Episode six of the Disney plus show just aired and boy did it set the MCU up for more drama than we the fans may not be ready for. Over this series Marvel has tackled some heavy topics such as people being displaced and called terrorist, thugs, or refugees. This reminds me of 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit the golf coast and wreaked havoc. The following few days, weeks and months words like that were used for people just trying to survive.
One and Done?
These words were used to describe the flag smashers. A group of displaced young super soldiers that were intent on changing the world by any means necessary. This will not be a review of the series just over all thoughts on the finale and what will be next now that we have some other news being announced about the future of the Captain America franchise. The flag smashers for all purposes seem to be a one and done group in the MCU.
Even though we see that they have people with eyes and bodies everywhere. Without their leader and now that things seem to be changing a bit. What would be the point? Would they be as strong without the leadership they had that just died? I think the appeal on a TV level works but for the big screen, I do not think it can work without making them feel secondary and uninteresting. Marvel has seemed to fix their villain problem over the last couple of years I think they should stick with what they are doing now.
Winter Soldier? No.. Call Me Bucky
Bucky, now that Hydra has no control of him, and he has made amends to everyone he needed to. Where does he go from here? I think his redemption arc continues. Captain America will always need a friend, brother in arms, side kick, whatever you want to label him. Now that he has no barriers it will be cool to see how he pursues life with his best friend gone (maybe) and his new best friend holding the mantel that he approved him getting.
US Agent
John Walker, the new US Agent. He received his black suit and pride back in the last episode. He went to the final battle looking for revenge on Karly but when the time came to either save a group of innocents or go for revenge. He chose to go for the save, he is being recruited to this new group (more on that later) but everything looks like we will see a lot more of him in the coming years. One of the questions I have is how will he control this rage that the serum puts him in?
He seems to be able to control his roid rage if he concentrates hard enough but when you are a part of a group and they are not listening, or the situation is not going your way. How will he react? We have seen him trying to work with other people and he lost his best friend, his title, got his arm broken, and lost himself in the process. His arc will be interesting and now it makes me wonder if he will cross paths with Bucky and Sam again and will the outcome be different for round two.
Thunderbolts
Val! I will not write down her forty names she has. Just the one she hates the most. In the comics she is a sleeper agent in Hydra for SHIELD. But here this looks like she is becoming a female version of Nick Fury and putting together a team that will not only be antigovernment but a group that will not listen to the borders of the accords. Now that Marvel has TV setting up the movies will make things a ton easier but also leave fun questions like this going into the movie part of phase four.
Black Falcon
Finally, we get to Sam Wilson! The black Falcon, no I mean the new freaking Captain America! After holding the shield in “Endgame” and being uncertain of if the shield truly belonged to him. We start this journey by him trying to honor his friend and mentor by hanging it up. Believing that no one else should ever hold the mantle that Steve Rogers held for many years. As we go on this journey with Sam, we see the burden, the pressure, and most importantly the pain.
After helping to defeat Thanos and keep everyone back from the snap even with his celebrity he still cannot get a loan from a bank. We see the fight between him and Bucky and Bucky not understanding that the shield represents a lot of good but so much bad as well. So many complexities that Sam was not sure he could deal with yet until he saw John Walker use the shield to kill a man.
Fresh To Death
Then he knew he was not just about him; it was about honoring the people before him and most importantly the people after him. The show did a great job of telling you how worthy Sam was of the mantle without having to say it. Bucky fighting so hard to preserve his old friends’ vision while understanding his new friends struggle about as mush as he can understand it. Zemo saying “I tried to warn Sam, but he is as stubborn as Steve Rogers.”
All the parallels of him refusing to fight Karly the same way Steve dropped the shield and refused to fight Bucky when he was not in his right mind. The opening moments when he throws the shield threw a widow and knocks out a flag smasher and a security guard ask him. “Who are you?” and he replies confident and swift with “I’m Captain America” lets you know that this newly announced fourth Cap movie that will feature Sam will be something amazing. As the new struggles will continue in an old world.
So, what is next? A new cap, a new supergroup that may or may not be government affiliated. Zemo is now on the loose again and by the way, why does everyone think the raft is so secure? Asking for a friend, a new bucky, and a new attitude Sharon Carter still wants revenge against a government that abandoned her. Oh yeah, we will talk about that in another article. Sounds to me like the pandemic is leaving and the MCU is back!
