Now we've had a short post-WandaVision breather, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will start on March 19 – and the first reactions to the show are looking incredibly positive. In fact, many of the notices from these select critics are praising the show for how much it feels like a Marvel movie.
First up, the show is described as having "significant MCU consequences", with the first 47-minute episode (with credits) kicking off with a big action scene:
First episode of Falcon and The Winter Soldier feels like a Marvel movie in a big way, a lot more so than Wandavision (not a knock). The opening action screen feels like a huge MCU action sequence (and not a tv fight), story feels like it has significant MCU consequences.March 12, 2021
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier sounds like it'll be much more than just Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) exchanging wisecracks, too, with the show going deeper into the wounds left behind in the post-Thanos era. One tweet describes episode 1 of the Disney Plus series as a 'solid set up':
The Falcon & The Winter Soldier Episode 1 is a solid set up to what I hope will be a very interesting series. The Post-Blip MCU is in full effect & no one is okay. So far it's a show of action & intrigue, but also trauma & regret. I think it's gonna dig deeper than we expected. pic.twitter.com/h3oguAS8HnMarch 12, 2021
As you might expect, critics are also pointing out that the show is extremely different to WandaVision's mix of sitcom and MCU action. Intriguingly, one tweet suggests the show has "Iron Man vibes", despite the backdrop of the show otherwise being similar to that of a Captain America movie. You can also expect a lot more depth to be drawn out of the series' two leads, something previously limited by the screen time of the MCU films.
Early #TheFalconAndWinterSoldier review (embargo has lifted):-It's everything you want from Marvel. -Iron Man vibes/tone in Captain America setting.-Adds a ton of depth to characters. -Excited for where the show heads next. -It's VERY different than #WandaVision.March 12, 2021
It sounds like this series digs in to how Bucky is reckoning with his past actions as the Winter Soldier, while Sam is trying to work out what life looks like after the events of Avengers: Endgame.
The first episode of #TheFalconAndWinterSoldier is loaded with action that you’d expect to see in an MCU movie. But for me the best stuff were the quiet scenes that showed Bucky dealing with his past and Falcon trying to figure out his post-blip life. Big thumbs up. pic.twitter.com/LZeM45EovfMarch 12, 2021
You won't have to wait long to see what it is these critics are alluding to – The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 1 drops this Friday, with new episodes following weekly thereafter.
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Time to shine
These early reactions dial in on the point of these MCU shows. Aside from selling copious amounts of Disney Plus subscriptions, they let characters who always deserved more of a spotlight finally get it – WandaVision delved deep into the relationship between its leads in a way that was only touched upon briefly in Avengers: Infinity War.
For Sam and Bucky, it's largely the same deal. Both characters got the most attention in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, where we witnessed the torture Bucky experienced as HYDRA's assassin, and also got a glimpse of Sam's life as a veteran helping others deal with PTSD. After that, the characters spent most of their time fighting aliens or other Avengers.
This show, then, will hopefully give each character the sort of development we saw Steve Rogers get across the MCU films.
