The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (TFATWS) was another success out of Marvel Studios. It was action-packed, filled with laughs, and did a pretty great job of not only developing the titular characters but some of the side characters as well. However, as with many MCU properties, some fans had some gripes.

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While the overall show is wonderful, despite the massive reshoots and re-editing, there are some points that die-hard fans have taken issue with. Some of the items will likely be explained away in future movies and shows, but for now, fans are a bit irritated.

10 Sam Giving Up The Shield In The First Place

Falcon Sam Wilson Captain America Shield

Having the series start off with Sam immediately giving up the shield didn't sit right with a lot of fans, and it certainly wasn't appreciated by Bucky. However, the show did a good job of explaining the weight of Sam Wilson carrying the shield, and Sam does end up with it at the end of the day.

Fans felt betrayed after seeing Sam surrender the shield only for the government to turn around and give it to some random military guy. Fans knew U.S. Agent was coming, but besmirching the symbol of the shield along the way was disrespectful.

9 Made The Antagonist Seem too extreme To Avoid Fans Siding With Her

Karli Morgenthau flag smasher mask falcon and winter soldier

Karli Morgenthau was an inspirational leader for the Flag-Smashers and was doing a lot of good for displaced peoples after the Blip. Fans were starting to rally behind her before she unnecessarily murdered innocent people after she stole their supplies, even her team was surprised by this and they started to question her leadership.

Once their matriarch dies, Karli falls off the deep end and fans see a new side of her that completely conflicted with her initial character. It felt like an unnatural change, even with the events going on in her life. Her downward spiral ended abruptly after being shot by Agent Carter.

8 Constant Teasing of Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, & He Never Shows Up

Thaddeus Ross on the The Raft in the MCU

Thaddeus Ross was teased via the mid-credits montage before the formal credits rolled. Each time his name would appear as a key member of the team researching the Super Soldier Serum. His obsession with the formula was what ultimately led to the creation of the creature Abomination.

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The Raft, which is the supermax floating ocean pokey that Ross is in charge of is actually referenced and seen throughout the series. Fans were irritated that Ross never showed up, but the introduction of a new shadowy government character certainly helped cushion the blow.

7 Who is Val & Who Does She Work For?

Val from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, or Val, was introduced toward the end of the series as a savior for the newly disgraced John Walker. Val is a very mysterious woman who hands out blank business cards and provides nicknames that she doesn't want people to call her by. She appears to be a government official of sorts, but with no emblems, fans have no idea who she works for.

She even knows a lot of interesting secrets, such as the legal gray area over the ownership of Cap's shield. She is a quirky character that fans are hoping they get to see more of down the road. Rumors of her appearance in the Black Widow movie have been making the rounds, so perhaps fans will learn more about Val fairly soon.

6 The U.S. Government Did John Walker Dirty

John Walker at his trial in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

The U.S. government quite simply built up John Walker just so they could tear him down. While Walker is kind of a jerk and painted as an antagonist for most of the series, fans can't help but feel bad for the guy. After all, he never wanted to be Captain America, this job was thrust upon him and he constantly doubted that he was the right man for it.

After murdering one of the Flag-Smashers in broad daylight in retaliation for Lamar's death, Walker is stripped of his title, his military benefits, and his honor. Luckily for him, Val comes along to give him a shot at redemption. Walker's U.S. Agent will certainly return in a larger capacity, but it's a shame he had to lose so much to get to this point.

5 Steve Was Referenced, Didn't Show Up, Might Be On the Moon, & May Be Dead

Old man Steve on the Moon

Steve was referenced in the very first episode when Torres mentions rumors of Cap being on the moon. However, fans come to find out later that Steve is "gone." Many fans assume that the showrunners left this incredibly ambiguous in order for Marvel to do what they will with old man Steve, whether he is dead or on the moon.

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However, with so many references to Steve and so many visits to the Smithsonian, fans were a little surprised to not see Steve somewhere at some point in the show. With Chris Evans reportedly in talks with Marvel for two or more potential roles, fans may eventually find out where old man Steve was during TFATWS.

4 Took Fans To Madripoor, Didn't Introduce Any Mutants

Madripoor in the MCU

When fans heard that Madripoor would be playing a role in TFATWS they were looking forward to the introduction of mutants, considering this island nation is significant in the history of the X-Men. While fans were taken to classic locales such as The Princess Bar, no mutants ever showed up, at least not in an obvious way.

While most fans would agree that seeing a new Wolverine would have been too much, other characters such as Viper could have had minor cameos without distracting from the main plotline. While Madripoor was more of a misnomer this time around, fans are excited to return here for mutants.

3 Disney's Censorship Reduced Some Intensity

John Walker About to Murder Nico in Falcon and the Winter Soldier

While Disney has done an excellent job of facilitating MCU properties, they are still, at the end of the day, a family company. As such, they have to ensure their properties are not too offensive for the younger audience. While appropriate ratings and good parenting should be enough, Disney goes beyond that.

Most notably, during the scene where Walker kills Nico, fans barely see any physical contact before the camera cuts away, eventually revealing the bloodied shield. This partially diminished the emotional impact of Walker's loss. Additionally, the final tuberculosis subplot was added when the original virus subplot was removed for being too close to the real-world covid outbreak.

2 Why Re-Introduce the Super Soldier Serum Only to Destroy It & Its Creator?

zemo with super soldier serum falcon winter soldier

With the re-introduction of a new and improved version of the Super Soldier Serum, fans were curious to see how this new development would impact the future of the MCU. However, fans didn't get to speculate for long as every existing vial was either administered or destroyed and the creator was murdered by Zemo.

The only new-age Super Soldier still alive is John Walker and he appears to be on the side of good for the time being. While Marvel did need a new serum to successfully create U.S. Agent, it was weird to have the serum problem wrapped up by the end of the series.

1 The Power Broker "Reveal" Remains Completely Ambiguous

sharon carter

Some fans took the final scene with Sharon Carter as confirmation for her being the Power Broker, while true Marvel fans are waiting for the other shoe to drop. Batroc calling her the Power Broker is pretty much what inexperienced fans are hanging their hats on, despite Sharon never confirming or denying.

However, fans should recall that Zemo refers to the Power Broker as a man and suggests that he has been in Madripoor for a long time, presumably longer than five years. While this male figure could be a ruse, it doesn't make sense for the Power Broker to be making the phone call in the final end credits scene, the Power Broker would likely be answering that type of call. Until Marvel explains this situation further or comes out and confirms one way or the other, fans will just have to wait and see.

NEXT: 10 Easter Eggs Everyone Missed In The Falcon & The Winter Soldier