We continue to dive into the fourth phase of the Marvel universe with the series 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'.

It's hard to call The Falcon and the Winter Soldier just a series—it feels more like a continuation of the Captain America movies. The quality of the filming, the visuals, the direction, and the scale of what's happening on screen clearly point to a new format for Disney+. The show is nothing like WandaVision and already stands out not only for its action scenes but also for its character drama. Let's talk only about the details and Easter eggs that surprised or caught our attention the most, without recapping or analyzing the episode.

Sam Wilson

The way Sam irons his own shirt or tries to help his sister get a loan is the real everyday life of a non-superhero. We almost never see this side in the movies. But this will become a good distinguishing feature of the series.

Sam's partner is once again Redwing, a drone beloved by many fans. And right in the first episode, we get a cameo from Battlestar. By the way, there are plans for a separate series for him.

Joaquin Torres

Preparation for introducing a new superhero into the plot? Sam is again working for the government and is on a mission paired with Lieutenant Torres. His name is already familiar to comic book readers. According to the source material, he was experimented on, turned into a hybrid, after which he became the new Falcon.

So far, Torres has caught our attention with his references to fan theories—about a base on the Moon (we'll tell you a bit later)—and also his initiative. I think he will be a strong supporting character whom we will see again in future films.

Batroc. The Return.

The French pirate Georges Batroc, aka the Leaper, returns! And he does so in a maximally energetic, vigorous, clever way, and most likely for the long haul. If you didn't recognize him, he's the same mercenary who almost took down Steve Rogers on the ship in The Winter Soldier. In the series, he is part of a terrorist group that we have yet to get to know.

Batroc is an interesting and charismatic anti-hero. And it's nice to see that the series brings back already familiar characters, once again emphasizing that everything in Marvel is a single universe.

The Exhibition

For those who didn't get a good look at the exhibition dedicated to Captain America:

— a photo of Steve Rogers from the training camp, before he became a super-soldier;

— photos of Steve Rogers and Bucky from the First Avenger storyline;

— promotional posters from the WWII PR campaign;

— Captain America's motorcycle, complete with the original (non-round) shield;

— a list of the "vanished" after the Snap;

— Steve Rogers' costume.

Flag Smashers

So, we are introduced to a new interesting organization that opposes the American government. Their philosophy is that the world was better after Thanos's first snap. I suspect that in our real world, there would also be such characters. In the comics, this organization caused a lot of trouble, especially considering the presence of people with the serum in their ranks.

Where is Steve Rogers?

It seems that only a few people may know what actually happened to Steve Rogers. It seems like they hinted at his death. But they still didn't say it outright. Whether he will appear in the show later is the main mystery of the entire series. Many fans still hope for a cameo by Chris Evans.

Secret Base on the Moon

And here we move on to the fan theories that Joaquin voiced. The first theory is that Cap, as in the comics, flew off to a space base. This is most likely complete nonsense, but voicing this idea is a cool move. A bit of a rib at fans from the show's creators.

Bucky's Notebook

Bucky has chosen his path of redemption and is trying to fit into a world that has changed a lot since the forties. For example, he started keeping a notebook. But if Cap wrote down movies in his notebook, the Winter Soldier keeps a list of his mistakes that need to be corrected. Some of the names listed in the notebook are former Hydra figures. On another page are people or relatives who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Who among them is familiar to us from the comics?

— Rostov, aka the Red Barbarian, a former USSR general who for a time ran the Gulag where Bucky was imprisoned;

— PW Hauser, likely a reference to a Nazi named Wilhelm Hauser who fought Nick Fury in the comics;

— Zemo, the main villain of Civil War, who will definitely be reckoned with in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier;

— L. Kaminski, a Marvel comic book author and editor whose works included stories featuring Sam Wilson and John Walker;

— C. Kuznetsov, likely referring to a scientist from the comics who created a sentient robot for the USSR;

— S. Whitaker, one of the most prominent Marvel writers, who also wrote several Captain America stories.

An interesting detail—Bucky doesn't sleep on the bed. "So what?" you might say. But I'll say that this fact was mentioned by Sam "Falcon" in the movie when he talked about the consequences of his adaptation to life after the war.

Tony Pays for Everything

Sam Wilson and his sister Sara go to the bank to get a loan. And everything that happens leads to a funny conversation about how superheroes earn money. Have you ever thought about that? The bank representative suggests that Tony Stark paid for all the Avengers.

New Captain America

The first episode ends with the official debut of the new Captain America, best known to comic book readers as U.S. Agent. As in the comics, Walker was chosen not by Steve Rogers but by the U.S. government, which considers him the best representative of its ideals. Unfortunately, in the comics, Walker was actually corrupt and adhered to brutal methods. What he will be like in the series—we'll find out very soon.

Credits

In the credits, there are a couple of interesting details that we don't want to reveal yet to avoid spoilers. But it's worth drawing your attention to the super-soldier serum—a small blue vial.