Debuting in 1941, Captain Steve Rogers/Captain America, became one of Marvel Comics’ most recognisable and celebrated known for his super patriotism. As today is Independence Day, this is the perfect excuse to pay tribute to the star-spangled Avenger.
Writer: Mark Gruenwald – Artist: Tom Morgan
Story Title: “The Choice” Published: 5 May 1987 (cover-dated: August 1987)
Story Title: “The Replacement” Published: 2 June 1987 (cover-dated: September 1987)
Story Title: “Basic Training” Published: 30 June 1987 (cover-dated: October 1987)
The Review: Things kick off with William Musico/Warhead parachuting to the Washington Monument to unfurl a pro-war message and threatening to detonate a miniature nuclear device if America doesn’t declare war on someone (“The Arabs, the Libyans–maybe even the Russkies!”) by midnight. Despite his rations blowing away, Warhead fires on the curious crowd and the cops and even tosses a grenade at a police helicopter, boasting his nuke is from Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) and disgusted by how spineless the United States has become. Meanwhile, Captain America visits the Pentagon, enduring their stringent security checks to meet with General Wexler to discuss a run-in he (as in Cap) had with Lieutenant Michael Lynch, G.I. Max, and the shady “Division N”. Cap voices a formal protest about the United States military sanctioning Lieutenant Lynch’s efforts to create his super soldiers with Curtiss Jackson/The Power Broker. Though General Wexler denies this, he promises to investigate and notes that Cap’s a bit sensitive about super soldiers before a couple of Federal agents escort Cap to a clandestine meeting with various governmental and military heads. Under the direct order of the President of the United States, this “Commission” investigates super-powered individuals and slapped together the dubious Freedom Force (a team of superhuman ex-cons) to act in the Avengers’ stead, raising Cap’s suspicions further. As Cap volunteered to be part of “Project: Rebirth” in 1941, which was funded by the government, and was its sole success, and as Cap was charged to act in the interests of the President and all his gear is proved by the United States government, the Commission believes that Cap works for them as per his contract.
Cap reluctantly gives up his mantle and duties when the government makes outrageous demands.
Although Cap maintains that he has been fulfilling his duties as an Avenger and through his work with the Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage and Law-Enforcement Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.), the Commission takes umbrage to this and states those are not the same as serving his country. Seeking to rectify this, the Commission demands that Cap only do as they direct, threatening to make him return the taxpayers’ $1 million he recently obtained (and spent establishing his “computer hotline”) and to replace him if he refuses. Stunned by all this, Cap asks for time to consider the proposal mandate, which the Commission grants despite finding the idea of him having to think at all preposterous. Returning home, Cap calls a few friends (most of whom are out) and is basically told that it’s a bit unfair, a bit suspect, and that he’ll make the right decision. While Cap doesn’t believe he’d be asked to do anything “Unamerican”, he believes he’d have to quit the Avengers and the hotline, worries he might be assigned to the Freedom Force and would have to turn to Anthony “Tony” Stark/Iron Man for a loan, and recalls the displeasure he felt when he previously abandoned his mantle and Roscoe Simons became Captain America. While Cap wrestles with his choices, John Walker/Super-Patriot is encouraged to tackle Warhead for some free publicity, shrugging off his bullets thanks to his Kevlar uniform and tossing the fanatic to an explosive end. Cap reads about this on his way back to the Commission where, after weighing the pros and cons and realising he’s letting people down either way, he regretfully handles over his shield and uniform. Refusing to compromise his ideals and feeling his must represent the American people and the “American Dream”, he gives Captain America back to the government, leaving the Commission outraged.
Outspoken Cap critic John Walker is picked to take up the star-spangled mantle.
Although General Lewis Haywerth is angered that they cannot court-martial Steve since he’s technically not part of the military, Henry Gyrich suggests imposing sanctions to prevent him from using the name or similar equipment and even advocates for restricting the Avengers’ actions if they don’t kick Steve out. Valerie Cooper steers the discussion towards Steve’s replacement, eager to get a new Captain America out there to avoid a public relations catastrophe. General Haywerth states that their two top candidates, Hank Simpson/Nuke and the unnamed G.I. Max, are off the table due to becoming a psychopathic super soldier and being killed, respectively. Jack Monroe/Nomad and Sam Wilson/The Falcon are ruled out for being Steve’s friends (and because “the country [isn’t] ready for a black Captain America”), and they doubt Nick Fury would give up his duties as head of S.H.I.E.L.D. for the gig. It’s Cooper who suggests Super-Patriot, largely based on his recent headline heroics, which have made him the talk of the town. A simple, self-made man at the peak of human physicality, Walker basks in the spotlight and sees himself as the future – a “strong, decisive national hero” – as opposed to a “fuddy-duddy” like Cap. Walker meets Cooper and, though he briefly hesitates, he unmasks and gives her some of his background. Born and raised in Custer’s Grove, Georgia, Walker was inspired to join the military after his brother died in Vietnam. After failing as a soldier, Walker signed on for the Power Broker’s treatment and gained incredible physical strength. Walker planned to become a pro wrestler to pay the Power Broker’s fee before Ethan Thurm encouraged him to don a star-spangled outfit as the Super-Patriot. Since he’s been outspoken about Cap’s outdated values, Walker’s amazed at the irony of Cooper offering him the shield and, while he’s reluctant to leave behind the Super-Patriot, he jumps at the chance to be the symbol America needs.
Though joined by Lemar, Walker struggles to match the skill of his predecessor.
Ethan’s equally gobsmacked but encourages Walker to make a list of demands to ensure they’re both well compensated, though Walker’s doubtful the government will acquiesce. Eager to learn why Cap quit, Walker leaves a message through the hotline to meet at Abraham Lincoln’s memorial, only for Cap to no-show and Walker’s buddies – Hector Lennox/Left-Winger, Jerome Johnson/Right-Winger, and Lemar Hoskins/Battlestar, the Bold Urban Commandos/BUCKies – playfully jump him and he promises to do right by them. Two days later, Walker hands Thurm’s demands to the Commission and dons the iconic outfit with a sense of unease. Cooper then has the Freedom Force – Dominikos Petrakis/Avalanche, Frederick Dukes/The Blob, and St. John Allerdyce/Pyro – test the new Cap. Showcasing incredible superhuman speed and dexterity, Walker dances around the Mutants’ powers, losing his shield taking out Pyro and flooring Avalanche with a dropkick before being manhandled by the bulbous Blob. Luckily, Cooper stops the exercise before Walker’s killed and orders John to review footage of his predecessor to better hone his abilities. Although the Commission order Walker to drop Thurm and only approve Lemar as his Bucky, Walker readily agrees to take the job, though struggles to understand how Steve had such skill with the shield and laments that the only person who could teach him is his predecessor. Still, Cooper’s convinced that Walker’s the right man and enlists hardened drill sergeant Don Simmons to organise additional training. Although Walker just about manages to throw the shield properly, he’s tagged by rubber bullets and Sergeant Simmons chastises his lack of finesse and bullish approach, much to Walker’s frustration. To make matters worse, Walker and Lemar face hazing from the Freedom Force, who antagonise them like high schoolers, though Walker brushes off their abuse and encourages Bucky to keep his cool. However, Walker’s annoyed to learn that Thurm surreptitiously got Cooper’s number from him and has been badgering her with calls, much to her frustration.
Walker’s rightfully ashamed of how poorly he handles things compared to the old Cap.
Cap and Bucky are next tested to a game of “capture the flag” against some trainee Guardsman (armour-clad soldiers working for the U.S. military), ending up outclassed due to their inexperience. Frustrated by their performance, Walker visits Thurm, only to be enraged when his slighted former manager threatens to expose his secret identity (and news of Steve’s walk out) unless Walker pays him $1 million. Refusing Lemar’s suggestion that they beat Thurm up so he can’t talk and unwilling to tell Cooper of the threat or ask for help, Walker resolves to emulate his predecessor and solve the problem himself. Sergeant Simmons then presents Cap with the perfect sparring partner: Anthony Masters/Taskmaster, a Grim Reaper-like mercenary with “photographic reflexes” that make him essentially a near-perfect replica of the original Cap. Grateful to the villain for improving his skills, despite his earlier reservations, Walker laments seeing Taskmaster in shackles but comes up with a plan to take care of Thurm. Walker and Lemar borrow Guardsman armours and snag Thurm from a nearby bar. Naturally, Lennox and Johnson leap to their friend’s defence and Lemar’s careful not to hurt his buddies too badly as Walker threatens Thurm outside the bar. Although the armour augments their already incredible strength, Walker and Lemar struggle to work them, leading Johnson to best Lemar. While trying to save his friend, Walker accidentally blasts Johnson, critically wounding him; Walker and Lemar are then forced to flee before the cops show up. Walker chastises his foolishness and for being a poor replacement for Steve. However, when Cooper questions him about the missing armour, Walker resists the urge to lie and comes clean, despite knowing it could cost him his new gig (spoilers: it doesn’t).
Final Thoughts: These issues represent a significant turning point in Cap’s career. Sure, Steve may have quit before, but I’d wager this is one of the most notable times when he was forced to. Steve’s right to question why the Commission are suddenly coming after him for not fulfilling his duties as Captain America in a way they approve of, with the only explanation being that previous administration hadn’t bothered to do so. For Steve, the matter is simple: he works to safeguard lives as a solo masked hero or by working with the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. and figures this protects America’s values. However, due to a bunch of political nonsense and red tape, he turns out to be wrong and the Commission demand that he starts following their specific instructions or be stripped of his uniform. They also threaten to recoup the taxpayers’ money paid to him, threatening his efforts serve the community, and strongarm the Avengers into giving him the boot. However, despite all these threats and the iron-clad nature of his governmental contract, Steve is far too righteous and noble to compromise his integrity and gives up Captain America, refusing to be another governmental stooge and disappearing after walking out. Steve Rogers casts a long, dark shadow, however, one that haunts John Walker throughout the story. Walker pours over hours of footage of his predecessor every chance he gets, lamenting that he lacks the same physical skill and superhuman finesse of the old Cap and pushing himself to live up to (and surpass) his legacy. Walker’s immediately presented as a flawed individual, one more interested in the glory and the spotlight than heroics. Thurm must practically beg him to get involved with the Warhead situation and, even then, Walker almost walks away a couple of times and just tosses the bomber to his death.
Despite his dedication, Walker cannot hope to live up to Steve’s daunting legacy.
Having criticised Cap in the past, Walker jumps at the chance to prove he’s the symbol that 1987 America needs, only to immediately be shown to be lacking compared to his predecessor. Although Walker’s driven and determined (obsessed, even) to out-do his predecessor, his approach is very different and sees him constantly underperform in training scenarios, despite the praise often heaped his way. Lemar is Walker’s only confidante and even he can see that Walker’s pushing himself too far, reasoning that they’re doing their best and must be doing something right as they’re being kept around. Walker has the strength and speed for the role but lacks experience and compensates with a more bullish approach. Even when Walker slows down and considers what his predecessor would do, he misses the mark widely, deciding to steal Guardsman armours to rough up Thurm rather than come clean to Cooper. Walker then fails to get accustomed to the armour, nearly kills Johnson, and ends up being honest with Cooper anyway, despite being tempted to lie. This was a surprising decision considering how badly he screwed over Thurm and the BUCKies, leaving them in the lurch (except for Lemar) to be suited up as the “new and improved” Captain America. Thus, Walker’s bad decisions come back to haunt him and force him to take drastically, decidedly un-Captain America actions, which no doubt exacerbates his doubts and the pressure he’s placing on himself in the role. Ultimately, I quite liked the juxtaposition between Walker and Steve, even if Steve doesn’t feature in Walker’s story beyond leaving behind some big shoes to fill. Walker is very much depicted as an imperfect individual, one with a lot of rough edges, but who’s determined to do his best, even if he has a massive chip on his shoulder that’ll ultimately be his undoing.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Pretty Good
Did you enjoy John Walker’s first outing as Captain America? Do you think Steve was right to walk away from the role or should he have obeyed the Commission’s demands? Are you a fan of Walker’s or do you find him a pompous and grating character? Who would you have preferred to see succeed Steve? Can you name some of your favourite John Walker moments? How are you celebrating Independence Day today? Whatever your thoughts, drop a comment below and donate to my Ko-Fi to suggest other Captain America stories for me to cover.
First appearing in 1941, Captain Steve Rogers/Captain America, became one of Marvel Comics’ most recognisable and celebrated characters not just for his super patriotism but also for being a prominent member and leader of Marvel’s premier super team, the Avengers. As today is Independence Day, this is the perfect excuse to pay tribute to the star-spangled Avenger.
Story Title: “The Winter Soldier” (Part 1 to Conclusion) Published: 20 July 2005 (cover-dated: September 2005) to 1 February 2006 (cover-dated: April 2006) Writer: Ed Brubaker Artist: Steve Epting and Michael Lark
The Background: By 1941, World War Two was in full swing and, after Nazi Germany invaded Denmark and Norway, the United States finally joined the fight to oppose the triumvirate “Axis powers” of Germany, Japan, and Italy. The ever-escalating conflict meant patriotism and national pride were high in America and Joe Simon and the legendary Jack Kirby capitalised by having Captain America and his kid sidekick, James Buchanan Barnes/Bucky, take the fight to the Axis and encourage readers to support the War. After the War ended, superheroes declined in popularity and Captain America’s solo title was cancelled in 1954. However, he got a new lease of life when he was recast as a “man out of time” and joined the Avengers. For decades, Bucky was one of the few comic book characters whose death seemed permanent but that all changed with this story arc. It was writer Ed Brubaker, fresh off reinventing Cap’s comics as espionage thrillers, who dreamed up the idea of reviving Bucky as part of a life-long desire to reinvent him as a brainwashed, special ops soldier. Although Captain America editor Tom Brevoort initially opposed the idea, he eventually relented when Brubaker pitched the idea as recontextualising Cap’s greatest failure and crafting a new anti-hero for readers to connect with. “The Winter Soldier” was widely praised and is seen as one of the greatest Captain America stories ever told. It also reinvented Bucky for a modern age and set him up to assume the Captain America mantle later down the line. The story was so influential that it was adapted into videogames, cartoons, and brought to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Sebastian Stan receiving critical acclaim for his portrayal of the character.
The Review: Our story begins way back in 1945 in an experimental Soviet submarine floundering in the English Channel. There, we find the crew intercepting coded messages from Nazi Germany confirming that Captain America was blown up over the Channel Islands and, accordingly, they move to intercept and discover a heavily injured, one-armed survivor floating in the sea. We then jump to the Helicarrier, the flying battleship headquarters of the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate (S.H.I.E.L.D.), where Nick Fury and Sharon Carter/Agent 13 show Cap photographic evidence of his old partner, Bucky, appearing older and alive and well despite seemingly perishing in that aforementioned explosion. Naturally, Cap isn’t just sceptical, he’s in full-blown denial, believing it must be some kind of trick and refusing to entertain the idea that his friend is not only alive but responsible for a horrific act of terrorism in Philadelphia. Specifically, a devastating bomb attack that saw Cap clash with Advanced Idea of Destruction (A.I.D.) whose beekeeper agents appeared to recover the tech, mercilessly gunning down any survivors, and set their Military Operatives Designed Only for Combat (MODOC) Squad on Cap. His skills tested by the seemingly semi-cybernetic ninjas as they quickly adapted to his superhuman abilities, Cap nevertheless bested his foes, though was wounded by a knife to the gut. Distracted by the wound, Cap was almost picked off by a MODOC soldier but was unexpectedly saved by a mysterious man in a domino mask and sporting a cybernetic arm, whom Cap recognised as his old partner, seemingly back from the dead and with no memory of his real name. Though his mysterious saviour fled, Cap’s told by Fury that he’s cropped up across the world over the decades as the “Winter Soldier”, a near mythical assassin for the Committee for State Security (KGB) who’s said to be kept in suspended animation between jobs. Unable to deny the evidence, Cap first lashes out and then commits to Fury’s plan to find Aleksander Lukin, the man behind the Philadelphia attack, and relieve him of his Cosmic Cube, dealing with the Winter Soldier if and when he crops up along the way.
Already frustrated by bureaucracy, Cap’s distraught to learn of Bucky’s horrendous fate.
While Brock Rumlow/Crossbones picks off soldiers stationed at a “re-education facility” and kidnaps the amnesiac Synthia Schmidt, daughter of the Red Skull, to set up a future conflict, Cap and Sharon prepare to drop into Mongolia but find their relationship strained since, just the day before, Sharon raged at Cap for recommending she be kept off the mission. Although Steve argued that he was trying to avoid her going off on a vendetta since her boyfriend was killed in the Philadelphia attack, she believes he was trying to keep her from killing Bucky and remained steadfast in his belief that the overwhelming evidence against his former friend was either faked or a misunderstanding. It doesn’t help that, two days previously, Fury confided to Steve that the mission isn’t authorised by the United States government, primarily due to all the “red tape” and diplomatic drama Lukin caused with his own little empire, Kronas International, on the Mongolian border. Cap, Sharon, Fury, and a S.H.E.I.L.D. squad storm Kronas, setting aside their grievances to fight their way inside, only to find Lukin hosting a meeting with high-ranking American politicians! Though ordered to stand down, Cap is aghast to find they’re brokering an oil pipeline deal with Lukin and refuse to believe he’s anything other than a lucrative businessman since all the evidence points to a convenient patsy, Jack Marlow. Forced to leave and unable to act since Lukin has diplomatic immunity, Cap stews on the ride home though he, Sharon, and Fury vow to topple the maniac one way or another. Luckily for them, a dossier mysteriously vanishes from Lukin’s office and ends up in Cap’s apartment. The document details how the injured Bucky was saved from death by the freezing water, revived by Soviet doctors, and suffered from brain damage that left him only with the instinct to fight. Though dismayed to find he wasn’t subjected to the super soldier serum, Bucky was kept in stasis and later fitted with his prosthetic arm. Bucky was then subjected to invasive brainwashing, reconditioned to become a loyal soldier and assassin for the Soviets, and easily assassinated high profile targets as the Winter Soldier. The dossier explains, in great detail, the Winter Soldier’s early missions, which were all completed successfully, and that he was kept in stasis since his mental state became increasingly unstable while conscious and threatened to undo their brainwashing.
