The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Marvel’s second successful series to be featured on the Disney+ platform came to its exciting conclusion on Friday, and while many fans are already preparing for the premiere ofLokion June 11th, many more are still waiting for an answer as to whether Sam and Bucky will be making any more-small screen appearances. So Far, very little has been said in regards to a second season, and while series lead, Sebastian Stan, has expressed interest in continuing his role as the titular Winter Soldier, he has also admitted that Marvel boss, Kevin Feige, has remained tight lipped on the future of his character. With that said, it should also be noted thatFalcon & Winter Soldierreceived incredibly positive reviews from fans and critics alike, and the premiere episode alone broke records for the streaming service, with numbers surpassing both the premiere ofWandaVisionandThe MandalorianSeason 2. Add to that several characters and story arcs that have yet to see completion, Marvel Studios has laid the groundwork to carry the series far into the future.Spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen season 1.
Sam and Bucky
BothSam Wilson’s and Bucky’s story arcswere tied up quite nicely in the season 1 finale, “One World, One People,” which most prominently saw Sam Wilson finally accept the mantle of Captain America and don a suit equipped with both the stars and stripes, as well as his trademarked falcon wings. Together, he and Bucky managed to stop the Flag-Smashers from assassinating the members of the GRC, before returning home and seeing to their personal affairs. Bucky finally managed to check every name off his list, which he then in turn neatly wrapped and gifted to his therapist, and in a very touching moment, Sam saw that Isaiah Bradley finally received the recognition he deserved with a statue within the walls of the Smithsonian’s Captain America wing. All things considered, the series did exactly what it was meant to do, and brought both character arcs full circle. In closing these chapters on the character’s lives however, Marvel has effectively begun writing entirely new ones. Sam Wilson is Captain America now. That title alone makes him more than a hero, it makes him a symbol, and after his speech to the members of the GRC, it’s clear that Sam has fully accepted this new responsibility, and is ready to become a symbol for change and equality. With a new Captain America on the scene, it wouldn’t be too farfetched to predict that Bucky Barnes will be right there beside his brother, Sam, fighting for all the ideals that Steve stood for as Captain America. Maybe there will only be one season ofFalcon & Winter Soldier, but Marvel fans should ready for anything to come next, including “Captain America and The Winter Soldier.”
U.S. Agent
Early on in the series, long before Sam picked up the shield and took on the mantle ofCaptain America, fans were introduced to John Walker, a decorated U.S. Army Captain and the first man to be calledCaptain Americafollowing Steve Rodger’s retirement. John ultimately turned out to be one of the show’s most complex characters, and within six episodes, viewers saw the character experience all the responsibility, anger, frustration, loss, and redemption that comes with being a hero. No matter what fans thought of this new hero though, John definitely earned his redemption in the series finale, fighting tooth-and-nail alongside Sam and Bucky to save the members of the GRC. As most fans predicted though, John was never destined to beCaptain America, and “One World, One People” saw John donning a new suit and taking the name U.S. Agent, a hero who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty while working in the interest of America. So far though there has been no indication in what role the U.S. Agent will play in the future of the MCU. One prominent fan theory believes that John will go on to lead TheThunderbolts, a Suicide Squad-esqu team composed of variousMarvel villains, while others believe that Valentina will set John a villainous path that will lead to conflict in future seasons with the show’s titular heroes. Whether John is fighting with or alongside Sam and Bucky, it seems like a waste for Marvel to let John Walker become another unresolved plot thread, and a Season 2 return is almost inevitable.
Sharon Carter aka The Power Broker
The season finale confirmed what many fans began believing the moment Sharon Carter made her reappearance in the season’s third episode, aptly called “Power Broker.” For all intents and purposes, Sharon Carter is the Power Broker of Madripoor, and now that she has been granted a full-pardon and a position in the government’s clandestine operations, she’s more dangerous than ever. Some fans have since called this twist “cheap” and “forced,” but Sharon has more than earned her villainous twist, and her motivations couldn’t be clearer. Left to fend for herself after aiding Steve in “Civil War,” and then being forced to survive in a post-Snap world, Sharon used her intelligence and experience to amass enough power to make her a force to be reckoned with. That said, the finale’s post-credit scene demonstrated just how committed Sharon had become to her Power Broker persona, and that she is more than happy to sell her own government out to the highest bidder. When a second season does premiere, expect to see Sharon as the big bad, and Sam and Bucky struggling with the fact that they not only created the Power Broker, but will have to ultimately take her down.
Valentina and Leviathan
One thing that fans of the series were not expecting was to see the 11-time Emmy winning actress, Julia Louis-Dreyfus strutting into the U.S. Capital to nonchalantly introduce herself to John Walker, purple hair and all. Introducing herself as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, many fans were left wondering just what role this mystery character would play in the future of the MCU. Surely Marvel won’t be letting an A-list talent like Louis-Dreyfus go to waste, and it’s likely that her character’s presence will stretch beyond just this series. In the comics, Valentina is one of the leaders of the terrorist organization known as Leviathan, which spent years waring with HYDRA for power, as well as S.H.I.E.L.D., and various Marvel heroes. Valentina is already slated to make a second appearance in the upcoming “Black Widow” film, which begs the question as to what ties she has to various Soviet experimental programs like The Red Room and the Winter Soldier Project. Whatever Valentina’s motivations are, expect them to be villainous and for her character to be a mainstay, not only in future seasons of the show, but in the MCU as a whole.
