Smashers, led by Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman).
I’ll admit; initially when I first heard that the antagonists for this series were called the “Flag Smashers,” I was kinda nervous that they would be portrayed as some group of villains who are “anti-American” (something a right-winger would do). But, I actually felt that this group was portrayed properly.
The Flag Smashers’ main goal was a world without borders, as well as a return to the society that existed during the Blip era, and members, including Karli Morgenthau, were shown to be sympathetic characters. Sam Wilson as well as Lemar Hoskins (Clé Bennett), the sidekick/friend of John Walker, were also shown to have sympathized with the Flag Smashers. Even after Karli’s radicalization, Sam refused to fight back against her, understanding her struggles.
Overall, I found the Flag Smashers very respectful in the portrayal of groups who have been systemically displaced by global powers. My only issue with this part was the story which fell the victim of the dreaded “6 episode series” trap.
Because of the shortness of the series as well as the focus shifting to Sam’s story, the Flag Smasher story felt very rushed, especially towards the end. I would have liked to see the writers expand Karli Morgenthau’s story, giving her a full closure, instead of just letting Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) kill her off so quickly. One method this could be improved would be a scene involving Karli standing in trial, defending her worldview to the world.
If the season were longer, I feel like they would have had more time to give Karli a truly great story, rather than suddenly turning her into a radical (though this story was nowhere near as butchered as certain stories, such as Game of Thrones Season 8 that was rushed to a conclusion that was both illogical and unpopular).
Another part that discusses imperialism was John Walker’s rampage at the end of Episode 4. By Episode 3, Walker was already shown to be an arrogant and unstable person, insisting on attacking the Flag Smashers head on. In Episode 4, Walker aggravates Ayo (Florence Kasumba) and the Dora Milaje saying that they have “don’t have jurisdiction,” provoking a fight.
That last part already sounds like a reference to American imperialism, stating that other nations have no “jurisdiction” while the US itself attacks and influences countries like Iraq, Yemen, and Venezuela without “jurisdiction.”
However, the end of Episode 4 was what sent the new Captain America off the edge. During a fight he provoked between Sam and Karli, Walker’s friend Lemar Hoskins was killed by the Flag Smasher leader. This caused Walker to become hungry for revenge, and chase down Karli. He would find one of the Flag Smashers, Nico (Noah Mills), and brutally murder him with his shield in front of horrified onlookers, some recording him.
The episode would end with a shot of John Walker holding the shield of Captain America with blood splattered on the bottom.
That whole sequence, including the shot was just very well done. Here, we have a man dressed with American symbolism and carrying a shield with stars and stripes on foreign land murdering someone in cold blood. With the public watching in horror.
Going back to the “no jurisdiction” part, it felt artistically ironic that Walker would call out the Dora Milaje for that, yet is willing to murder on foreign soil. I saw this many times recently, as the US chose to go to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as contribute to more humanitarian disasters in places like Yemen, Palestine, and countless others.
With all of that in context, that image with the shield was perfectly done.
And last but not least, part of Sam’s speech in the final episode. As I stated above, I found the ending of this series to be rushed, especially with the closure of Karli Morgenthau. If there was one part that was done beautifully right, though, it was Sam Wilson’s speech to the Senator; and there was one part that tackles the problem imperialism keeps creating.
Senator: Sincerely. You did your part in dealing with those terrorists. Now we’ll do ours.
Sam: Are you still going forward with resetting the borders?
Senator 2: Our peacekeeping troops will begin relocating people soon. The terrorists only set us back a bit.
Sam: You have to stop calling them terrorists.
Senator: What else would we call them?
Sam: Your Peace Keeping troops, carrying weapons, are forcing millions of people into settlements around the world, right? What do you think those people are going to call you? These labels, terrorists, refugees, thug. They’re often used to get around the question ‘why.’
Dialogue between Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), the Senator (Alphie Hyorth), and the 2nd Senator, Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Senator: You just don’t understand.
Sam: I’m a black man, carrying the stars and stripes. What don’t I understand? Every time I pick this thing up, I know there are millions of people out there who are going To hate me for it. Even now, here. I feel it. The stares, the judgment, and there’s nothing I can do to change it. And I’m still here. No super serum. No blonde hair or blue eyes. The only power I have is that I believe we can do better.
We can’t demand that people step up if we don’t meet them halfway. You control the banks. Shit, you can move borders! You can knock down a forest with an email, you can feed a million people with a phone call. But the question is, who’s in the room with you when you make those decisions? Is it the people you’re going to impact? Or is it just more people like you?
I mean, this girl died trying to stop you, and no one has stopped for one second to ask, “Why?” You’ve got to do better, Senator. You’ve got to step up. Because if you don’t, the next Karli will. And you don’t want to see 2.0. People believed in her cause so much that they helped her defy the strongest governments in the world. Why do you think that is? Look, you people have just as much power as an insane God or a misguided teenager. The question you have to ask yourself is, “How are you going to use it?”
Dialogue between Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and the Senator (Alphie Hyorth), Falcon and the Winter Soldier
This speech was epic, showing a constant problem that third world countries face from global powers. The nations that have the power to change things for the better would ignore the reason “why” they commit atrocities in these impoverished countries and instead give upset people the label “terrorists” or “thugs.”
Overall, I found The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to be a great series that hits on most of their points. While I feel WandaVision was a more original, compelling story, I definitely recommend this series for its ambitious appraisal of the post-Endgame MCU.
If these two series are a sign of things to come, the future is bright for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
