WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 6, "One World, One People," now streaming on Disney+.
In The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Carl Lumbly's Isaiah Bradley broke fans' hearts with his tragic story. As he revealed to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) more about how he was experimented on, betrayed by America and imprisoned despite being a war hero, Sam knew there was a responsibility on his shoulders to wield the shield to make a difference.
It got worse hearing how Isaiah lost the love of his life while he was in jail, all for helping out his colleagues, as part of a government conspiracy to keep the Super Soldiers under wraps. But after all this tragedy, in the Season 1 finale, Sam makes a big play that immortalizes Isaiah and restores his legacy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's history.
After donning his new suit from Wakanda, Sam embraces his role as the new Captain America, helping stop Karli and the Flag Smashers. He also gives an epic speech about unity, helping the poor and why the Global Repatriation Council needs to ax the Patch Act to fix a broken world after the Blip. Isaiah watches it all unfold on TV with his grandson, Eli, and it's clear they're inspired by what they're seeing and hearing.
Later on, Sam visits them and gets a rousing endorsement from Isaiah, who says that while he's no Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X, he's "special." Sam is proud of the compliment and admits that it'll take work, but he wants to get there just like these legends. However, first on his priority list is asking the Bradleys to make a trip with him, with their destination revealed to be the Smithsonian.
There, as they go past the displays with the likes of Steve Rogers and other brave soldiers who fought for the country, Isaiah sees something that leaves his jaw on the floor. Eli's stunned as well as they lay eyes on an exhibit that shows everything Isaiah did for America. There's even a statue of the vet, making it clear he's no longer a forgotten hero. It's all done so the public will remember that there was a Black Super Soldier way before Falcon took the shield up.
It leaves Isaiah in tears and he goes over to hug Sam, as he never thought he'd get this kind of acknowledgement in his life. Isaiah lost so much, not just friends and family, but bits of himself as a prisoner of his own country. Now, he's getting pieces of it back thanks to Sam, who wants the world to know what Isaiah did, what he suffered through and also, how he had to hide from the horrors of the past.
In the end, the honor is all Sam's. The way this story motivated him to become something bigger, that symbol and Sentinel of Liberty, he simply wants the symbol of Isaiah to spur the public to greatness as well. And in this glorious show of appreciation, it's abundantly clear that the idol isn't a blonde with blue eyes; it's a strong, powerful and brave Black man, one of many whose backs America was built on.
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 is available on Disney+.