Bucky’s violent past as the Winter Soldier causes tension between Cap and Sharon.
This came to a head in 1973 when, after assassinating his latest target, the Winter Soldier fled across America. Desperate to retrieve him, the Soviets aggressively interrogated anyone they could before finally following his erratic movements to New York City. Although he was apprehended, the incident rattled the Soviets and they decided not to deploy the Winter Soldier on American soil. The Winter Soldier was next charged with safeguarding Major General Vasily Karpov, who was highly suspicious of his “bodyguard” because of his background, though he took a perverse pleasure in the irony of an American protecting him. After successfully mitigating America’s efforts to invade the Middle East for about five years, the Winter Soldier was decommissioned and left to rot in an undisclosed location alongside other abandoned experiments. Disturbed by the dossier, Steve calls Fury and Sharon to discuss it further, believing Lukin used the Cosmic Cube to deliver the dossier to taunt him. Fury takes the document to be verified, though both he and Steve are confident that it’s accurate. Although Sharon believes that Bucky is lost to decades of Soviet brainwashing, Steve is adamant, based on the evidence, that a part of Bucky’s true self is still alive. Steve’s emotions are heightened by memories of when he and Bucky were celebrated War heroes. Back then, Bucky was an enthusiastic and thrill-seeking teenager in contrast to Steve’s more sombre respect for the harsh reality of war. Steve also remembers when he first met Bucky, then a plucky kid with some impressive fighting skills. Though initially hesitant because of his age, Steve agreed to take Bucky as his partner to inspire teenagers to sign up to the Army. Back in the present day, Steve and Sharon continue to butt heads and morals regarding the Winter Soldier: while Sharon believes he should be killed for his crimes, Steve refuses to entertain the idea that Bucky was anything other than an unwilling puppet.
Falcon and Iron Man help Cap track down the Cosmic Cube, which is guarded by the Winter Soldier.
Meanwhile, Lukin hosts a bidding war for his Cosmic Cube, proving its reality-bending power not just by manipulating the bidders to attend but also compelling them to sign documents to make their corporations subsidiaries of Kronas. However, during a recess, Lukin stumbles and appears physically drained by the Cosmic Cube and is driven into a violent rage when his aide dares to caution against its use. While racing across the city rooftops, Cap also finds his emotions in turmoil, desperately willing himself to get it together to save his former partner. He remembers another time when the two were fighting through the Netherlands in pursuit of the Red Skull and they were horrified when their enemy sent boobytrapped prisoners of war to curtail their counterattack. Cap’s thoughts are interrupted by his friend and former partner, Sam Wilson/The Falcon, who offers Steve a friendly ear and speculates that there’s more going on with Lukin and the Winter Soldier. Unlike the sceptical Sharon and Fury, the Falcon agrees to help Steve save Bucky and the two bring in Anthony “Tony” Stark/Iron Man to raid an A.I.D. facility. Though they encounter some resistance from a gigantic, weaponised mech suit, the three subdue their targets and force them to hand over the means to track the Cosmic Cube. Thanks to Tony’s tech, the three discover that the Cosmic Cube is heading to a Kronas research facility, unaware that Lukin has tasked the Winter Soldier with spiriting the Cosmic Cube far away and burying it, believing it to be cursed. Unfortunately, Tony’s unable to accompany them as recent corporate shenanigans would make it look bad for him if he was seen tangling with Kronas. Thus, Steve and Sam head out by themselves (though, once she finds out about it all, Sharon organises a strike team) unaware that the Winter Soldier has taken up a sniping position.
After a brutal slugfest, Cap restores Bucky’s memories with the Cosmic Cube.
Despite having the two dead to rights, the Winter Soldier misses a kill shot when the Falcon’s given a head’s up by the local birds and, his position compromised, calls in some backup to hold the gate. Undeterred, Cap charges through the troops, leaving the Falcon to cover his rear, and finally comes face-to-face with the Winter Soldier. Naturally, a brutal fist fight ensues during which Cap repeatedly tries to reason with his former friend and bring him to his senses and the Winter Soldier stubbornly refuses to listen to Cap’s words. Evenly matched, with the Winter Soldier’s bionic arm countering Cap’s vibranium shield, Bucky’s enraged by Cap’s repeated pleas, the fight spilling the two further into the facility. Realising that the Winter Soldier is determined to kill him, Cap surrenders and dares Bucy to pull the trigger. Sharon and the Falcon arrive in time to see not only the shot but also Cap’s superhuman reflexes; Steve dodges the bullet and tosses his shield, causing it to ricochet off the walls and knock he Cosmic Cube from the Winter Soldier’s grasp. Despite the Falcon earlier warning that no one has ever made the Cosmic Cube to work properly, Cap retrieves the artifact and utters a simple request: “Remember who you are”. Thanks to the Cosmic Cube’s reality warping powers, the Winter Soldier is bombarded by memories of both his past before he became an assassin and his time carrying working for the Soviets. Though Sharon’s ready to kill the Winter Soldier while he’s vulnerable, Cap talks her down and moves to comfort his traumatised friend. Overwhelmed by his actions and coming to his senses, Bucky lashes out in anger and remorse and grabs the Cosmic Cube, seemingly atomising himself as penance for his actions. However, Cap’s suspicions that Bucky’s still alive are quickly shown to be true, though Bucky’s left distressed by the ordeal. The story then ends with the reveal that Lukin shares his consciousness with the disembodied Red Skull, who chastises him for disposing of the Cosmic Cube and vows to assert full control in time.
The Summary: This is my first time reading the “Winter Soldier” arc and I have to say that it lived up to the hype. Although I’m not the biggest fan of this art style, which was quite prominent in Marvel Comics at the time, it really adds to the mood and tension of the story. The arc is much more of a thriller than an all-out action piece, and a meditation on Captain America’s past and moral compass. As such, there isn’t really a primary villain for him to sink his fists into (an explosive scruffle with A.I.D’s mech is the best we get in this regard) and Cap instead battles more powerful enemies, such bureaucracy and international law. Despite possessing the Cosmic Cube, a device whose power is limited only by the wielder’s imagination (and their ability to keep a strong grip on it), Aleksander Lukin is more of an untouchable manipulator than a physical threat. As related by the Red Skull, Lukin never used the Cosmic Cube to its fullest extent, wary of its power and limited himself to small, controllable actions to mitigate its side effects. Indeed, the moment he experiences negative effects from wielding the Cosmic Cube, Lukin orders the Winter Soldier to dispose of it and is relieved to be rid of it. Still, Lukin remains a despicable villain, perpetrating horrendous acts of terrorism and hiding behind diplomatic immunity, making him the perfect foil for Captain America, who’s unable to bring Lukin to justice lest he spark a global conflict. Seen as a master manipulator who uses mind games and tricks to rile up his foes, Lukin otherwise hides behind his public façade and colludes with other, more disreputable forces (such as the Winter Soldier) to carry out his darker aspirations in secret.
Cap’s emotions are all over the place thanks to Lukin’s machinations and Bucky’s reappearance.
Consequently, “The Winter Soldier” would’ve been an extremely trying and aggravating time for Captain America even without Bucky’s involvement. Steve claims to be level-headed and focused on the mission but repeatedly loses his cool throughout the story thanks to Lukin’s machinations and his inner dialogue shows a man wrestling with his emotions. He has many outbursts over these issues, putting an aggressive beating on A.I.D’s forces and lashing out at both Fury and Sharon when they try to get him to see sense. The only person he doesn’t flip out on is the Falcon, who loyally stands by his side and takes his side even if he has his own doubts about the situation and the Winter Soldier. Cap’s shown to be in deep denial over the whole situation, first refusing to believe that Bucky is still alive, then refusing to believe that he’s a Soviet assassin, and stubbornly refusing to entertain Sharon’s arguments about killing the Winter Soldier or that there isn’t some part of Bucky still alive inside the killer. He’s partially right about this but I wonder if Bucky would’ve regained his senses without Cap using the Cosmic Cube and the story is very ambiguous about this, allowing the reader to see all sides of the argument. It helps that Sharon has a fully justified argument for killing the Winter Soldier. However, while is he responsible for many deaths over the years, Sharon’s judgement is clouded by her personal feelings since Bucky killed her boyfriend. Simultaneously, there’s no doubt that Cap is also biased towards Bucky and, believing he failed the boy by both involving him in his life and causing his condition, Cap’s determined to “save” Bucky, even if it means going against his present-day allies. Numerous flashbacks further reinforce this, showcasing Bucky’s incredible aptitude for fighting, his infectious enthusiasm, and how the atrocities of war affected him over time. Cap’s always carried a great deal of guilt and regret about Bucky’s death so it’s a shock to see his partner alive and turned into a mindless weapon and Cap sees it as a chance for redemption, both for himself and for his young friend. Cap believes so blindly in Bucky that he eventually refuses to fight and leaves his life in the assassin’s hands, then braves severe consequences by wielding the unstable Cosmic Cube to restore Bucky’s memories to the fractured Winter Soldier.
Bucky was totally reinvented as a bad-ass, tortured assassin.
Of course, the star of the show here is the titular Winter Soldier. At the time, I was sceptical about bringing Bucky back since he was one of the rare comic book characters who seemed destined to be dead forever. However, just like when DC Comics brought Jason Todd/Robin back as the Red Hood, retconning Bucky to have survived that explosion was a genius move that not only added new layers to Cap’s characterisation but also brought a bad-ass new anti-hero into Marvel Comics. Sporting long hair, a stoic visage, a form-fitting leather outfit, and an awesome robotic arm, the Winter Soldier cuts an intimidating and mysterious figure that’s only enhanced by his decades of assassinations. Restored to life and brainwashed by the Soviets, Bucky was transformed into a living weapon, a “blank slate” they could program to kill anyone they wished, one who easily infiltrated their enemy’s ranks since he looked and sounded just like them. Depicted as a natural fighter whose first instinct is to fight, the Winter Soldier is a keen marksman and an adept assassin, eliminating numerous targets when activated and easily holding his own against Cap despite lacking superhuman abilities. However, the Winter Soldier’s psyche is fractured, his mental state unstable, and he was frequently noted to be unreliable when activated for too long. When deployed on American soil, the Winter Soldier became confused and almost escaped his Soviet masters, ultimately leading to him being mothballed. It’s not made clear how and why he was released from captivity, but Bucky’s appearance causes a great deal of turmoil for Cap and their encounters cause confusion and anger in the unstable assassin. Obviously, much of Bucky’s past and future was cleared up in subsequent stories but this was a fantastic revival of the character, one that turned Cap’s life upside down and forever transformed Bucky from a plucky, annoying kid sidekick into a sexy, bad-ass killer.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Great Stuff
Have you ever read the “Winter Soldier” arc? If so, what were your thoughts and what did you think to Bucky being revived? Do you think Sharon was right and that Bucky should’ve been put down? Did you enjoy seeing Cap wrestle with his guilt and conflicting morals? What did you think to the Winter Soldier’s look and backstory? Can you name some of your favourite Winter Soldier moments? How are you celebrating Independence Day today? Whatever your thoughts, drop a comment below and be sure to check out my other Captain America content across the site!
The Background: For decades, few videogame publishers were as synonymous with Marvel Comics as Activision, who produced adaptations Marvel’s most popular properties. While some were better than others, Activision’s efforts were largelypraised, especially after they partnered with Raven Software on the X-Men Legends games (2004; 2005). Activision and Raven Software expanded their scope to the rest of the Marvel universe with Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006), a largely successful team-based brawer praised for improving upon its predecessors. Though now delisted, it was followed by a sequel three years later, courtesy of Vicarious Visions, which tweaked the gameplay with team-based attacks to encourage experimentation. Though Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2(2009) was praised for its branching storyline, the stripped down roleplaying mechanics were criticised. While it was also delisted in 2020, fans were clamouring for a follow-up and, just ten years later, Team Ninja stepped in to work alongside Marvel in reviving the franchise. Seeking to place additional emphasis on combat, the developers explored the cosmic scope of the Marvel universe by including the Infinity Stones and lesser-known characters and chose to make the title a Nintendo Switch exclusive after developing a close relationship with Nintendo. Although Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order was the sixth best-selling game in its first week and was later bolstered by extensive downloadable content (DLC), it was met with mixed reviews that praised the colourful action but criticised its lack of innovation.
The Plot: While battling Nebula and Ronan the Accuser, the Guardians of the Galaxy stumble upon a plot by the mad titan, Thanos, to collect the six Infinity Stones. Although they scatter the Stones, Thanos’s acolytes, the Black Order, pursue the gems, prompting an alliance of Earth’s mightiest heroes to retrieve them first.
Gameplay and Power-Ups: Like its predecessors, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is a team-based action role-playing game in which players assemble a squad of four heroes from across the Marvel universe to battle various nefarious baddies, primarily the titular Black Order, who are hunting the six all-powerful Infinity Stones on behalf of their master, Thanos. The game offers five save slots, two initial difficulty levels, and a base roster of thirty-six playable characters, with many being encountered as you play through the story and joining your alliance either after fighting alongside you or being freed from some kind of mind control. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 offers three controller configurations, thankfully none of which involve motion controls, and allows you to toggle overlays, notifications, tips, and other onscreen elements from the “Settings” menu. These include altering the camera placement, which enables a lock-on feature by pressing in the right stick, though the camera generally remains more focused on whichever character you’re controlling rather than offering a bird’s eye view as in the last two games. Although you can fight alongside friends either locally or online, you switch between your teammates with the directional pad (D-pad) when playing alone and your computer-controlled partners are very useful in a fight, attacking, enabling team attacks, and reviving defeated characters without any input from you. Pressing A sees you interact with the environment to activate consoles, pick up or move certain objects, and talk to other characters. You jump with B, executing a double jump, swinging from webs, or flying depending on which character you’re playing as, and throw light attacks with X and heavy attacks with Y. These can be strung together to perform basic combos and you can also perform a mid-air attack and throw objects (like bombs and missiles) by pressing Y. You block incoming attacks by holding the Z trigger and tap it to dodge, and collect glowing red orbs from defeated enemies or smashed crates to restore health, blue orbs to refill your Energy Point (EP) gauge, and credits to spend on upgrades.
Combat is thick, fast, chaotic, and constant thanks to loads of enemies and character abilities.
As in the last two games, each character has specific abilities tied to their superpowers or superhero traits. You activate these by holding the Right trigger and selecting an icon using the D-pad; using Abilities drains your EP, however, and each Ability comes with a different cost. However, these attacks allow you to stun, stagger or deal elemental damage to enemies using Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s webs, Thor Odinson’s lightning, and Doctor Robert Bruce Banner/The Hulk’s incredible strength. Many characters have projectile attacks in their arsenal, such as Wade Wilson/Deadpool firing guns and Scott “Slim” Summers/Cyclops blasting his eye beams, while others cause splash damage or specific buffs, like Piotr Rasputin/Colossus being able to reflect projectiles and Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch healing her allies. Some, like James “Logan” Howlett/Wolverine, have passive abilities that allow them to automatically regenerate health as they walk around; others, like Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider and Ororo Munroe/Storm, specifically deal in elemental damage. Character’s Abilities can also be mixed and matched by holding ZR and pressing one of the face buttons (or pressing A when prompted); this sees two characters attack in a combo for additional damage. As you dish out and take damage, you’ll also build the Extreme (EX) Gauge). Once full, you can press L and R up to three times to have two to four of your teammates perform a devastating combination attack that’s great against bosses. While the various cannon fodder you fight are easily dispatched, larger commanders and bosses need their “stun” meter drained before you can really put a beating on them and others (and certain treasure chests) require specific combination attacks to breach their shields. Defeating enemies sees your characters gain experience points (XP) to level-up, increasing their statistics (attack, defence, etc), though you can also use the various Orbs you find to manually level-up. Each character’s special Abilities can also be further enhanced using Ability Orbs and credits, reducing the EP cost and increasing their damage, among other benefits. You can also earn “Team Bonuses” depending on your team selection: pick a group of X-Men, for example, and your strength or resistance stat will increase, while picking characters of royalty ups your maximum energy stat.
Search for chests to gain currency and other expendables to upgrade and buff your alliance.
Although you can’t equip gear to your characters, the boss battle against the Destroyer armour sees you temporarily empowered by Asgardian magic and you can eventually equip your team with “ISO-8” crystals, coloured stones that enhance their attack power, resistance to elements, or critical hit ratio, among others. You can further upgrade these with credits and ISO-8 capsules, though some of the rarer ones will also debuff you (for example, your attack my increase but your defence will decrease accordingly). You’ll also inevitably gain access to the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate (S.H.I.E.L.D.) Lab, which acts as the game’s skill tree. By spending credits and Enhancement Points (EP), you can further increase your team’s overall attack, defence, resistance, vitality, and such and even unlock additional ISO-8 slots (with more being earned by levelling-up). You can also enter the S.H.I.E.L.D. Depot from the main menu to purchase additional costumes and social icons by spending S.H.I.E.L.D. Tokens. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 is pretty forgiving (on the “Friendly” difficulty, at least), with multiple checkpoints in each area. When you activate a S.H.I.E.L.D. checkpoint, your team is fully healed, and you can swap or enhance them if you wish. If a teammate is defeated, you can hold A to revive them, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you absolutely have to. Not only are revives limited, but downed characters will eventually return to full health even before you reach a checkpoint so it’s not worth risking another character taking damage by healing a partner. Exploration generally leads you to treasure chests or special walls that require a special combination attack to open, or to a “Rift” challenge that takes you away from the main game to tackle a special challenge (usually a boss rematch or enemy gauntlet) for extra rewards. Your path is incredibly linear most of the time, hence why there’s no map, and the game’s primary focus is on chaotic combat and visually manic team-based attacks. Unlike in the last two games, you can no longer grapple or throw enemies (though you can still send them flying off certain platforms) and there are no character-specific team-up moves, meaning the action can quickly get quite tiresome.
