Marvel is notorious for their wild action packed movies and shows that have sparked joy in viewers for decades, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” is no different. They never got their solo movies but thanks to Kevin Feige, they received more than that — “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” got a Disney+ exclusive miniseries that was not only deserving but packed with real world nuance and realism that proves Marvel Superheroes still fit everyday life and social issues. 

“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” takes place in 2023 right after “Avengers: Endgame.” The show follows Sam Wilson (The Falcon) along with Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier) as Sam struggles to take on the mantle that Steve Rogers left him with as Captain America. Bucky faces his own struggles of coping with his past mistakes while brainwashed by Hydra as the Winter Soldier. Together, they went on a wild ride trying to take back the mantle of Captain America from John Walker. This was no easy task whatsoever, and each episode kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more and more. I was worried when I saw there were only six episodes in this season but I was pleasantly surprised with how fast paced, detailed and jam-packed each episode was.

From immigration reforms to class struggles to international politics, the Captain America ideals were constantly tested throughout the entire series, as if Steve Rogers was still present in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Without him, the show presented an internal struggle that is not unlike what occurred in “Captain America: Civil War.” I especially love how this series managed to connect to so many real world issues and still incorporate the Marvel flare that each movie and show has. The storyline of this show was truly remarkable. 

Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier) and Anthony Mackie (The Falcon) both had an impeccable performance throughout the Series. Stan portrayed Bucky Barnes, and all his trauma beautifully. Barnes’ mental issues were very glossed over in the past Marvel movies so it was amazing to see how realistic stans’ portrayal was. Mackie absolutely brought a lot of his own fun and goofy personality into the character of Sam Wilson, which is always great to see in shows like this with such heavy topics. Mackie overall felt like a breath of fresh air throughout the series, no matter what was occurring in each episode Mackie made the show worth watching. Learning that Stan and Mackie do a lot of their own stunts was eye opening considering all the action packed fight scenes that occur throughout the series.

You will see by the end why Steve chose Sam. A great path for Sam Wilson lay ahead as the new Captain, but one well deserved for all the hard work and thoughtful creativity put out by the entire team at Marvel. I even found myself tearing up at multiple moments because of how relatable the pain and joy of the scenes are. This show is great for anyone that likes action, surprises, & enjoys a great selection of modern heroes. I would recommend if you haven’t seen a couple Avengers movies you do so before watching “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” All in all this show was absolutely amazing and a five star experience!