The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is likely to change the status quo of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there could be a chance the shakeup will be far greater than many suspect. With Disney's recent acquisition of 20th Century Fox, MCU fans eagerly await the debut of mutants to their favorite franchise. But what if there already is a mutant in the MCU in the form of the new Captain America?
The theory picks up on a plotline teased in Marvel Comics years ago. While Sam Wilson served as the superhero Falcon alongside his trusty sidekick Redwing -- a falcon he shared a telepathic bond with -- there had never been a hint about his powers having a mutant origin, at least until Charles Xavier entered the picture. After Xavier hinted that Wilson might be a mutant, and a Sentinel later identified him as one, the revelation seemed clear.
Of course, Sam's status as a mutant was later retconned as simply a malfunctioning Sentinel, and although his telepathic connection with Redwing remained a mainstay of the character, it never quite made the jump to the MCU. Instead, the primarily technologically-focused Falcon of the MCU nicknames his drone "Redwing" and treats it as a pet, winking at their comic book relationship without directly transferring it.
It's easy to dismiss the notion altogether that Sam Wilson might be a mutant, but the possibility still holds titillating potential. To those thinking that a connection between The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and the world of mutants seems unlikely, you need only to look at the leaked set photos revealing that Madripoor will be a featured location in the series. Madripoor is most notable as an X-Men-centric locale from the comics, serving as a hotbed of criminal underworld activity that Sam and Bucky will likely need to investigate during the course of their series.
The use of an X-Men setting shows that Marvel is already making moves to integrate mutants into their cinematic universe. There's no better way to kick that step up a notch than by revealing that a familiar and well-liked character is a mutant. Sure, if Hawkeye were to suddenly breathe fire or if Nick Fury started flying through the sky it might strain the preconceived notion of what those characters were. But Falcon talking to birds? It's far from transformative.
Changing up the powers of the characters they adapt is not an unprecedented move for the MCU. Both Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver had their powers tweaked in the jump from comic to film. At the time, Marvel had to stray away from using mutants as an explanation for people with enhanced abilities, so the twins' powers were instead tied in with the Infinity Stones and scientific experiments. It would be fitting for Marvel Studios to make up for explaining two X-Men as having an Avenger origin by turning the tables and giving an Avenger an X-Men origin.
The move would also help be a change of pace for Falcon's powerset, as his typical action-hero routine will feel a little redundant. Adding new powers could certainly spice up the action in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, giving Sam a unique gimmick to explore unlike any of the other heroes. Whatever the case may be, the possibility proves an exciting one for the direction the upcoming Disney+ series will take the MCU, and as long of a shot as it might be it could certainly hit the introduction of mutants out of the park.
Directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell and Daniel Brühl and will be available on Disney+ in fall 2020.