Sadly, puzzles are practically non-existent, with only Rifts offering additional challenges.
Because of its focus on hectic combat, there’s even less room for puzzles than there is for exploration in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3. Puzzles boil down to activating a console to open a door or making a platform move and that’s it. Sometimes, you’ll hold A to move a block and avoid lasers or cannons, but mostly you’ll be timing jumps between said lasers to progress and simply hurling missiles at those cannons. Sometimes, you’ll rotate statues or press switches to progress; others, you’ll be avoiding toxic ooze in Hel or solving door puzzles at the Raft or in Avengers Tower. After hopping across the rooftops of New York City, you’ll infiltrate the heavily fortified fortress of the Hand, dealing with ninjas that drop from the sky and hidden arrow hazards. When in Wakanda, Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) corrupt T’Challa/The Black Panther’s defences, leading to an exasperating section where you must avoid snipers and being roasted by a giant panther statue’s energy blast. When transported to the Dark Dimension, you must use portals to reach new areas and defeat waves of demonic enemies to lower magical barriers and progress. Some attacks also screw up your controls or temporarily freeze you; some enemies are best defeated by tossing explosives at them; and many missions have an additional character fighting alongside you who’s often unlocked afterwards. However, a lot of the additional features of the previous games are missing; you can talk to other characters, but there are no dialogue options or character-specific interactions. There are no trivia quizzes, no optional side missions beyond the Rifts, and no character specific challenges to unlock extra stuff for each character. There aren’t even hub areas, in the traditional sense, with characters just appearing around S.H.I.E.L.D. checkpoints at times, though you can destroy a fair bit of the environment, and some encounters have you fleeing towards the camera as bosses chase you or present you with unwinnable battles.
Presentation: Whereas the last two games primarily based their aesthetics on the comics books, especially the Ultimate comic line, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 adheres very closely to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), especially in the visuals of its locations. I was hard pressed, for example, to tell the difference between Asgard here and the Asgard to the MCU, with both the golden city and the rainbow bridge, the Bifrost, appearing almost exactly as they’re depicted in the films. The same is true for Wakanda, the Dark Dimension, and Knowhere, all of which are virtually indistinguishable from how they appear in the MCU. There are some differences, of course: Taneleer Tivan/The Collector’s museum, for example, uses coloured cube cages and Wakanda leans much more into traditional architecture than the pseudo-futuristic science of the films (likely because Black Panther(Coogler, 2018) released a year before this game was made). Xavier’s School for the Gifted is lifted almost exactly from the 20th Century Fox X-Men movies (Various, 2000 to 2020), however, including a hedge maze, 1:1 Cerebro room, and basketball court that doubles as a landing pad for the Blackbird. While the Dark Dimension and the cosmic mind trip that is Sanctuary also heavily borrow from the bizarre cosmic imagery of the MCU, the Raft and Avengers Tower are much more akin to their comic book counterparts, though they’re comparatively bland locations, lacking fun areas like the Danger Room or Wakanda’s Necropolis (though you do pass through Anthony “Tony” Stark/Iron Man’s Hall of Armours in the tower). Although you only make a brief stop in Attilan to try and get help from the Inhumans, the architecture is far more visually interesting than that awful television show, seemingly being comprised of Celestial technology, and I enjoyed the ominous gothic presentation of Hel, with its restless Viking warriors and damaging sludge. Unfortunately, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 continues the trend of having disappointingly bland and forgettable music, opting for generic themes for each location, event, and character that are lost amidst the constant fighting.
A visually impressive brawler that takes obvious inspiration from the MCU films.
The game also opts for an almost cel-shaded, action figure-like aesthetic for its colourful cast of characters. While many again both look and sound like their MCU counterparts, there are some exceptions: Peter Quill/Star-Lord, for example, looks nothing like Chris Pratt and the X-Men are far closer to the comic books than Fox’s films. Despite you assembling a custom team of heroes, cutscenes depict either everyone or characters specific to the location you’re in (the corrupted Doctor Stephen Strange in the Dark Dimension, for example) as they’re better suited to advance the plot against the local baddies. With the game shifting to a more third-person perspective, you’re closer than ever to the action and can see more of the environment than in the previous games. However, this comes with some drawbacks: mainly, there are far less opportunities or incentives to explore. Second, environments are painfully linear, with dead ends or locked doors barring your progress. Third, and most frustrating, is the camera, which easily loses track of your opponent/s and often lumbers you with wireframe representations when the foreground blocks the view. Thankfully, you won’t be falling down pits and rarely have to worry about onscreen hazards, but it can be aggravating trying to figure out which platforms and crates can be jumped on and which can’t. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 offers a diverse cast of characters, each with their own idle poses and quips, though these do inevitably repeat. The game’s also surprisingly light on Easter Eggs: you’ll spot Deadpool singing away as he makes tacos in the X-Mansion, but not much else, and there are no optional missions or choices to encourage replaying missions. It’s a far cry from the first game, where there was always something to collect or an additional character to help out. Instead, it’s basically all combat, all the time in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3. Luckily, the game looks pretty good (everything’s very colourful and true to its inspirations) and performs really well, though there are some long load screens and it is annoying being forced to continue your game every time you challenge a Rift.
Enemies and Bosses: All the usual suspects appear here as disposable cannon fodder for you to endlessly beat up, with many of the game’s goons sharing traits across the various locations. You’ll encounter Kree, Ultron Drones, agents of A.I.M., and Doombats who all pack various energy blasters. Ultron’s clones are the worst for this, relentlessly firing energy blasts and crashing through windows. The Raft’s unscrupulous prisoners attack in large groups, as do the restless Viking warriors who populate Hel, tossing axes from afar and luring you into toxic goop. Gargoyle-like Fire Demons also dwell here, offering a greater challenge with their swoop attack and fire breath, not unlike the monstrous Outriders and Mindless Ones who make up Thanos and the dread Dormammu’s forces, respectively. Alpha Primitives, Hydra goons, and towering Sentinels also appear, with the latter firing huge energy blasts from the palms and best attacked by throwing their explosive energy cores back at them. No matter where you are and what enemies you fight, more powerful commanders will also appear. Larger, tougher, and sporting a stun meter, these commanders should be your top priority as they’ll charge across the screen, cause shockwaves, and generally offer a far greater challenge even when you’re at a higher level. These minions often fight alongside their masters, generally so you can recover some health and EP to better damage the bosses, and will endlessly spawn in one of the additional modes unless you destroy their teleporters. Some of the game’s challenges or story-based missions charge you with defeating a certain number of enemies to progress. Other times, bosses appear in these waves, and you must occasionally flee or purposely lose some fights. This happens when Cain Marko/The Juggernaut comes tearing through the X-Mansion, for example, and in early encounters with the Black Order, who cannot be beaten or will chase you, raining lightning or other attacks from the sky and across the ground.
Few bosses require more than just hit-and-run tactics, even when augmented by an Infinity Stone.
There are loads of bosses to fight in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3, with some returning from the previous games, some teaming up, some having a couple of phases, and all boiling down to whittling down their stun bar, unleashing an EX attack and/or your most powerful Abilities, and avoiding damage until you can repeat this. The first ones you’ll face are Nebula and Ronan the Accuser, who often appear as a duo in optional challenges. Nebula is faster and more nimble, wielding blades where Ronan uses a massive warhammer. Both set a standard all bosses follow, which is that they’ll use either a jumping slam or an explosion of energy (or both) to send you flying. While quelling the riot in the Raft, you’ll encounter a version of the Sinister Six, with some unique variations to each battle. Flint Marko/The Sandman, for example, flings waves of sand and erupts his big sand fist from the ground as a large sand creature. You must use A to mount the nearby cannons and unload on him to chip away at his stun meter. Maxwell “Max” Dillon fights alongside Eddie Brock/Venom, raining lighting and electrocuting you with bursts of electricity, before he’s eaten by Venom and starts busting out electrically-enhanced symbiote powers. Venom joins the team after this fight and is tested against Quentin Beck, who first brainwashes Mile Morales/Spider-Man, Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel to fight you and then unleashes a poisonous mist, teleports about, and confuses you with duplicates, Doctor Otto Octavious/Dr. Octopus is fought in a two-stage fight where you must first avoid his tentacles and scurry charge and then attack each arm to stun him. Finally, you’ll battle Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin for the Time Stone. The Green Goblin swoops overhead and lingers slightly out of reach, peppering the arena with his pumpkin bombs, charging at you, and freezing time to bombard you. He’s noticeably weak to his pumpkin bombs, however, so try and toss them at him before they explode in your face! After battling into the Hand’s fortress, you must first free Elektra Natchios from the Hand’s influence and then face Lester/Bullseye and Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin in separate fights. You must take out the ninjas feeding Elektra power, avoid Bulleye’s spread of razor sharp and explosive cards, and dodge the furniture and massive energy beam thrown by the Power Stone-enhanced Kingpin. The Kingpin also charges like a rhino, leaps at you to cause shockwaves, and even rips up stone columns to use as melee weapons!
Gigantic bosses and the quirkier villains help mix-up the otherwise tedious combat.
Avengers Tower is then attacked by Ultron and his drones, who assist him in battle. Not that he needs it as the Mind Stone allows Ultron to mess up your controls, to say nothing of his signature face and palm beams. Ultron then grows to gigantic proportions, sweeping the area with his eyebeams before Clint Barton/Hawkeye intervenes and Ultron merges with Ultimo. This is the first giant boss battle in the game and sees you blasting Ultimo with cannons and avoiding his massive swipes. The Infinity Sentinel is comparatively smaller, but no less dangerous thanks to its own face beam and missiles. Though you can damage it with Sentinel cores, it’s finished in a cutscene by Erik “Magnus” Lehnsherr/Magneto, who then tosses debris and throws you off balance with magnetic pulses while Juggernaut pummels you and Raven Darkholme/Mystique tosses daggers. After surviving Mystique’s Danger Room trials, you face Magneto, now even tougher thanks to the Power Stone, before being chased away and banished to the Dark Dimension by the Black Order. There, you battle past Loki Laufeyson (who boasts elemental attacks and duplication tricks) to eventually face the dread Dormammu, who wields the Reality Stone and is the second giant boss. You must subdue his minions and avoid his flame bursts, whittling down his magical barrier either directly or be destroying three nearby orbs, all while dodging his giant fists and ground spikes. The brief fight with Maximus Boltagon is far easier, even though the mad Inhuman carries a massive energy cannon and you must take cover in Thane’s energy bubble to avoid Maximus’s barrage of lasers. Ulysses Klaue/Klaw awaits in Wakanda and his sound-based energy blasts and waves must be overcome to rescue and recruit James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes/The Winter Soldier. You then fight past A.I.M. to confront their master, George Tarleton/Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing (MODOK), who uses the Soul Stone to turn the Dora Milaje against you and attacks with a slew of appendages, from buzzsaw arms, poison gas, failing tentacles, and his signature forehead blast.
Battles with the empowered Black Order, Thanos, and Thane offer some of the most enjoyable challenges.
Though your goal in Hel is to confront Hela, you’ll actually battle the fire demon, Surtur, in another giant boss battle. This was a bit of a difficulty spike for me as Surtur’s flaming sword has a long reach and he causes the ground to erupt in flames, to say nothing of stun locking you with repeat sword strikes! Best him and Hela sets Johann Schmidt/The Red Skull on you, with the Nazi madman firing a powerful revolver and sapping your health with his “Dust of Death”. Hela gives the Red Skull a boost, protecting him with a shield and allowing him to fire a Bifrost-like laser, before placing his consciousness into the Destroyer armour. Though bolstered by Hydra forces and boasting a sweeping face beam, you can get a power-up from glowing crystals to overcome this destructive force. Finally, you venture to Knowhere and must run the Black Order gauntlet to retrieve the Infinity Stones, with checkpoints between each fight. Ebony Maw is first, firing a spread of projectiles and rocks and using the Soul Stone to create portals to trip you up. Supergiant tosses dark spheres and a golden homing shot that messes up your controls, though you can toss explosive cores from her minions to deal big damage. Cull Obsidian infuses his battleaxe with the Power Stone, sending out waves of purple energy and massive purple shockwaves, though he’s far slower and also susceptible to the nearby bombs. Corvus Glaive is much faster, landing multiple hits with his lance and using the Reality Stone to spring spikes form the ground and conjure duplicates who fill the arena with energy waves that can stun lock you. Finally, Proxima Midnight takes her fellow’s teleportation trick to the next level with the Space Stone and fills the arena with lightning bolts and strikes. All these powers are then recycled when you face Thanos, who gathers the six Infinity Stones into the Infinity Gauntlet to rain meteors, teleport, mess up your controls, freeze time, and fire his signature eyebeams. Thanos then joins you to battle Thane, who usurps him and boasts similar powers, though also upgraded by the Infinity Armour. Thane exhibits superhuman speed, traps you in a cube, fills the arena with portals and flames, and explodes in fury, though both battles were fun challenges rather than impossible tasks.
Additional Features: Unlike in the previous two games, you won’t be finding data logs, action figures, or meeting certain requirements to unlock new attacks or costumes. You just fight over and over, earning whatever you need to unlock, buy, or upgrade whatever you wish and finding some concept art in treasure chests. A far harder (but more rewarding) “Superior” difficulty unlocks upon clearing the game alongside an additional “Nightmare” mode, accessible via the “Curse of the Vampire” campaign. You also unlock Thanos and can freely replay any mission on any difficulty (though you must start a new save to play on “Superior”) to grind and enhance your characters and ISO-8. Dimensional Rifts transport you to special challenges (not unlike the S.H.I.E.L.D. Simulator discs from the first game) that are often rematches with bosses or gauntlet challenges, though far tougher and gifting better rewards if you succeed. There are also three additional modes; however, though you can play a taster of each, you must purchase the expansion pass to fully unlock them. “Curse of the Vampire” adds vampiric enemies to the main story in “Nightmare” mode and offers a “Gauntlet” mode where you battle waves of enemies and bosses against both a time limit and a range of debuffs (including limited health restoration and draining EP). You can also tackle an “Endless” mode that’s pretty self-explanatory, and unlock additional characters like Frank Castle/The Punisher and Eric Brooks/Blade…if you buy the DLC. “Rise of the Phoenix” sees you form a four-person team and go head-to-head with a friend or the computer in three-round Danger Room scenarios. These see you tackling bosses again or wiping out hordes of enemies, awarding additional buffs and effects if you meet certain criteria (such as using any Ability or Synergy attack four times). You can only tackle the first challenge without the DLC, so I didn’t get very far, but this could be a fun distraction for those looking to test their skills against a friend. “Shadow of Doom” adds an epilogue story campaign that sees you return to Wakanda to oppose Doctor Victor Von Doom’s invasion. Dr. Doom’s Doombots endlessly spawn unless you destroy their teleporters, and you even battle the arrogant dictator in the recycled Necropolis, with him teleporting, firing lasers form his palms, and having his health restored by his Doombots. You’ll add Marvel’s First Family to your roster (alongside an alternative Thanos and other characters) by buying the expansion pass and battle Annihilus, a gigantic Celestial, and even “God Emperor” Doom!
The Summary: I quite enjoyed the first two Ultimate Alliance games. They were mindless and largely repetitive, but I liked the large cast of characters and all the different references and locations from the comic books. Still, I put off Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order for some time, mainly because I was annoyed by it being a Nintendo Switch exclusive; however it turned out to be a decent enough brawler. Despite the different development team, a few tweaks, and an apparent disconnection from the previous games, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 offers a lot of the same gameplay and enjoyment as its predecessors, which is great for long-time fans of the franchise. Unfortunately, it doesn’t improve on these elements in a meaningful way and actually removes some content that I found enjoyable from the last two. There are no optional missions, for example, no alternative endings, no choices, and no character-specific challenges beyond fighting and levelling-up. I found this made the tedious combat even more aggravating after a while as I wasn’t being rewarded with gear or costumes or anything other than stat boosts. Even the skill tree was limited since you must grind to acquire enough credits and expendables to enhance your team, and I found the ISO-8 mode to be more confusing than engaging. The game also does little to improve the boss battles. Very few were very innovative or required more of you than to strike fast, avoid shockwaves and projectiles, and unleash your Extreme attack. The giant bosses were more of a challenge and I liked the final fight against Thanos and Thane, but I was hoping for a bit more complexity, especially given the possibilities offered by the Infinity Stones. There is a fun selection of characters, but they don’t offer much more than what we saw in the last two games and actually offer less as there are no character-specific team-up moves. While I enjoyed the visual influence from the MCU and the variety, I feel like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 played things a little too safe by relying so heavily on combat and not mixing up the gameplay with a few other puzzles and challenges. Overall, it’s a good enough game and a worthy entry in the series, but it’s a shame that the developers didn’t try to be a bit more innovative and offer some more incentive to keep slogging away in endless fights.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Pretty Good
Did you enjoy Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order? How do you think it holds up against the previous two games? Which characters did you choose for your team? Were you disappointed that the combat was so similar to the last two games and the bosses so repetitive? Did you ever conquer all the Rift challenges? What did you think to the MCU influences and the final battle with Thanos and Thane? Did you ever play through the DLC? Would you like to see another Ultimate Alliance game? Whatever your thoughts, leave a comment below, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other superhero content across the site.
