Falcon and Winter Soldier News, Easter Eggs, Reviews, Recaps, Theories and Rumors

WARNING: The following contains constantly updated spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, now streaming on Disney+. If you are not caught up, stop reading now.

Following WandaVision's success is the Marvel Cinematic Universe's second Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as Sam Wilson, and Sebastian Stan returns as Bucky Barnes. The show is set six months after Avengers: Endgame, which ended with Captain America passing the shield to Sam; however, after the first episode, Sam believes that he shouldn't be the one to carry on the mantle, relinquishing the shield. Meanwhile, Bucky is coming to terms with a post-Hydra life. Along the way, the two will team up and deal with new and old obstacles, like U.S. Agent, the Flag Smashers and Helmut Zemo, while also dealing with the reality of their PTSD.

Debuting March 19, 2021 on Disney+, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier became the most streamed series on the service over the premiere's weekend, beating out WandaVision and The Mandalorian Season 2. It also was received well by critics, earning a 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which is higher than all three Captain America films, with The First Avenger having an 80 percent and The Winter Soldier and Civil War both having a 90 percent, setting it up to be a major entry in the MCU catalog.

Keep up to date on the MCU's second Disney+ series, including its release date, trailers, featurettes, plot and news, right here on CBR's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Hub Page.

Falcon and Winter Soldier Cast, Crew & Interviews

The series is directed by Kari Skogland, who has previously directed shows like The Handmaid's Tale, The Punisher, The Walking Dead and many more. The show runner is Malcolm Spellman, who previously wrote for Empire. Mackie and Stan are again returning to the MCU, as well as Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter and Daniel Brüh as Zemo. Don Cheadle has also made an appearance as James Rhodes in Episode 1.

The premiere also brought Danny Ramirez's Joaquín Torres and Wyatt Russell's John Walker, a.k.a. U.S. Agent, to the life on screen; meanwhile, Episode 2 introduced Carl Lumbly's Isaiah Bradley and Elijah Richardson's Eli Bradley for the first time. Other new characters include Miki Ishikawa's Leah, Adepero Oduye's Sarah Wilson, Dani Deetté's Gigi, Desmond Chiam's Dovich and Erin Kellyman's Karli Morgenthau. Julia Louis Dreyfus has also made her MCU debut as Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. For more information about the show from the cast and crew of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier themselves, the articles below cover their thoughts about the MCU series.

Falcon and Winter Soldier Reviews/Recaps

Falcon and Winter Soldier Easter Eggs and MCU References

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier already has a handful of Easter eggs and references to the comics and past MCU titles, including The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and many more. The show has brought a handful of comic characters to the screen for their first time, like with Joaquín Torres and U.S. Agent. It has also introduced its own interpretation of the Flag Smasher, who's been turned into a terrorist group instead of being a solo villain.

Along with these characters, the show is picking up the pieces of unfinished narratives in the MCU, with Sam relinquishing the shield Captain America passed on to him back in Endgame, the Flag Smashers trying to return the world to the way it was after Thanos' snap in Infinity War and even Bucky unintentionally continuing Black Widow's mission for atonement in his own personal way. There are also references and Easter eggs to the characters' respective comics, like Falcon's original comic powers and Bucky's time in space. Furthermore, the show has included references to other Marvel Comics characters, events and organizations, including a nod to the classic Iron Man villain, the Red Barbarian and the Power Broker. Below are some of the other Easter eggs and references CBR has been able to spot in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Falcon and Winter Soldier Theories and Rumors

After the first episode debuted, there were already rumors and theories about the direction in which the Disney+ series would take its titular heroes, with even its characters having theories about what happened to Steve Rogers after Endgame. Some theories connect the events and characters back to past villains and heroes -- like the Red Skull and Black Widow -- hoping that the series will continue these stories in new ways. Others are also trying to figure the whereabouts of Steve, with some believing he died after Endgame.

Whether it is about the antagonists -- U.S. Agent, the Flag Smashers and Zemo --- or about the titular heroes, there is a lot of room to play with beyond this initial season, and Kevin Feige acknowledges this, even though he has not confirmed a second season at the time of this writing. For instance, the show could introduce Eli Bradley's Patriot, make Bucky an agent of Wakanda, reveal Sharon to be the Power Broker or connect Madame Hydra to Secret Invasion, but these are all theoretical at the time of this writing. Below are some of directions in which the show could potentially go.

Directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Noah Mills, Carl Lumbly and Daniel Brühl. The series premieres March 19 on Disney+.

KEEP READING: Falcon and Winter Soldier Adds Content Warning for Real-World Violence