Released: 14 February 2025 Director: Julius Onah Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Budget: $180 million Stars: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Giancarlo Esposito, and Tim Blake Nelson
The Plot: Now shouldering the mantle of Captain America, Sam Wilson (Mackie) navigates a political minefield after an assassination attempt against President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Ford) threatens to spark world war!
The Review: Captain America: Brave New World depicts the United States as a country in turmoil. Following the many strange, destructive, and harrowing events of the previous MCU films, the nation is more divided and afraid than ever. Thus, former “Hulk Hunter” and decorated military General Thaddeus Ross completes his evolution from Senator to President of the United States after running a successful campaign based on one, unlikely word: together. Though Ross captures the majority vote with his promises to unite Americans and repair the relationship between the American government and the country’s various costumed defenders, some still question Ross’s newfound appreciation for the Avengers and his push for unity considering his historically short fuse and previous aggression in upholding the Sokovia Accords. None are more aware of Ross’s shortcomings than Sam Wilson, the former Falcon who now operates independent of the government (yet still in a military capacity) as Captain America. Sam’s wariness of Ross’s promises is echoed by aged veteran Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the prototype super soldier who spent thirty years locked away and being experimented on and who is reluctant for Sam to work with the government. However, Ross is eager to build bridges not just with Sam, but the entire world, especially as scientists from across the globe have discovered a rare and particularly versatile mineral (dubbed “Adamantium”) on “Celestial Island”, the remains of a titanic Celestial that tried to emerge from the Earth. The staggering potential of Adamantium is enough to have Ross set aside personal grudges and encourage the world’s governments to co-ordinate their mining efforts. He makes significant headway with this after Captain America and his enthusiastic, hacker partner, First Lieutenant Joaquin Torres/The Falcon (Ramirez), recover a stolen sample of Adamantium from Seth Voelker/Sidewinder (Esposito), an expert marksman and enigmatic leader of the Serpent Society, a group of mercenaries working for the mysterious “Buyer” to upset the political climate.
Amidst a political minefield, Sam discovers a plot to discredit the President and spark worldwide conflict.
Celebrated for their heroics, Sam and Joaquin are invited to attend Ross’s special presentation on Adamantium at the White House and, eager to coax the distrustful Isaiah out of his shell, Sam invites him along. However, during Ross’s speech, Isaiah and a handful of other attendees suddenly open fire on the President, with Isaiah appearing little more than a confused old man after Sam talks him into custody. Angered by these events, Ross rescinds his offer for Sam to rebuild the Avengers and orders him not to investigate, instead handing the task to his personal security advisor, former Black Widow Ruth Bat-Seraph (Haas). Naturally, Sam disobeys this order and works with Joaquin to review security footage of the attack, learning that Isaiah and the others were compelled through a form of mind control. Sam’s investigation sees him cross paths with and apprehend Sidewinder, whose phone leads him and Joaquin to a military black site, where they find Gamma-mutated biologist Doctor Samuel Sterns (Nelson) has been held captive for over a decade. Gifted an upgraded suit by the Wakandan people, Sam is more than capable as Captain America thanks to his Vibranium wings protecting him, absorbing the impact of any attack and redirecting it as kinetic blasts. Sam has the same skills he showcased as the Falcon (skills he’s extremely protective of as he hesitates to share them with Joaquin) but has vastly improved his skill with a shield. Unlike Steve Rogers, however, Sam doesn’t have the benefit of the super soldier serum, though his suit helps dull any injuries he does receive and a pep talk from Bucky allays Sam’s doubts about his abilities after Joaquin is injured defusing a conflict between American and Japanese forces. In a nice change of pace, Sam is seemingly universally accepted in his new role; the military respect and admire him, jeopardising their careers to aid him after Ross demands he and Joaquin be apprehended. Sam’s also as charismatic and confident as Steve, easily befriending those around him and championing world peace and cooler heads over violence. Far from a naïve optimist, Sam plays his cards close to his chest and gives Ross the benefit of the doubt, but becomes determined to investigate the complex deception at work after Isaiah is imprisoned and faces the death penalty.
Sterns manipulates events to brainwash assassins and push Ross to breaking point!
Obviously, it’s a shame that William Hurt never got to complete his story as Thunderbolt Ross but, if you’re going to recast an actor, who better than Harrison Ford to pick up the slack? Shaving his trademark moustache and campaigning on a platform of unity, Ross is desperate to convince the world that he’s a changed man. However, while he’s convinced the majority of Americans, Sam and the others remain skeptical and his estranged daughter, Doctor Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) refuses to take his calls. Eager to void conflict, Ross is adamant about pushing forward a treaty to share the Adamantium, but soon finds his temper tested after he’s shot at and accused of shady dealings by the equally sceptical Japanese prime minister, Ozaki (Takehiro Hira). Although Ross genuinely wants Sam onboard and the rebuild the Avengers to atone for his previous aggressive ways, he burns bridges with Sam over Isaiah and quickly mobilises the Navy to secure Celestial Island, his stress only compounded by Sterns’ influence and his reliance on mysterious pills. It turns out the Sam’s right to be suspicious of Ross as he worsened Sterns’ condition and used his superhuman intellect to manipulate his way to the White House, then incurred the hyper-intelligent doctor’s wrath by refusing to free him. This sees Sterns concoct an elaborate plan to discredit Ross using mind control triggers, which easily turns the President’s secret service into his unwitting soldiers and sees him escape custody. Sterns’ scheme also extends to hiring Sidewinder and kick-starting the plot, which tips the world to the brink of war and sees Sam and Joaquin desperately rushing to calm tenses between the world’s superpowers once they uncover this plot. Determined to keep his dealings with Sterns from leaking, Ross surreptitiously tries to tie up loose ends, unwittingly turning the petite Ruth’s loyalties towards Sam after she discovers evidence that Isaiah and the others weren’t in control of their actions. Though Ross was saved from certain death from a heart condition thanks to Sterns’ research, he’s been unknowingly digesting Gamma-laced pills for years, which make him quick to anger and susceptible to Sterns’ mind control, resulting in Ross transforming into a crimson-hued Hulk before a terrified press conference and forcing Sam to test his mettle in the most dangerous way possible.
The Nitty-Gritty: Captain America: Brave New World certainly gives itself a lot of balls to juggle. It finally addresses what happened to that gigantic Celestial and lays an interesting foundation for the MCU’s version of the X-Men, finally ties up the loose end of Samuel Sterns, presenting him as an embittered puppet master looking to publicly disgrace President Ross, teases Bucky’s new life as a Congressman, and continues Sam’s evolution as Captain America. Thanks to Sam having worked through many of his doubts and insecurities in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam has fully embraced his new role here, only questioning his ability after Joaquin gets hurt. Even then, Bucky offers him some advice that gets him back on track and, while I think it’d be totally believable that a man as good as Sam could handle the super soldier serum, Sam’s perfectly capable without it thanks to his skill as the Falcon. In fact, Sam may be a little too good as he shrugs off wounds and performs nigh-superhuman feats during fights, though the film makes an effort to show him visibly exhausted from the effort. His status as a “normal” man doing the right thing contributes to the respect he earns from his peers; even Ross has a begrudging respect for Sam, even if it’s strained as the film progresses. I’m glad that Brave New World didn’t waste time questioning Sam’s ability or showing undue negativity towards him. Instead, he kicks ass as Captain America and showcases his stubborn determination as he works to clear his friend’s name, even if it goes against what the President thinks or wants. It was a shame, however, that Giancarlo Esposito was essentially wasted here. He gets a couple of action scenes and steals the show with his usual silky-smooth cool, and is presumably being set up for more later down the line, but his role got a lot of hype prior to the film so I couldn’t help but be disappointed by how small his role was in the end.
Despite some predictable elements, the film was an action-packed political thriller.
Instead, most of the film’s marketing was focused on the Red Hulk and his fight against Captain America. On the one hand, I understand this as you want to capture people’s attention and get people in the cinema to see how Sam can stand against such a creature, but it was a touch misleading since the Red Hulk doesn’t appear until the finale. Instead, most of the film is an action thriller following Sam and Joaquin as they work to uncover who’s behind Isaiah’s mind control. There’s nothing wrong with this and it makes for a decent adventure, but it’s pretty obvious that Isaiah and the others were triggered by lights and music, something we’ve seen in the MCU before (and which Sam even notes), so it’s weird that Ross was so quick to condemn Isaiah. Of course, a significant sub-plot regarding the President is his trustworthiness and it’s clear he’s hiding a lot, leading to an emotional showdown between him and Sam where Ross reveals how close he came to death and how poorly he treated Sterns. Once Sam confronts Sterns and he escapes, it’s pretty clear what’s gone down, but the key parties (Sam and Ross) remain clueless. There’s even a moment where Sterns callously murders Sam’s ally, Dennis Dunphy (William Mark McCullough), to keep him from revealing the truth of Ross’s pills to Sam…only for Sterns to relate that information to Sam shortly afterwards. While some have picked about Brave New World’s CGI and reshoots, I had a great time with the action sequences. Sam looks amazing in his new suit, which is a vast improvement over his last one, and is a whirling dervish as Captain America, cutting through the air, blasting along with his jetpack, slicing up foes with his wings, and tossing his shield in ways that would make his predecessor proud. Sam’s Wakandan enhancements make up for his lack of superhuman strength, though Sam remains vulnerable, sporting wounds and exhaustion, and yet being strong enough to turn to his allies for help and to take the high road during conflicts. Joaquin made for a fun counterpart to Sam; he’s equally talented as the Falcon and a tech whiz, but overly enthusiastic and too eager to prove himself to his hero at times. They work well together on equal terms and I enjoyed their high-speed action sequences, with Sam even proving his worth without the suit and emphasising disarming and subduing his foes rather than blindly blundering in.
Cap ultimately overcomes the odds and brings a measure of peace to the misguided President.
With Ruth on-side and Sam and Joaquin having discovered Sterns is mind controlling targets with light and sound triggers, Cap and Falcon barely quell a conflict between the US and Japan. Though Joaquin is severely wounded when defending Celestial Island, Sterns’ plot is ultimately scuppered and Ross’s treaty regains traction, leading Sterns with no choice but to surrender himself, arrogantly believing that Ross’s true nature cannot be suppressed. Indeed, when addressing the press outside the White House, Sterns’ pills and the stress of the whole situation (and the Sterns’ testimony to the media) see Ross lose control of his emotions. Thus, he painfully and forcibly transforms into the Red Hulk, a mindless and enraged giant who immediately goes on a rampage. Despite being hopelessly outmatched, Captain America flies into battle with the Red Hulk, barely protected by his Vibranium wings and destroying most of the White House. Remembering Ross’s wish to take his daughter to the city’s cherry blossom trees, Captain America has Ruth get the crowd to safety and leads the Red Hulk to the garden, only for the creature’s rage to boil out of control. Badly hurt and with his suit damaged, Captain America charges his remaining wing with the Red Hulk’s unbridled strength and delivers a concussive blast that momentarily puts the beast down. When the Red Hulk returns for more, Sam takes a major gamble and appeals to Ross’s humanity, finally calming the troubled President down and ending the threat. Realising the extent of his actions, Ross relinquishes his post and allows himself to be incarcerated at the Raft, where he finally reconciles with Betty. Ross and Sam part with a mutual respect and Sam’s delighted to see Joaquin on the road to recovery, especially as he’s decided to rebuild the Avengers after all, though Sam’s left rattled when the imprisoned Sterns mocks him and delivers a vague, suitably ominous warning about future threats from other worlds…
The Summary: Captain America: Brave New World faced an uphill battle, for many reasons. Despite Sam being Captain America in the comics for years, the idea of someone else taking up the mantle is always going to irk some, especially a very vocal and toxic minority of bigots. However, Anthony Mackie takes to the role admirably, exuding a cool confidence that sees him command the screen and throw the shield with admirable gusto. I loved how Sam was presented as a friend to all, talking to people in their native language, saluting the military, and sticking to his guns, even if it means going against the President of the United States. He’s a natural leader and an efficient fighter, even without the super soldier serum, and attacks the conspiracy at work with a stubborn determinism that showcases the strength of will and loyalty that make him the right choice to be Captain America. Harrison Ford was equally captivating in the film. It’s awful that William Hurt died before he could see this arc through, but Ford really threw himself into the whole MCU circus and brought his all to this role, being gruff, commanding, and pained as the script dictated. I definitely felt like Ross was genuinely trying to make amends for his past, but he had too many skeletons in the closet, had made too many enemies, and ultimately was faced with forces beyond his control, leading to his Hulk-out. The Red Hulk looked fantastic, exuding rage and danger and delivering by far the best and most impressive CGI rendition of a Hulk yet. While it was misleading to base so much of the marketing around the character, I can see why they did it and the sequence absolutely delivered, more than making up for the wasting of Giancarlo Esposito. I was also thrilled to see Tim Blake Nelson return and deliver a suitably hammy, menacing version of the Leader, finally paying off one of the MCU’s most notorious plot threads. While the plot felt a little predictable and bare bones at times, the action and performances and nice balance of drama and comedy made up for it and resulted in a solid first solo effort for the new Captain America, who I hope to see have a prominent role as an aspirational leader in the MCU for years to come.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Great Stuff
Did you enjoy Captain America: Brave New World? What did you think Anthony Mackie’s first big-screen solo outing as the character and Sam’s status as a more human version of the Avenger? Did you enjoy Harrison Ford’s performance and Ross’s attempts to turn over a new leaf? Were you satisfied with the way the film tied up loose ends regarding Sterns and the Celestial? Do you think it was misleading to put so much focus on the Red Hulk or did you enjoy his eventual appearance? Where do you want to see Captain America go next in the MCU? Whatever you think about Captain America: Brave New World, or Captain America in general, drop a comment down below, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other Captain America content.
Story Title: “The Tomorrow Soldier” (Part 1 to Conclusion) Published: 2 July 2014 (cover-dated: September 2014) to 1 October 2014 (cover-dated: December 2014) Writer: Rick Remender Artists: Carlos Pacheco and Stuart Immonen
The Background: By 1941, Nazi Germany had decimated Denmark and Norway and World War Two was fully underway and, after some initial resistance, the United States joined the War against the “Axis powers” of Germany, Japan, and Italy. Patriotism and national pride was high, especially in America, during those dark days, making it the perfect time for Joe Simon and the legendary Jack Kirby to debut Captain Steve Rogers/Captain America and his kid sidekick, James Buchanan Barnes/Bucky, to encourage support of the war effort. Once the War was over, superheroes saw a decline and Captain America’s solo publication was cancelled in 1954. However, Cap got a second chance when he joined the Avengers as a “man out of time”, battling iconic villains like Johann Shmidt/The Red Skull and even opposing his fellow superheroes during a “Civil War”. After surrendering to the authorities, Cap was seemingly killed and his troubled sidekick, better known as the Winter Soldier, took up the mantle until Steve’s inevitable resurrection. However, in 2014, cybernetic supervillain Arnim Zola’s machinations saw Cap drained of the super soldier serum and rapidly aged into an old man! Thus the battle was on the see who would become the new Star-Spangled Avenger, a battle eventually won by Cap’s long-time ally, Sam Wilson/The Falcon, to much undue controversy, Created by Stan Lee and Gene Colon in 1969, the Falcon was the first Black American superhero in mainstream comic books and was specifically created to challenge social perceptions. After a lengthy career as a bit-player in Marvel Comics, Sam made headlines with his promotion, a story arc that achieved mainstream recognition due to Anthony Mackie’s celebrated portrayal of the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Review: Sam Wilson’s assumption of the Captain America mantle didn’t come easy, nor without drama. In the leadup to this story, Cap was kidnapped by Arnim Zola and spirited away to Dimension Z, where the mad scientist plotted to drain his super soldier serum to create a race of genetic super-beings! Cap broke free but was trapped in Dimension Z for ten years, during which time he raised Zola’s son, Ian, as his own. Though Cap eventually escaped with Jet Zola/Jet Black, Zola’s daughter, both Ian and Cap’s lover, Agent 13/Sharon Carter, were lost. Cap then spent some time working with Sam to mould Jet Black into a hero but, in a battle with former Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) agent-turned-madman, Ran Shen/Iron Nail, Cap’s super soldier serum was neutralised and he quickly aged into frail, infirm old man! Our story picks up with Steve sequestered at Avengers Mansion, stewing over sensationalist news reports demanding accountability for Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s dangerous and destructive antics. Steve’s offered council by S.H.I.E.L.D. director maria Hill and the decidedly Samuel L. Jackson-esque Nick Fury Jr., who assure him that he saved countless lives taking down Iron Nail. Unfortunately, his shield has been left too radioactive to be returned to him and Steve’s aghast when he’s told S.H.I.E.L.D. won’t be destroying Gungnir, the weaponised, Transformer-like Helicarrier Iron Nail hijacked and threatened the United States with. Steve is so angered that he starts to wonder if the reports of corruption within the government and S.H.I.E.L.D. aren’t valid, though Fury simply explains that contingencies such as Gungnir are vital to protect innocent civilians and keep the public from being overly reliant on costumed heroes, especial as the Avengers’ roster has dwindled lately.
When Armin Zola’s mutates invade, the Avengers gain an unlikely ally in Steve’s adopted son!
Over on the upper west side, Sam Wilson wakes up to a hell of a hangover and to find he spent the night with Jet Black! Though he’s not exactly thrilled at having crossed that line, he seems won over by her affections, but their tender moment (and the awkwardness) is interrupted when Jet spots a commotion outside. It turns out that her father, Armin Zola, is so eager for revenge that he rips open a hole in the fabric of reality and his monstrous, “hyperevolved mutates” come pouring into Central Park, followed closely by a mysterious man garbed in a spiked battle suit. Zola quickly contacts the Red Skull to co-ordinate their newest efforts in overthrowing the decadent West, asserting himself as a menacing force in his own right and seemingly earning the Red Skull’s respect with his army of mutates. While Anthony “Tony” Stark/Iron Man and Doctor Robert Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk work to find some way of restoring Steve’s superhuman condition, they (along with Thor Odinson and Steve himself) are alerted to the crisis via the mansion’s monitors. Steve immediately recognises the threat as Zola; Stark is incredulous but quickly convinced of the danger when the armoured mutate comes crashing through the wall. Luckily, the Hulk is around to face the stranger (with Banner having more control over the Hulk at this point). Naturally, Iron Man adopts a snarky “shoot first, ask questions later” philosophy, leading to an explosive confrontation as he and Thor try to keep the masked intruder from reaching Steve. However, the masked man easily avoids their attacks and even gets the better of Thor, running rings around them, only to be astonished by Steve’s frail condition. This distraction allows the Hulk needs to strike; ironically, though the stranger deftly evades the Green Goliath, Steve easily subdues the masked man. However, Steve is stunned when the intruder unmasks to reveal himself as Ian Ziola, now Ian Rogers, Steve’s adopted son, who was regenerated from death by one of Zola’s “bio-mass [tanks]”.
Zola manipulates events to coerce his daughter, whom the Falcon rushes to defend.
Overjoyed to see Ian alive and that he’s come to help, Steve proudly introduces him to his fellow Avengers but distraught to learn that Ian’s been fighting Zola alone for the last ten years. Steve then gets a call from the Falcon, who relays the extent of Zola’s attack: thanks to the city’s birds, Sam has seen the monsters rapidly spread throughout New York City. Jet Black then reveals she knows a way into her father’s fortified tower that may help them to stop the invasion and calls upon the Avengers to go along with her father’s plan, which is to face him head-on, to provide a suitable distraction. The Avengers readily accept, taking the fight to the ravenous, near-mindless hoards alongside their new ally, and are initially unimpressed by Zola’s forces. However, they’re soon confronted by Zola’s “hyper-mutates”, warped, monstrous copies of the Avengers that call themselves the “Unvengers”! Meanwhile, Jet Black and the Falcon easily infiltrate Zola’s tower, affirming that her allegiances lie anywhere but with her crazed father and insisting on using her position as the madman’s daughter to throw off his mutate guards. The plan works and they advance through the tower, only to find Sharon held hostage in a pitiful cell! After learning about Sharon’s predicament from Sam, Steve immediately asks Ian to leave the fight to the Avengers and go rescue her; though Sharon warns that such an act was all foreseen by Zola. When Jet confronts her father in his control room, he all-but guarantees the Red Skull that he can win her over to their side, claiming everything she’s done – even her betrayal – was also all part of his manipulative will. The Falcon breaks up the tense family reunion, tackling Zola out the window and sending him crashing to the streets below. Zola recovers near-instantly, however, his patience with his “perfect child” wearing thin, but the Falcon immediately intercepts him in mid-air.
Though the Avengers turn on Jet, Sam survives to take up the Captain America mantle.
Raging at Zola for his ill treatment of Jet, the Falcon fights valiantly even as Zola smashes a bus onto the mis-matched hero. When Jet rushes to his aid and Zola sees how much she cares for the Falcon, Zola vows to murder him to rid her of such weaknesses all while hypocritically declaring his undying love for her! Thanks to Sharon, Steve warns the Falcon that Zola plans to blow up Avengers Tower, though Sam inadvertently kickstarts the detonation when he has Redwing remove Zola’s “telepathic broadcast doohickey”! When the Unvengers keep Iron Man from helping and Ian and Sharon are unable to disarm it, the Falcon bravely and selflessly grabs the bomb and flies high into the sky, bidding an emotional farewell to Steve and urging him and Sharon to enjoy their retirement with Ian before the bomb explodes in his arms. A horrified Steve thinks back to when he and Sam first met, the adversity he fought through, and how hard he worked to be a hero without any superpowers, fancy gadgets, or special serum as Iron Man sombrely retrieves the Falcon’s surprisingly intact body. Though Zola pleads with Jet Black to return to Dimension Z where she can be safe from the Red Skull’s looming threat, she angrily rebukes him. Sharon, Steve, and the Avengers gather in quiet mourning, only to be astonished when he comes to and reveals that Stark made him some Adamantium wings, which absorbed most of the blast! Though everyone’s overjoyed by this, Sharon blames Jet for Zola’s attack and accuses her of being a double agent. To Jet’s dismay, even Sam has his doubts and, when the Avengers try to restrain her to investigate, she angrily rushes to Zola’s tower, believing her father was right that her new allies couldn’t be trusted. One week later, seemingly every superhero around gathers at Avengers Mansion, where Steve announces his retirement from superheroics due to his condition (though he and Sharon plan to aid the Avengers with tactical support). He also reveals that Sam is the new Captain America and proudly hands him his shield, entrusting one of his oldest friends with his legacy, which Sam humbly accepts with a cry of “Avengers Assemble!”
The Summary: This was a difficult story to just jump into without context. A lot of modern comics are like that, with one series of mini arcs leading to the next, all of it part of a bigger picture. I get it and I accept it and I know there’s some onus on the reader to maybe get some background before diving in feet-first. However, since I’m mostly going on some background reading and what the “Previously…” recap is telling me, there were a few characters and events that I wasn’t very familiar with. Jet Black and Ian Rogers were two main examples; I knew Steve aged into an old man around this time, but I didn’t realise he took a son and a protégé as well. Consequently, Ian’s big reveal didn’t impact me as much as other, more invested readers but I think Rick Remender did a great job of conveying Steve’s shock and joy at seeing his son alive and well. I loved that Steve proudly introduced him to his surrogate family, the Avengers, and that Ian wasn’t some bitter, twisted soul looking to kill his adopted father. Instead, we got a young man who’s actually happy to see and fight alongside his father for a change, something very rare in comics. Ian meshes well with the Avengers, sporting a smart mouth and a capable agility despite his years of fighting against his maniacal father and living in a nightmarish alternate dimension. Similarly, I didn’t have much of a connection with Jet Black but I think the story did a good job of showing her as a character just trying to find her way. I liked her blossoming relationship with Sam (even if his reaction at waking up with her was a little odd) and that she willingly and selflessly opposes her father once he arrives. She does nothing except lash out against Zola, rebuking his offers and voicing her hatred of him even as he tries to win her over with his silver tongue. And, for all her efforts and hard work and personal turmoil, Jet is met with suspicion and accusations from even her own brother. Thus, she’s driven from her newfound allies and retreats back to Zola, devastated to learn that he was right and that she would never be accepted as one of them all because Sharon blew her lid and Sam barely even vouched for Jet’s trustworthiness.
For a story meant to be Sam’s crowning moment, he was strangely portrayed throughout.
Indeed, I hope subsequent issues delved into Sam’s feelings regarding this. He barely says anything when Sharon accuses Jet and gets only one panel where he seems conflicted or upset by what he sees as a betrayal. It’s a weird way to end the conflict, especially considering everyone was just mourning Sam’s loss and celebrating his survival. Sam’s selfless actions and his commitment to justice despite lacking any superpowers are the qualities that make him suitable to take up the Captain America mantle, yet this feels somewhat tarnished since he didn’t showcase any loyalty to Jet or any conviction in defending her. He stood there, stunned, and let everyone run their mouths, which doesn’t scream “Captain America” to me. In fact, this is a bit of an odd story to introduce Sam as Cap in general, really. For most of the issues, he’s not really doing anything except flying around and reporting intel to the Avengers. Sure, this is useful from a tactical standpoint but the mutates were swarming everywhere; I’m pretty sure the Avengers would’ve spotted them without him. The Falcon does take the fight directly to Zola, infiltrating his tower with Jet Black, and he does valiantly fight the cybernetic madman despite clearly being outmatched. During this fight, the Falcon also sticks up for Jet in a way he fails to do once the conflict is resolved and his fighting spirit is certainly commendable, but I feel like any hero would’ve fought just as hard in his stead. The Falcon making the sacrifice play is a great shorthand for the mentality needed to be Captain America but, again, it feels a touch hollow. Like, Iron Man was just about to take care of the bomb before he got interrupted and Sam probably wouldn’t have had to make that call if he hadn’t yanked out Zola’s broadcast device. It just felt a bit rushed and out of nowhere to me and I can’t help but wonder if maybe it would’ve been better to play things a little closer to the ground. Like, have Zola threaten to kill a group of civilians and have Sam shield them with his wings and seemingly be beaten to death, or something like that. Just something a little less random and a bit more in-line with his status as a more grounded, “human” superhero.
I liked that Steve passed on the mantle but the story felt oddly rushed at times.
On the plus side, Carlos Pacheco and Stuart Immonen do good artwork. I liked Iron Man’s darker armour and Ian’s totally nineties emo armour (I mistook him for Robbie Baldwin/Penance at first), though Jet Black felt a bit overdesigned. Similarly, while Sam’s Falcon outfit is a vast improvement over his debut costume, I can’t say I’m a big fan of his Falcon/Captain America hybrid suit. He reckons it’s “sexy” but it looks a bit of a mess to me, with miss-matching colours and a far too “busy” design. Maybe if his chest emblem was just the star, which was an extension of his weird-looking cowl, I’d like it more. I dunno, it just looks uncomfortable to wear and a pain in the ass to draw. I quite enjoyed the passing of the torch, though, in concept. I like seeing Steve rendering incapable of continuing as Captain America and retiring to a more sedentary life, though I do think Bucky is a better choice to take up the mantle. I get the idea that Captain America is a symbol of what a normal man can strive to be, but Steve was at least partially superhuman thanks to the super soldier serum. Then again, considering the Falcon survived having a bus dropped on his head, it’s safe to assume he’s more durably than Joe Public. I really like seeing all the other heroes immediately accept and endorse Sam; there was no question or objection, and he slipped into the role effortlessly. However, I feel he didn’t play a big enough role in this conflict. He fought Zola, sure, but to a standstill and didn’t defeat him; he just stopped his plan, and he lost his girl in the process. It’s a weirdly, tonally confused story for me and a strange way to usher in a new Captain America, though I was left curious to explore how Sam adapted to the role and the fallout from this adventure.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Pretty Good
What did you think to Sam’s promotion to Captain America? Do you agree that this was a strange story to make that change or did you like the way it went down? What did you think to Sam’s suit, and do you like seeing him in the role? Were you disappointed that the Unvengers didn’t do more, and that Sam didn’t try harder to defend Jet Black? What are some of your favourite moments from Sam’s time as Captain America? Use the comment section below to share your thoughts and go read my other Marvel and Captain America content on the site.
Story Title: “The Coming of…The Falcon!” Published: 3 June 1969 (cover-dated: September 1969)
Story Title: “The Falcon Fights On!” Published: 1 July 1969 (cover-dated: October 1969)
Story Title: “Now Falls the Skull!” Published: 30 July 1969 (cover-dated: November 1969)
The Background: World War Two was in full swing by 1941. Nazi Germany had barrelled through Denmark and Norway in April 1940 and, after initially resisting joining the war, the United States entered the fray and provided much needed support against the “Axis powers” of Germany, Japan, and Italy. Patriotism and national pride was high at the time, especially in America, and it was during these dark days that Joe Simon and the legendary Jack Kirby introduced readers Captain Steve Rogers/Captain America and his kid sidekick, James Buchanan Barnes/Bucky, to encourage support of the war effort. However, after the end of the War superheroes declined in popularity and Captain America’s solo comic was cancelled in 1954. Luckily, Cap got a second chance as a “man out of time” when he joined the Avengers, reigniting his superhero career and butting heads with such iconic villains as Johann Shmidt/The Red Skull and even eventually battling his fellow superheroes. In the aftermath of this civil war, Cap was left seemingly dead and his mantle passed to his troubled sidekick, now also a superhuman figure, who operated in the role until Steve’s inevitable resurrection and, in 2014, Sam Wilson took on the mantle, to much undue controversy. Created by Stan Lee and Gene Colon, the man better known as the Falcon was the first Black American superhero in mainstream comic books. Specifically created to be a trendsetter during turbulent times, the Falcon went on to have a lengthy career in Marvel Comics, though mostly as a bit-player until his promotion into the shield-slinging role of Captain America, and has achieved mainstream recognition thanks to Anthony Mackie’s celebrated portrayal of the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Review: Sam Wilson’s debut in Captain America’s solo title came in the middle of a particularly trying time for the Star-Spangled Avenger. After almost having his identity made public, Cap was ambushed by his old foe, the gruesome Red Skull, who used the power of the Cosmic Cube to switch bodies with his hated enemy! As if being tapped in the body of a skull-faced Nazi wasn’t bad enough, the Cosmic Cube’s near-limitless power dumped Cap on a remote island home to the Exiles, a misfit group of would-be conquerors who hate the Red Skull with a passion. Observing through the Cosmic Cube’s omnipotent power, the Red Skull watches as the wheelchair-bound Franz Cadavus leads his venge-filled fellows in search of the one who robbed them of the Cosmic Cube’s power. When Cap crashes before them after falling from his hiding spot in a tree, he doesn’t even bother trying to explain the situation. Instead, he defends himself against Angelo Baldini and his deadly scarf, easily using his knowledge of his foe’s abilities to his advantage. Cap then uses his incredible agility to dodge Cadavus’s “murder chair” cannons, tossing sand in his eyes, and disarms Jun Ching. However, the numbers soon overwhelm the celebrated Avenger when Eric Gruning restrains him with his whip and “Iron-Hand” Jurgen Hauptmann closes in for the kill. For the observing Red Skull, the irony and glory of it all are too much to witness. Confident that his plot has succeeded, he decides not to witness his hated enemy’s final moments and turns his attention towards his greater goals.
Trapped in the Red Skull’s body, Cap nevertheless inspires young Sam to become a hero.
Consequently, the Red Skull doesn’t see the timely intervention of a falcon, later identified as “Redwing”, who distracts Iron-Hand long enough for Cap to fight him off with a swift uppercut. Redwing also helps Cap escape the iron grip of the brutish Ivan Krushki and, as Cap flees to the bushes, he notes that the bird seems to be trained, as if following orders. Cap surmises that the Exiles probably haven’t seen the Red Skull’s true face, so he removes the gruesome mask and manipulates his features with clay to move more freely around the island. In contrast, the Red Skull walks in the guise of Captain America, disgusted by the adulation and awe his appearance inspires and secretly conspiring to enslave everyone. The Red Skull revels in deceiving the masses, taking advantage of their goodwill, before deciding to further his victory against Captain America by destroying his enemy’s distinguished reputation. He is completely unaware that the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing/MODOK and his beekeeper-suit flunkies at Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) are working to render the Cosmic Cube they created powerless to avoid it being used against them. Back on the island, Redwing returns to his master, the jovial Sam Wilson, a lone vigilante against the Exiles. When Cap spots him, he thanks Sam for his assistance and learns that he’s a simple Harlem man who came to the long-peaceful island to organize a resistance against the Exiles. Sam relates that he had an affinity for birds since boyhood, communicating with them in a way beyond a simple animal trainer. When he unwittingly answered the Exiles’ call for a hunting falcon, Sam turned on them, unwilling to help them enslave others. While he initially laughs at Cap’s suggestion that he turn his love for falcons into a symbol, a costumed identity for the natives to rally behind, Cap soon organizes the creation of a garish outfit that will better suit his radical goals and dubs him “The Falcon”.
Despite this God-like power, the Red Skull doesn’t foresee Cap training a new ally.
Back in New York City, the Red Skull finally realises, with anger, that his protégés have failed to find or kill their quarry. Realising that Cap must’ve taken off his skull-like visage, he resigns himself to the inevitability that his enemy can’t hide forever. Yet, the Red Skull decides he’s not willing to aid the Exiles or simply blink Cap out of existence with his God-like power and thus doesn’t bother to look in on Cap or witness him bonding with his new friend, whose connection with Redwing constantly impresses the disguised Avenger. Cap teaches the Falcon the basics of superheroing…And by that I mean they spar on the beach, Cap instructing Sam how to fight properly and use an enemy’s momentum and strength against them. Sam’s experience fighting for survival on the mean streets of Harlem see him take to the training like a natural, quickly becoming stronger and more sure of himself, and Cap impresses upon him that he must embody his new identity whenever he’s wearing his awful costume. When the Red Skull is awoken by concerns of an overexcited rabble of Cap fans in the lobby of his hotel, he sees it as the perfect opportunity to discredit Cap’s name. He shouts at the hotel manager and berates the fans, spitting spiteful insults every chance he can get, and even ostracises perennial hanger-on Rick Jones, who had aspirations of becoming Cap’s new sidekick. While A.I.M. continue their experiments, Cap and the Falcon blindside the Exiles, easily besting them even though Cap’s speed and strength are lessened in the Red Skull’s body. The Falcon proves very adept, dodging Gruning’s whip and inspiring the natives to rise up and drive the Exiles into fleeing for their lives.
Ultimately, it’s A.I.M. who quash the red Skull’s dreams of ultimate victory,
Unfortunately for them, the Red Skull happened to be looking in. Angered and determined to finish his enemy and his new ally off, the Red Skull assumes his more familiar appearance and effortlessly teleports himself to Berchtesgaden Castle, where he once conspired with Adolf Hitler to conquer the world, ravenous to stage his final victory in the castle’s opulent halls. Cap and the Falcon are then violently transported halfway across the world to Berchtesgaden Castle. Though Cap bemoans getting the Falcon caught up in his ages-old rivalry with the skull-faced dictator, Sam vows to face the threat no matter the outcome, but is enraged when the Red Skull’s first act is to cage Redwing. The Red Skull feeds the Falcon’s anger and spirit, goading him into attacking so that he can repel the fledgling hero with a forcefield. Sam is then stunned when the Red Skull uses the Cosmic Cube to undo the mind and body transfer, reverting Cap to his colourful costume and rearming him once more. Galvanised by this revelation, the Falcon willing follows Cap into battle, despite the Red Skull encasing himself in a protective rocky shell and spontaneously conjuring a tidal wave that threatens to drown the two heroes. While the Falcon’s caught off-guard by such tricks, Cap warns of the Red Skull’s power and insanity, which see the villain whisk them to an arid desert. With Sam exhausted, Cap hurls his shield and, incredibly, causes the Red Skull to drop the Cosmic Cube! The two fight valiantly over the prize but, just as the Red Skull reclaims the Cosmic Cube, he watches in horror as it melts between his fingers thanks to MODOK and A.I.M. activating their “Catholite Block” and rendering the weapon inert. Despite this, the Red Skull uses the melting cube’s fading power to teleport away, leaving MODOK victorious and Cap and the Falcon to head into the sunset as triumphant new allies.
The Summary: I’m honestly not very familiar with the Falcon. This may very well be the first story I’ve ever read where he’s a part of the plot. I’m much more aware of his film counterpart and, honestly, never thought too much of him since his gimmick is very similar to Adrian Toomes/The Vulture, another character I traditionally find lacklustre compared to other, more colourful and appealing characters. However, his appearance here was enjoyable for what it was. There are some holes in his backstory, though, that the story didn’t satisfactorily explain for me. So, he’s a bird-lover, that’s great; he can communicate with Redwing on a near-telepathic level, sure, I’m all for that. But…why did he answer the ad for a hunting falcon? I mean, I guess he just wanted to leave Harlem and I can understand that, but it’s a bit random to jet off to a secluded island on a whim. Also, why did the Exiles need a hunting falcon anyway? Sure, they’re repeatedly shown to be useless at tracking their enemies but still…a falcon? And how did they place an ad for that when they’re exiled to the island? Still, Sam’s heart is in the right place; he won’t stand for injustice, especially slavery, and is determined to encourage the remaining natives to reclaim their land. It’s obviously a very racially and politically charged motivation and character, but I think it’s a universal truth we can all agree to: slavery and mistreatment of others is bad and should be opposed. Sam embodies this ideal before Cap shows up but lacks the proper means to enforce it. He seems to operate mainly from the shadows, but Cap encourages him to stand in the spotlight as a symbol for people to believe in, not unlike he is when in full costume.
It’s a good job Sam’s such a likeable guy because his superhero costume is unsightly!
Unfortunately for Sam, Cap and the natives whisk up one of the worst costumes I’ve ever seen. God, it’s so awful, with its lime-green and brown-gold edging, it’s weird-ass cowl and strangely angled boots. Considering Cap encourages him to take inspiration from his love and use the moniker “The Falcon”, nothing about Sam’s outfit screams “Falcon” to me. He doesn’t have a bird-like cowl like, say, Katar Hall/Hawkman, doesn’t match Redwing’s gold and red/brown feathers, and doesn’t even have his now-iconic wings. Just about the only thing this outfit has going for it is its sense of native tribalism, but otherwise it’s truly a ghastly sight. Luckily, Sam’s personality makes up for it. He’s not some jive-talking street tough or a shallow Blaxploitation cliché; he’s just a regular guy from Harlem with a friendly disposition who wants to do what’s right. His time on the mean streets toughened him, sure, but there’s no sense of malice or ego. The only time he shows any anger is when Redwing is threatened and when confronted by the embodiment of xenophobic oppression. Otherwise, he’s a level-headed, affable young man who luckily turns out to be a natural when it comes to learning how to fight. In a short time, Cap teaches Sam how to defend himself, how to fight smartly, and leads him into battle against the Exiles, a fight that puts them at a disadvantage due to the group’s numbers and weapons but which the heroes ultimately triumph thanks to putting their skills to good use. This also sees the Falcon inspire the natives to rise up, though this was very rushed for me. There was never any indication that the people even know the Falcon was heading into battle that day. All they knew was that Sam was wearing a costume now, not that he’d done anything worth riling them up. Of course, Sam’s natural abilities are only half the story; Redwing gives him a memorable gimmick that helps him stand out against his peers. The bird is exceptionally well trained and intelligent, turning the tide in every battle the Falcon is involved in and proving invaluable to their cause.
The story completely wastes the potential of the Red Skull’s unlimited power.
Beyond this, the story is a bit of a mess. I love the idea of the Red Skull attaining God-like power, and the Cosmic Cube effectively allows him to do anything. He can see anything he likes at will, switch bodies with people, teleport, conjure forcefields and the elements, and is functionally untouchable as long as the cube is in his hands. Unfortunately, the Red Skull is a cackling buffoon. Rather than simply will Captain America out of existence, he swaps bodies with him and dumps him on an island, where inept forces fail time and again to do his dirty work. Rather than reshaping reality in his image, brainwashing the masses and conquering the world a piece at a time, the Red Skull parades around in Cap’s body to take advantage of their goodwill, all while ruminating about how much he hates Americans and the many ways he’ll subjugate and destroy those around him. Rather than doing this, the Red Skull plots to destroy Cap’s reputation by…being rude to people! It’s ridiculous! He doesn’t even watch what’s happening on the island until it’s too late and gets so distracted bringing himself, Cap, and the Falcon to Berchtesgaden Castle that he doesn’t think to set aside his pride and just snuff their lives out with a thought. It’s typical, cliché supervillain behaviour to assume victory, bask in your superiority, and to toy with your enemies but I expected more from someone like the Red Skull! Despite demonstrating that he can protect himself from any attack with a thought, Shmidt is disarmed by a simple throw of Cap’s shield and then he completely fails to consider that A.I.M. might be angry at him swiping their most powerful weapon, leaving him undone not by his enemy, but by his own lack of foresight. Overall, this was a decent enough introduction for Sam Wilson; his costume was awful, but I liked his attitude and his gimmick. What lets it down, though, is the nonsensical main plot regarding Cap and the red Skull switching bodies. It’s a great concept but the story completely wastes it, having Shmidt lounge around thinking nasty thoughts but squandering his great power, leaving him undone in the lamest way possible.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Pretty Good
What did you think to the Falcon’s debut story? Were you as repulsed by his costume as I was? What did you think to his moxie and his gimmick with Redwing? Were you also disappointed that the red Skull squandered his potential here? What are some of your favourite moments in the Falcon’s long history? There’s a comment section down below; use it to share your thoughts and then go check out my other Marvel content.
Air Date: 19 March 2021 to 23 April 2023 Director: Kari Skogland Network: Disney+ Stars: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Daniel Brühl, and Emily VanCamp
The Background: Unquestionably, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has become more than a success; from humble beginnings, it has evolved into a nigh-unstoppable multimedia juggernaut that has brought some of Marvel Comics’ most beloved, and obscure, characters to life in a way that no one could have ever predicted. Only a handful of the films produced by Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have met with any kind of negativity or mixed reaction, and in a world that is becoming increasingly bleak and cynical the MCU achieved an impossibility by making the Star-Spangled Avenger himself, Captain America, a blockbuster movie franchise. Although Marvel Studios had dabbled in television ventures before, most notably with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013 to 2020) and their various Netflix shows, they really ramped up their focus on TV productions to coincide not just with the MCU’s fourth phase but also the release of Disney+, the streaming service of their parent company. Unlike other MCU TV shows, these shows were spearheaded by Feige and focused heavily on maintaining and expanding the continuity of the MCU going forward. One of the first pitches for this concept was a “buddy cop” series the focused on the dysfunctional friendship and grating banter between Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Mackie) and James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes (Stan); the series aimed to not only explore this relationship and Sam’s struggles with accepting the mantle of Captain America, but also tackle relevant social issues such as racism and coping with grief and change. Although delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier eventually released weekly on Disney+ starting from 19 March 2021 and was the most-watched show on the service for some time. Critically, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was extremely well-received, with reviewers praising the show’s depiction of racism and the dynamic between the two leads, though some criticised the show’s pacing and execution. Still, the show was successful enough to earn not only a second season but also a fourth Captain America movie that continued the plot threads left hanging at the end of the season.
The Plot: Six months after Avengers: Endgame (Russo and Russo, 2019), Sam Wilson struggles to live up to the mantle of Captain America and Bucky is still recovering from his brainwashing as the Winter Soldier. The two are forced to begrudgingly join forces with not only each other, but one of their worst enemies, to investigate a terrorist group in a worldwide adventure that tests both their abilities and their patience.
The Review: I am a bit late to the party when it comes to Disney+ and their various original content. The main reason for that is the sad fact that neither my television nor my service provider actually carry the app, and I didn’t really want to be watching the shows on a smaller screen. Ordinarily, I would wait for the home media release but it seems as though we might have to wait a while for that, or might not get it at all, so I finally decided to get started on working through them earlier this year and was excited to finally sink my teeth into The Falcon and the Winter Soldier since it was the one that looked most like what I enjoy about the MCU. Naturally, given the title, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier primarily focuses on Sam and Bucky and the fallout from Avengers: Endgame. At the start of the show, Sam continues to run missions for the United States military as the Falcon, quickly making an enemy out of Georges Batroc (Georges St-Pierre), and enjoying the chance to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Sam is determined (obsessed, almost) with helping people, trying to offer his services and council, and protecting others, even when it’s beyond him, but he is conflicted about taking on the mantle of Captain America.
Sam gives up the shield, feeling he can’t live up to expectations, and tries to help his family.
Believing that he’s not able to live up to Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) legacy, Sam delivers an emotional speech in Washington, D.C. at a ceremony (more like a eulogy) at the Smithsonian Museum for Captain America where he entrusts the shield to the museum so it can be displayed as a symbol of hope and unity. In a recurring motif throughout the show, Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle) questions this decision, believing that times have changed, and that the world is “broken” and in need of fixing, and that Captain America is more important than ever before. Sam, however, remains steadfast in his decision to give up the shield since he can’t shake the feeling that it doesn’t belong to him, and instead tries to direct his attentions to reconnecting with his family. Sam’s sister, Sarah (Adepero Oduye), and his nephews Cass (Chase River McGee) and AJ (Aaron Haynes), maintain the family fishing business in Louisiana, but fell on hard times during the Blip and have struggled to stay afloat since the snapped were returned. While Sam is still somewhat stuck in the pre-Blip past, Sarah is faced with the cold, hard fact that she is out of options thanks to getting into debt; Sam, however, is determined to help, despite her cynicism, and is sure that he can help broker a new deal/loan at the bank and turn the business around. However, despite the adulation of the bank clerk for his heroics, Sam faces greater hurdles than he expected; things changed after the Blip, Sam’s income is questionable (apparently Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr) didn’t pay the Avengers, which I find odd), and the Wilson’s don’t have the collateral or standing to qualify for a loan. However, there’s also an undercurrent of racial prejudice throughout this meeting; though Sam refuses to quit, Sarah isn’t surprised that they got turned away and somewhat resents Sam’s absence (whether by choice or by fate) and efforts to swoop in and save the day when she’s been struggling so hard for so long, by herself, to keep the business afloat.
Bucky and Sam clash over the shield, but are forced to unite against a new breed of super soldiers.
Already greatly troubled by these burdens, Sam is clearly conflicted when the United States government opt to reactivate the shield and pass the mantle of Captain America on Captain John Walker (Russell). The former Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, isn’t quite as shy about hiding his feelings regarding the matter, however. Although he’s received a full pardon for his past crimes, Bucky is legally mandated to attend regular therapy sessions with Doctor Christina Raynor (Amy Aquino) and continues to be haunted by vivid, explicit memories of his heinous past. Although he routinely lies to and criticises her, Dr. Raynor sees through his bullshit and he reluctantly relates that he’s been going through a list of his victims and trying to make amends with their families or bring those responsible for his conditioning to justice according to Raynor’s strict series of rules that prohibit him from killing, harming others, or doing anything illegal in order to help stave off his nightmares. Bucky is aggravated that Sam gave up the shield; he believes that Steve trusted in Sam, that he believed in him, and that Sam threw it all away like it was nothing and his stoic demeanour cracks when he states that if Steve was wrong to believe in Sam then maybe he was wrong to believe in him (as in Bucky) as well. This causes a great deal of tension between the two, who already had a pretty frosty relationship to begin with, which only escalates as they investigate a terrorist group known as the Flag Smashers. Led by Karli Morgenthau (Kellyman), the Flag Smashers believe that society was better during the Blip and want to restructure the world to remove all borders, both political and social, but are radical in their methods. Karli, and seven of her followers, have been granted superhuman strength and durability thanks to a new version of the super soldier serum, and use that power to launch a campaign against the oppressive governments and conglomerates, particularly the Global Repatriation Council (GPC), who seek to return the world to the way it was before the Blip. Sam is first alerted to the group by his military liaison, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who is badly injured trying to fight Karli during a bank robbery in Switzerland, and the bulk of the series revolves around his efforts (and the efforts of others) to track them down. Karli comes across as very sympathetic and morally grey antagonist; her idea for a united world free from corruption is an admirable one, but she enforces her ideals through extremism and violence, which clearly puts her in the wrong. With slightly different methods and motivations, she could have rallied people into a productive force for good but, instead, she is a revolutionary posing as a freedom fighter. In a very short time, she has amassed a cult-like following of people only too eager to offer them food, shelter, and resources and Karli is determined not to let the same people who were in power before the Blip return to positions of authority, and to go to any lengths necessary to bring about “One world, One people”.
Walker is made the new Captain America, but his psyche deteriorates from the pressure.
While Sam actively sympathises with Karli’s plight, and makes every effort to try and talk her down, neither Bucky or Walker share his unique approach to the situation; a former high school football star, decorated soldier, and American patriot, Walker initially struggles with the weight of expectation placed on him by assuming this mantle of Captain America. His wife, Olivia (Gabrielle Byndloss), and best friend, Sergeant Major Lemar Hoskins (Clé Bennett), offer him their utmost encouragement and support and Walker quickly takes to the public limelight, signing autographs and appearing live on Good Morning, America, and coming across as humble and appreciative of the opportunity (despite his impressive military record, physical fitness, and intelligence quotient) and selling himself not as a super soldier, but as a brave man looking to continue Steve’s legacy. Walker’s position as Captain America causes a great deal of friction between him and Sam and Bucky; although he helps them to (unsuccessfully) fight Karli and the Flag Smashers, his repeated attempts to work with them are met with reluctance and hostility (especially from Bucky, who quickly senses something is off about Walker). Bucky and Sam’s resentment of Walker is only exacerbated by his increasing arrogance and bravado; Walker’s mental stability is fractured further when he’s repeatedly left one step behind (or out of the loop) in the pursuit of Karli, is met with scorn and disrespect by the Flag Smashers, and is repeatedly bested in combat by both super soldiers and the Wakandan special forces, the Dora Milaje. He’s resentful of those with enhanced abilities, and the judgement he faces from the likes of Sam, and being forced to sit on the side lines, which causes him to blunder into situations full of piss and vinegar and even disrupts Sam’s attempts to talk Karli down.
Walker is driven to the edge by Lemar’s death, but given a new opportunity by the mysterious Val.
Walker is joined in the field by Lemar, who fights by his side as Battlestar. While Bucky is ready to simply force Walker to give up the shield, Lemar acts as the voice of reason and not only manages to keep Walker focused but tries to keep the peace between them and Sam and Bucky to better pool their resources. When Walker is distraught at being so handily beaten by the Dora Milaje, Lemar admits that he would jump at the chance to take the super soldier serum since the benefits would far outweigh any side effects, arguing that they could have saved lives (and spared themselves a lot of bloodshed) during their time in Afghanistan. This is all the convincing Walker needs to take the serum for himself, but his already unstable mind and quick temper are only exacerbated by the serum, and by Lemar’s death at Karli’s hands. Walker’s grief quickly turns to outrage, and he takes his anger and pain out on Nico (Noah Mills), Karli’s close friend, beating him to death with the shield in front of numerous bystanders, many of whom record the incident on their phones. Walker is so traumatised by these events that he actually tries to justify them as being part of his duties as Captain America, and a brutal fight breaks out between him, Falcon, and Bucky when Sam tries to reason with Walker and Walker’s paranoia kicks in. Walker rips Falcon’s wings off, half-crazed by ego and madness, and Falcon is forced to break Walker’s arm to get the shield off him. Although Walker avoids a court martial for his actions thanks to his service record, he’s stripped of his rank, benefits, and the mantle of Captain America. Understandably, Walker is outraged at this betrayal but is given a second (well, third, technically) chance by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who sympathises with his plight and offers him a new assignment as the U. S. Agent.
Zemo adds an extra dimension to the show, offering a twisted but logical perspective on the world.
Walker’s instability isn’t helped by Sam and Bucky’s decision to turn to Helmut Zemo (Brühl) for help; although Zemo is a dangerous radical and terrorist who cannot be trusted, he knows more about super soldiers than anyone left alive, but even Sam is aghast when Bucky orchestrates Zemo’s escape from prison and convinces him to aid them based on their common enemy. Zemo is only too eager to help rid the world of super soldiers, who go against everything he believes in, and the two reluctantly agree to utilise Zemo’s wealth and resources as a baron (not to mention his knowledge of Hydra and the super soldier serum). Zemo adds an extra dimension to the abrasive relationship between the two leads, riling up both Bucky and Sam with his mind games and taunts; Zemo questions the logic behind giving symbols and people too much power as you forget their flaws and it brews conflict. Despite being a bigot and a terrorist, Zemo makes some great points about the parallels between good and bad, heroes and tyrants; Zemo argues that his willingness to murder Hydra scientist Doctor Wilfred Nagel (Olli Haaskivi) shows he has the will to complete their mission, indicating his intention to kill Karli, whose attacks are becoming more and more frequent and dangerous. He also makes a convincing argument that to be superhuman is to be a supremacist, that Karli will not be able to stop herself escalating her methods and her goals, and basically comparing the Avengers to the Nazis and other supremacist powers on principal alone, while also expressing respect for Captain America for his strength of character. Zemo’s poisonous philosophies and mind games continually grate on Sam and Bucky, and his very presence causes controversy, especially when Ayo (Florence Kasumba) and the Dora Milaje come looking for him. Ayo only allows Bucky (whom she still refers to as the “White Wolf”) eight hours to make use of Zemo out of a fraying sense of respect, however while nobody trusts Zemo (and rightfully so), he actually proves to be super useful to the group’s investigation: he leads them to Madripoor, a desolate, neon-drenched haven for disreputable types run by the mysterious “Power Broker”, and to Nagel’s knowledge of the new super soldier serum. He often slips away from conflict and is ordered to stay out of the way, but actually goes out of his way to help Sam and Bucky, even donning his iconic ski mask to clear a path for his unlikely allies.
Both the Dora Milaje and the jaded Sharon disapprove of Zemo, but Sharon is hiding a dark secret.
Zemo’s even able to use Turkish Delight and his way with children to lead them to Karli, but doesn’t show his whole hand to maintain his leverage, which riles Bucky up almost as much as Zemo’s smug, self-righteous, condescending hospitality. Still, his single-minded campaign against super soldiers causes some problems for the more righteous heroes; he not only executes Nagel, but he wounds Karli and angrily destroys the majority of her serum vials, which only serves to galvanise her extremism further. Zemo is instrumental not just in aiding Sam and Bucky but also in granted Bucky some of the closure he desperately needs; his code words no longer trigger Bucky’s conditioning, and Bucky opts to spare him so he can face imprisonment, and the two even part ways with a kind of mutual respect and understanding for each other. Zemo actually proves to be more of an asset than Sharon Carter (VanCamp), who was driven off the grid to Madripoor after helping Sam and the other Avengers during Captain America: Civil War (Russo and Russo, 2016). Resentful that she was left without the aid of the Avengers and to fend for herself, Sharon is less than welcoming to them, especially Zemo, because she’s been forced to live on the run, without contact with friends and family, and has been alone this whole time. Begrudgingly, she offers them shelter and has set herself up as the owner and proprietor of an art gallery filled with stolen, priceless pieces; recent events have left her cynical of the whole hero gig and she openly criticises their devotion to a cause she no longer believes in. Distrustful and bitter, Sharon agrees to help in return for Sam’s help in clearing her name and returning her home; while Sharon brokers a deal with some clients, the three blend in at her party, resulting in the now-infamous clip of Zemo partying down to some beats! Although Sharon’s information proves fruitful, and she’s instrumental in stopping Karli and the Flag Smashers in the finale, she is repeatedly shown to be somewhat shady and untrustworthy throughout the show, making suspicious phone calls and even hiring Batroc to add a wild card to the final episode. When Sam, Bucky, and Walker join forces to chase Karli down, Sharon is revealed to be the Power Broker in a tense showdown that sees her gun down Batroc for having the insolence to blackmail her and then shoot Karli to save Sam’s life after his attempts to reason with her fall on deaf ears. Despite her odd behaviour, Sam arranges for her to receive her full pardon, but, while she gratefully returns to a governmental role, she makes a suspicious call to an unknown party promising to deliver full access to the government’s resources going forward.
A central theme of the show is racism and overcoming oppressive labels and bigotry.
A central theme throughout The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is of racism and the power of symbols, labels, and Captain America; racist struggles and undertones permeate every aspect of the show, from Sarah’s efforts to keep the family business afloat to Sam being referred to as “Black Falcon”, and there’s even an unsettling scene were some cops randomly accost Sam, with the implication that they only backed down after realising that he’s the Falcon. These racial tensions are explicitly emphasised through the introduction of Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), an African American veteran super soldier who fought, and defeated, the Winter Soldier in the Korean War. Jaded and betrayed by his country, Isaiah was imprisoned and experimented on for thirty years to help replicate the super soldier serum, leaving him a cynical and tortured individual. Sam is angered that a Black super soldier existed and has been buried and forgotten, and how many people got screwed over just to make the shield and Captain America a thing, regardless of how much good both have done. Isaiah bitterly talks about the oppression faced by Black people everywhere, especially soldiers who put their lives on the line for their country only to face bigotry and hatred upon returning. Isaiah reveals that his wife died while he was in prison, and that a bunch of prisoners such as himself were subjected to super soldier experiments and sent on missions even if they were unstable. After some of them got captured, Isaiah learned that the higher-ups were planning on destroying the camp rather than let their dirty little secret get out and rescued his comrades, only to be left a lab rat whose only salvation came from a sympathetic nurse. Sam is moved by his tale, and desperate to use every resource he has to tell it to the world, but Isaiah doesn’t share Sam’s optimism since Black people have been oppressed and erased for generations; he maintains that “they” will never let a Black man be Captain America, and that no self-respecting Black man would want to represent such a flawed symbol.
Sam finally embraces the Captain America mantle and delivers an impassioned speech about responsibility.
Although Isaiah’s tale causes Sam to contemplate if he should destroy the shield, Bucky emphasises that the shield is a symbol of hope to many, including himself. When Sam calls in the favours owed to his family by the neighbourhood, even Bucky gets stuck in with fixing up the family boat, and apologises for judging Sam’s decision. He helps Sam train with the shield and Sam encourages him to find his own path in life rather than looking to other people to guide him, and to “do the work” to make amends for his past by offer his victims closure, or a service, to properly put his sins to rest and, in that moment, they forge their friendship (though they still maintain their grating banter). Bucky’s support helps Sam to conclude that, while Isaiah may have a point, he owes it to all of those who suffered and sacrificed to stand up and keep fighting…and take on the shield, which he eventually manages to get the hang of after an inspirational training montage. This culminates in Sam making a dramatic appearance in the finale garbed in his all-new Captain America costume, courtesy of Wakanda, which is heavily based on his Cap suit from the comics and incorporates elements from his Falcon outfit, including the wings. As faithful as the suit is, though, I do feel like it’s a bit “busy”; it’s got white and blue and red and all kinds of different parts and details to it, which is fine, but it does seem like it could be streamlined and simplified going forward. Crucially, while Cap has (presumably Vibranium) wings and his additional technology and abilities allow for particularly exciting chase and action sequence involving a helicopter and a rematch with Batroc, Sam refuses the super soldier serum and uses his position to make an impassioned speech to the GRC representatives, the crowd, and the press about the dangers of labels and the importance of asking why people do the things they do. In a poignant address, Cap emphasises that that they all have a chance to make real change, to help those in need, and acknowledges that people will hate and judge him for being a Black Captain America but, despite that, he’s still there, a simple man with a strong belief that people can do better and the importance of setting a strong example and wielding power responsibly.
After much loss, Sam and Bucky form a real partnership, while Val prepares her own schemes…
This comes after a dramatic and tragic final confrontation with Karli and the Flag Smashers, who launch an attack on a GRC conference; earlier in the series, Nico expressed his belief that the world needs heroes that “look like them”, that can relate to their plight, and even suggests that Karli has the potential to be as influential as Captain America because of her willingness to fight for those in need and to get her hands dirty in the process. Karli believes that the shield is “a monument to a bygone era” and serves as a reminder only of the people history forgot, and that the serum is the only way to bring about real change, and as part of that she only plans on killing people that “matter”, like John Walker and even Sam, as it will send a stronger message. This dismissive attitude raises the ire of Walker in the finale, but Sam consistently sympathises with Karli’s plight; for five years, the world completely changed the way it operated, offering aid and co-operating in a way that had never been seen before, but things have returned to normal and that is a jarring transition for many, especially the poor, underprivileged, and oppressed, who see Karli as a freedom fighter. Sam attempts to reach out to her, and convince her to come along peacefully, and is met with aggression and resistance; Karli rejects the notion that she’s a supremacist because she’s fighting against big, oppressive corporations but Sam argues that she’s killing recklessly, and heading down a dark path. Even when Karli threatens Sam’s family, he continues to try and reason with her and, when they go head-to-head in the finale, he refuses to fight her…or to back down…even as when she flies into a rage and mercilessly attacks him. After Karli is fatally shot by Sharon, she dies in Cap’s arms, leaving him with only an apology and regret at the unnecessary loss of life, and that tragedy fuels his big speech at the end.
The Summary: I really enjoyed The Falcon and the Winter Soldier; everything about it was indicative of a top-notch MCU production, from the music to the presentation, characterisation, and world-building. It was literally like watching a six-hour long movie rather than an episodic show, and a lot of that is due to how well the two leads characters are written. Sam and Bucky share some relatable and entertaining banter and dick measuring regarding their knowledge of pop culture, the craziness of their superhero lives, and it’s clear that they have a begrudging, grating, almost brotherly relationship. Bucky despairs of Sam’s reluctance to make or share his plans and goes out of his way to match his efforts, even leaping out of a plane at two-hundred feet without a parachute just to prove a point. When Karli threatens Sam’s family, Bucky insists on suiting up with him and has his back, despite the two having an abrasive relationship; this is best seen in an amusing moment where Dr. Raynor forces the two to sit down for some therapy and they push back against Dr. Raynor’s methods, rile each other up, and are forced to confront their issues. Although the two agree to part ways and never see each other again following this, they are soon bonded by their mutual respect and come to trust and even help each other with their doubts and issues. Bucky even has a little flirty banter with Sarah (which Sam warns him about) and, by the end, is laughing and enjoying himself with Sam’s family and neighbours. Their dysfunctional, brotherly, odd-couple dynamic is one of the highlights of the show and it’s great to see them ending the season as trusted allies.
Walker becomes increasingly unhinged, but it remains to be seen if he’s truly redeemed himself.
A clear standout of the show was also John Walker, who gave a great turn as an unstable, violent, and unhinged version of Captain America. At first, he’s the humble, dutiful poster boy but it doesn’t take long for cracks to begin to show in his façade; the pressure of living up to Cap’s legacy weighs heavily on his shoulders and his ego and anger are only exacerbated by the disrespect and lack of recognition he receives from Sam, Bucky, and others. Walker has a tumultuous relationship with Sam and Bucky, who both see him as unworthy of the shield, and their attempts to join forces almost always become a war of words and very nearly lead to them coming to blows. The super soldier serum only escalates things further, finally granting Walker the power he so desperately craved but also driving him to sully his image by literally staining the shield with blood. However, Walker remains a complex and layered character; a tool of the system, he was used and abused just like countless other soldiers and left hanging after the government that made him washed their hands of him. After being stripped of the shield, Walker fashions his own, far less durable one and heads into the finale looking to kill Karli to avenge Lemar, but ultimately chooses to abandon his crusade in order to help save a truck load of hostages. Despite Sam and Bucky’s very valid reservations about Walker, he comes through in the end, but the series ends on a slightly ominous note with him rebranded to U. S. Agent and signed up to whatever Valentina has in store for him.
The longer run time allows for a deeper exploration of these complex and flawed characters.
Other highlights of the show obviously include Zemo, thanks to his moral ambiguity and his twisted philosophies that actually make a great deal of sense; his inclusion was a masterful addition and really added to the dynamic between Sam and Bucky, as well as allowing the character to shift gears towards a more comic-accurate depiction, and it was fun seeing him rile the two leads up. Equally, Karli proved to be a surprisingly sympathetic and relatable antagonist; just as Zemo predicted, she grows increasingly bolder and more violent in her methods, eventually becoming willing to die and execute hostages for her cause, which unsettles even her followers. Yet, even when pushed right to the edge, she has a vulnerability to her; her adopted mother gave her shelter and love, and she’s just looking to provide for those in need and to stand up for the oppressed, but has turned her crusade against corporate or governmental propaganda and symbols like Captain America and her physical strength more than matches the strength of her beliefs thanks to the super soldier serum, making for an extremely dangerous and unpredictable enemy to unite these unlikely allies. Another emotional highlight was Bucky’s quest for redemption; haunted by this past and lost in a world that has passed him by, Bucky is desperately trying to find some purpose in life but finds himself constantly hampered by his violent actions. Not even a cute little date with a waitress (Miki Ishikawa) helps to alleviate his guilt and it’s only through fighting alongside Sam and that he’s able to start to come to terms with his sins. This comes to a head in the finale when he finally heeds Sam’s advice and finds the courage to confess his part in death of his friend Yori Nakajima’s (Ken Takemoto) son; it’s clear that he’s still got a long way to go to find the peace he wants but he ends the show in a far better place that he started it thanks to the partnership (and friendship) he builds with Sam.
Sam resolves to use the shield as a positive for for real change, and to help Bucky through his trauma.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is full to the brim with the biting, witty banter you’d expect from an MCU production and some exhilarating and exciting action sequence; Falcon dives and barrel-rolls through the air in freefall, Bucky throws bombs with his cybernetic arm, and action scenes are given a real punch (no pun intended) thanks to the Flag Smashers being augmented by the super soldier serum. Sam’s refusal to enhance himself in this way might be a questionable decision given he’s taking on the mantle of Captain America, but it goes a long way to keeping him humble, vulnerable, and relatable; he’s just a normal man striving to do better, without the shortcuts that Walker takes. Ayo and the Dora Milaje also contribute to some epic fight scenes, particularly in the way they humble Walker and even subdue Bucky by disabling and removing his Vibranium limb. Even more impactful, though, are the socially relevant themes in the show, such as racism and the power of labels and symbols; it’s no surprise that Isaiah’s story is framed as a dark parallel to Steve’s, and it’s deplorable to hear about what he went through while Steve was heralded a hero for similar deeds. It thus carries a significant impact when Isaiah ultimately gives Sam his begrudging approval and respect after being won over with Sam’s determination to be a symbol of his people and all those who suffered to make America the country it is today. Isaiah is moved when he sees that Sam has made good on his promise and arranged for him and his fellow soldiers to finally be recognised and honoured at the Smithsonian’s Captain America wing, and I applaud the show for tackling these unsettling issues head-on, even if Sam’s big speech might be a bit on the nose. Overall, this was a fantastic experience; it was literally like a fourth Captain America movie and really helped to flesh out Sam and Bucky and the changes brought to the MCU following Avengers: Endgame. I do wonder how explicitly subsequent movies and productions will relate to the events of this show, but it was a fun journey to go on and I’m excited to see how all the loose threads will be connected together going forward and for Sam’s big-screen debut as the new Captain America.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Fantastic
Did you enjoy The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? What did you think to the banter between Sam and Bucky, and the dynamic added to the duo by Zemo? Were you happy to see Sam accept the mantle by the end or would you have preferred Bucky become the new Captain America? What did you think to Karli and her motivations, and did you enjoy the moral ambiguity of the show’s characters? Did you enjoy the introduction of U. S. Agent to the MCU and what do you think the future holds for him? Are there any Captain America stories and villains you would like to see make it to the MCU? How have you been celebrating the Star-Spangled Avenger’s debut this month? Whatever your thoughts on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, or Captain America in general, sign up to let me know below or drop a comment on my social media.
Released: 6 May 2016 Director: Anthony and Joe Russo Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Budget: $250 million Stars: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen, Daniel Brühl, and Chadwick Boseman
The Plot: After saving the world, Steve Rogers/Captain America (Evans) and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Johansson) work alongside a new team of Avengers. However, Wanda Maximoff’s (Olsen) unpredictable nature threatens to the the team unless they fall under governmental jurisdiction. This causes tensions between Steve and Tony Stark/Iron Man (Downey Jr.) that are exacerbated when Helmut Zemo (Brühl) activates James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes/The Winter Soldier’s (Stan) brainwashing.
The Background: Considering that Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Russo and Russo, 2014) was such a massive hit and that, by 2016, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) had basically become an unstoppable franchise juggernaut, a third Captain America movie was never in question. The first film of Phase Three of the MCU was originally revealed under a very different title before it was revealed to be taking inspiration from the controversial storyline of the same name. Pitched as a psychological thriller, Captain America: Civil War quickly became the biggest solo Marvel movie when many returning characters and Avengers signed on to feature. The film saw not only the debut of a new team of Avengers and the introduction of T’Challa/Black Panther (Boseman) but also the long-awaited inclusion of Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) to the MCU. The directors lobbied hard to include Spider-Man and, after much negotiating, Marvel were able to reach an agreement with Sony Pictures to recast and share the character. Though ostensibly Avengers 2.5, Captain America: Civil War was incredibly successful; it made over $1.150 billion and was the highest-grossing film of 2016. Like its predecessor, the film was almost universally praised; while some criticised the film’s bloated cast and premise, many were impressed with the film’s action and intrigue and the dramatic wayit fractured the Avengers to set the stage for the MCU’s biggest film yet.
The Review: I honestly can’t say that I really had much of a reaction when I found out that the third Captain America movie wouldn’t be tackling the Serpent Society; I only really know the group from the Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (2010 to 2012) cartoon, where I found them to be annoying and over-used. However, I was a bit concerned when it was revealed that Marvel Studios would be adapting the “Civil War” (Millar, et al, 2006 to 2007) storyline as not only was I not a fan of how out of character everyone (especially Iron Man) acted in that story but the MCU Avengers had just ended Avengers: Age of Ultron(Whedon, 2015) on a high note and, like the downfall of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.), it seemed a bit too soon to be tearing these characters apart when they were still so new as a group.
Cap’s efforts to train a new Avengers team are disrupted when his loyalties are divided.
One thing I’ve always found odd about the “Civil War” storyline is the fact that Captain America, the living embodiment of America’s ideals, is the one fighting against the government and Stark, the arrogant industrialist who actively spits in the face of governmental boards, is the one pushing for registration and culpability. Yet, it sends a clear message when the bastion of truth and freedom finds something oppressive about the ruling body and Steve is a proud man who sees the world in old-fashioned shades of black and white and has learned enough about the modern world to become suspicious of those who wield too much political power and who just wants to do the right thing without compromise. The trailers and hype for the film excited me and I was keen to see a Marvel solo movie featuring so many additional costumed characters in supporting roles as I am a big fan of that in my superhero movies after years of them all living in isolated bubbles. Plus, even with the expanded cast, the film remains, at its core, a Captain America story and is completely focused on Cap’s divided loyalties between his Avengers team-mates and his old friend-turned-brainwashed assassin, Bucky. Cap begins the film as the field commander of the newly-formed team of Avengers we first saw at the end of Age of Ultron; as always, he is all business when on the job and determined to teach the younger members of the team, like Wanda Maximoff, how to best scope out potential targets and situations and build a rapport as a team.
Wanda’s unpredictable powers are the catalyst for the film’s events.
The catalyst for the eventual conflict within the Avengers is Wanda; unlike the other members of the Avengers, she’s still very young, inexperienced, and an outsider. Add to that the fact that her “Hex Powers” are both unpredictable and volatile and she is a bit of a powder keg, despite her generally calm and composed demeanour. Deep down, she just wants to help people and do the best she can so, when she instinctively uses her powers to hurl Brock Rumlow/Crossbones (Frank Grillo) into the air to keep his suicide bomb from killing innocents, she is devastated when her throw goes awry and kills several Wakandan humanitarians. Although Steve tries to console her, rightfully pointing out that no-one, however (super)powerful can save everyone, she only really feels a connection with the Vision (Paul Bettany), another being born of an Infinity Stone to whom she has grown very close and who desires to not only explore his abilities and humanity but who also seeks to understand the nature of the Infinity Stone embedded in his forehead.
The Avengers are divided on the Sokovia Accords, which would see them conform or retire.
Cap’s team is also comprised of his friends, Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Mackie) and Black Widow. Now much more comfortable in his role as a superhero, the Falcon has built a camaraderie with the other Avengers and is a vital member of the team thanks to his drone, Redwing, and his specialised flight suit, both of which allow him to provide unprecedented air support. Natasha, meanwhile, continues to be an absolute bad-ass in the field, striking with speed, precision, and power, while also sharing the responsibility of teaching Wanda how to conduct herself out in the field. They, and many of their team mates, live and train at a specialist compound, paid for by Stark’s not-inconsiderable funds. Stark, meanwhile, has semi-retired from the superhero life and is only brought back into the fold after the incident in Lagos which, especially after the devastating events in Sokovia in Age of Ultron, call into question the unchallenged actions of the Avengers. Thus, in a continuation of his growing sense of impending cosmic danger and his desire to protect the planet by any means necessary (and due to his guilt at being responsible for collateral damage caused by the Avengers’ actions), Stark is immediately onboard with the “Sokovia Accords”. Although Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross’s (William Hurt), now promoted to Secretary of State, acknowledges that the world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt, he stresses that they must register to answer to a democratic committee before acting so that they can be properly held accountable for their actions. The Sokovia Accords rattle each member of the team in different ways based on their previous experiences and relationships; James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle) and the Vision, for example, look at the numbers and the orders and, influenced by their relationship with Stark, believe that signing the Accords is the only logical action whereas Sam is adamant that it will only be a matter of time before the government screw them over.
Zemo plots to destroy the Avengers from the inside out and is focused only on his vengeance.
Steve, ever the soldier and pragmatist, argues against “[surrendering] their right to choose” and his conviction to take a stand against being controlled, even by the United States government, is galvanised after the death of his former flame, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), who firmly believed in standing up for her beliefs. However, when it appears as though Bucky has attacked the ratification of the Accords and killed the peace-affirming Wakandan king, T’Chaka (John Kani), Steve makes it his mission to personally track down his former friend and bring him in before he can be arrested by the authorities. T’Chaka’s son, T’Challa, overwhelmed by grief and bloodlust, dons the ceremonial Vibranium suit of the Black Panther to hunt down and kill Bucky, causing tensions to bubble to boiling point. It is into this tumultuous storm of ideals, emotions, and conflicting beliefs that Zemo enters the fray. A survivor from Sokovia who relentlessly goes on a hunt torturing and murdering Hydra operatives to acquire “Mission report. December 16. 1991”, a document that proves the final spark to ignite the titular civil war within the Avengers. Zemo has acquired the Soviet’s book of codewords and is able, through his charm and false documents, to gain access to Bucky after he is arrested and activate him in order to acquire the information he seeks. Bucky, who has been living off the grid and on the run since the end of The Winter Soldier, continues to suffer from decades of cryogenic stasis, manipulation, brainwashing, and memory wiping, which have made him a confused and purely instinctual creature. Although Steve still remembers their time together as friends and the entirety of Bucky’s past, Bucky is haunted by fragmented memories of his time as an assassin and naturally paranoid, lashing out at friend and foe alike when they try to reach him.
Everyone, especially Black Panther, is after Bucky thanks to Zemo’s machinations.
While Wanda shoulders a lot of the guilt for what happened in Lagos, Steve feels he is also to blame as he was distracted by Rumlow’s mention of Bucky. Still, he is steadfast that what he, and the other Avengers, do cannot be regulated by a governing body, especially after how deeply entrenched Hydra was into S.H.I.E.L.D. This causes a clash of ideals and beliefs between and Stark; showing his partial growth as a character, Stark is now more than willing to compromise and work within the system to keep them in check and also to ensure that the team stays together but Steve is adamant that they shouldn’t have to answer to anyone lest they be stopped from intervening where they are most needed. While the Sokovia Accords themselves probably would have divided the Avengers enough to cause some kind of conflict, they potentially wouldn’t have come to blows if it wasn’t for Zemo’s manipulations and Bucky’s apparent culpability in T’Chaka’s death. When he comes to his senses, Bucky reveals that he was just one of many Winter Soldiers created by the soviets and that Zemo was responsible for the bombing at the ratification. Stark, however, remains oblivious to the deception that has taken place and takes it upon himself to lead his allies in apprehending Bucky, even if it means recruiting the young and relatively untested Spider-Man to help throw Cap off his game and fighting against his allies for the greater good. Steve, realising that he is now, once again, a fugitive, puts together a team of his own to defend Bucky and fight their way to uncovering and exposing Zemo’s plot. To this end, he recruits Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and, on Sam’s suggestion, Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) to help him out, and such is the strength of Captain America’s conviction and fortitude that he is able to convince ex-cons like Scott, retired heroes like Clint (both of whom have familial responsibilities), and Agent Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) to put themselves and their careers at risk to help his cause.
The Nitty-Gritty: Being as it’s basically an Avengers movie in disguise, Captain America: Civil War is a natural escalation of The Winter Soldier in every way. As a result, it’s bigger and far more intricate and bombastic than the previous Captain America movies but, arguably, maybe not the definitive ending to a trilogy of standalone movies in the same way as, say, Iron Man 3(Black, 2013) tried to be. However, there is a very good reason for this and that is that, at this point, MCU movies were much more about focusing on a singular hero but also expanding their shared world exponentially in the lead-up to their biggest movies ever. Despite its heavy subject matter and action-packed events, the film also has time for absolute tone-perfect comedy; Bucky and Sam’s reaction to Steve’s admittedly awkward kiss with Sharon, Scott’s gushing over meeting Captain America and the other Avengers, and Spider-Man’s incessant quips and references during the big airport fight all brilliantly break the tension and add some pitch-perfect levity to the film.
Tom Holland made an immediate and exhilarating impression as the all-new Spider-Man.
Of course, one of the main selling points of the film is the climatic fight between Team Cap and Team Iron Man and the introduction of Spider-Man to the MCU. As much as I loved Andrew Garfield in the role and still think it would’ve been a lot simpler and easier to simply fold him and the Amazing Spider-Man films (Webb, 2012 to 2014) into the MCU, casting a younger actor as an inexperienced version of the character was a great way to introduce Spider-Man with a clean slate and Tom Holland played the role to perfection. Although enthusiastic about getting a shot to team up with heavy-weights like Iron Man and the Vision and eager to impress both Stark and the Avengers, Spider-Man is in way over his head; still he holds his own and delivers both quips for days and some of the best web-slinging in just one big fight scene even after (at the time) nearly fifteen years of Spider-Man movies. Though young and operating in a homemade suit that allows him to use his powers responsibly, Peter is still portrayed as something of a child prodigy as he manufactures his own webbing and web shooters and, despite not mentioning his beloved Uncle Ben by name, has the same strict moral code as any other iteration of the character, making for perhaps the most well-rounded portrayal even after many decades of Spider-Man adaptations.
The fight between the two teams soon escalates when Rhodey is critically injured.
The clash between Team Cap and Team Iron Man isn’t just about Spider-Man, though, or even Steve and Stark; instead, it’s a reluctant fight between close friends and allies, many of whom use known weaknesses against their team mates in order to gain a bit more ground. While you might think that a guy like Hawkeye is no match for the Vision, his various trick arrows do a decent job of disrupting the synthezoid and burying Iron Man beneath a pile of cars. Similarly, Cap is technically physically outmatched and reluctant to fight against a teenager like Spider-Man but is able to best him using his shield and distracting him with falling debris. Another star of the conflict is Ant-Man who, in addition to enlarging vehicles with Pym Particles, makes an entertaining and amusing debut as Giant-Man, and we even get to see Hawkeye and Black Widow go at it, albeit with an acknowledged reluctance. Even Stark doesn’t actually want to fight; he brings his team to the airport to convince Cap to stand down out of respect for their friendship and for the sake of the team, and specifically orders them to subdue their former allies rather than grievously harm them. However, despite this, and as entertaining as this clash between the two groups of Avengers is, things end up becoming much too real when an errant shot from the Vision ends up crippling Rhodey from the waist down, which only adds further fuel to Stark’s fire.
Cap is forced to defend Bucky from Stark in the finale as the Avengers implode from within.
Both Steve and Stark make compelling arguments for and against signing the Sokovia Accords but, as is to be expected of the storyline and these larger than life characters, take their argument to the extreme. In the source material, this led to Stark hunting down and imprisoning his fellow heroes in the ultimate act of uncompromising betrayal, becoming something of a tyrant in the process. Here, he doesn’t go quite that far until he has absolutely no other choice; despite his grating personality, it’s clear that Stark sees Steve and the others as trusted friends and allies and like Natasha, is more than willing to compromise to keep the team together, in check, and to advocate for amendments to the Accords later down the line. However, both Steve and Stark are pushed too far when the others continuously refuses to see things from their perspective and to compromise their integrity or conscience. After the climatic airport fight, however, and the truth of Zemo’s manipulations is revealed, Stark swallows his pride and heads to Siberia to investigate the other Winter Soldiers. Unfortunately, his conflict with Steve and Bucky is reignited when it is revealed that Bucky was brainwashed into killing Howard and Maria Stark (John Slattery and Hope Davis, respectively) to acquire super soldier serum for the Soviets. Stark’s introduction to the film, and a major sub-plot of his previous appearances, dealt with his unresolved issues with his father and, upon learning that both of his parents were taken from him, he flies into a mindless rage and attacks the two in a fantastically realised and emotional fight scene. Though torn between his friendship with Stark and his loyalty to Bucky, Steve ultimately has no choice but to choose to defend his old friend in order to get him the help he needs and, in the process, Zemo’s master plan succeeds as the Avengers are torn apart and Cap gives up his shield to go on the run with Bucky.
It’s a bittersweet ending as the Avengers are left divided andscattered thanks to Zemo’s efforts.
This finale is the perfect culmination of a film that is packed full of fantastic action sequences and fight scenes; expanding upon the brutal, gritty action of The Winter Soldier, Civil War continues to deliver some hard-hitting action from the likes of Cap and Black Widow, especially. Their fight against Rumlow is a great way to open the film and, following an equally engaging conflict of ideologies and beliefs, the action only escalates as Steve desperately tries to reach Bucky and bring him in independently only to end up fighting against the German police in a cramped stairwell and racing across the rooftops and streets of Berlin. Black Panther joins the battle for this latter sequence in a brilliant introduction to the character that only scratches the surface of his physical capabilities. Unlike other MCU villains who, by this point, showed glimmers of complex personalities and had somewhat multi-faceted personalities but were often just dark mirrors of the titular heroes, Zemo is quite the layered villain. Unlike his comic book counterpart (who, visually, he wouldn’t come to resemble for some time), Zemo isn’t some crazed fascist dictator or maniacal supervillain. Instead, he’s a former Sokovian soldier haunted by the loss of his family in Sokovia due to the Avengers’ actions and who wants to bring them down from the inside out in order to ensure that they never again threaten the safety of innocents. Simultaneously, Zemo has no love for Hydra either and wishes to see both costumed heroes and villains made a thing of the past; he also views his crusade to be a suicide mission as, once he sees Iron Man driven to the point of murderous rage, he considers his mission complete and prepares to kill himself. He is stopped, however, by Black Panther who, having witnessed the Avengers tear themselves apart over grief and rage, chooses to spare his father’s killer and see him brought to true justice. The damage, however, is done; even though the film ends with Cap going to rescue his friends from imprisonment on the Raft and offering an olive branch to Stark, the Avengers are effectively disbanded and wouldn’t come together again until the greatest threat imaginable came knocking.
The Summary: As brilliant as the last two Captain America films were, Captain America: Civil War was a massive escalation for the character. In many ways, you could make the argument that Marvel Studios could have had the third Cap film focus solely on his hunt for Bucky and made a third Avengers movie for the “Civil War” storyline, but it does a surprisingly good job of balancing its different characters and themes. None of the extra Avengers or the wider conflict between them overshadow Cap’s story or the continuation of his character arc and story with Bucky and, if anything, all of the different conflicts and personalities help to bolster this narrative. At its core, Civil War is a film about secrets, truths, and complex ideologies; both Steve and Stark have valid points for and against superhero registration and Bucky is a tortured soul responsible for an untold number of tragedies and atrocities and yet he wasn’t in full control of himself and was forced into perpetrating those acts and that, as much as their friendship, motivates Steve to protect him to see that he gets help rather than be unjustly imprisoned or killed. Black Panther vows to kill Bucky to avenge his father but chooses to spare Zemo when he learns the truth, showing a fundamental moral compass that helps to define him in his brief screen time. Stark is also driven to avenge his parents when he learns that the Winter Soldier killed them and the result is the complete fracturing of any trust between him and Steve, disassembling the Avengers and, similar to the destruction of S.H.I.E.L.D. in The Winter Soldier, fundamentally changing the nature of the MCU to ensure the stakes are as dire as possible for when Thanos (Josh Brolin) comes calling. As under-rated a gem asCaptain America: The First Avenger(Johnston, 2011) is and as impressively thrilling as The Winter Soldier is, Civil War edges both out in terms of sheer spectacle and showed that even a solo MCU film could have Avengers-level implications for Marvel’s shared universe.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Fantastic
Were you a fan of Captain America: Civil War? What did you think to the conflict between Steve and Stark and were you on Team Cap or Team Iron Man? Did you enjoy seeing the other Avengers in the film or do you feel like it got a bit too crowded for a Captain America movie? What did you think about Zemo, his character and motivations, and Bucky’s overarching story? Are you a fan of the “Civil War” comic book? Did you enjoy the debut of Black Panther and Spider-Man? What did you think to the decision to tear the Avengers apart at that stage in the larger MCU story? Are there any Captain America stories and villains you would have liked to seen make it to the big screen? How have you been celebrating the Star-Spangled Avenger this month? Whatever you think about Civil War, or Captain America in general, drop a comment down below.
Released: 4 April 2014 Director: Anthony and Joe Russo Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Budget: $170 to 177 million Stars: Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robert Redford
The Plot: Having helping to save the world from an alien invasion, Steve Rogers/Captain America (Evans) works alongside Nick Fury (Jackson), director of Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.), and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Johansson). Steve’s efforts to acclimatise to the modern world are fraught with doubt concerning a potential conspiracy within S.H.I.E.L.D. and only further exacerbated when he continually runs afoul of a mysterious assassin codenamed the “Winter Soldier”.
The Background: Honestly, of all of the Phase One films in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), I was the least excited for Captain America: The First Avenger (Johnston, 2011). However, while a little run of the mill in some ways, the film proved to be a massive box office success; like manycritics, I was impressed with the film, especially in hindsight without the anticipation of Marvel’s first team-up movie clouding my judgement, and Marvel entered Phase Two with the intention of not only refining everything that worked so well in Phase One but also shaking things up considerably for the MCU and laying the groundwork for bigger stories going forward. In many ways, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was central to this edict; ostensibly inspired by Ed Brubaker’s seminal comic book story, the filmmakers chose to ground the story in the then-present day and craft a spy thriller very much in the style of a 1970s political thriller that would have wide-reaching ramifications across the MCU. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a massive hit; it made nearly $715 million at the box office and was the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2014. Reviews were unanimously positive, with critics praising the character development and suspense and geo-political relevance, and the film is held in high regard as one of the best (if not the best) films of the entire MCU.
The Review: Two years have passed since Avengers Assemble (Whedon, 2012) and, despite being thrown in the deep end at the end of The First Avenger and during the chaotic events of that film, Steve has largely adjusted to modern life. This is primarily because he has been focusing on S.H.I.E.L.D. missions alongside their counter-terrorism team, Special Tactical Reserve for International Key Emergencies (S.T.R.I.K.E.), led by Brock Rumlow (Grillo), a fact Romanoff chastises him about. Although Steve has been researching the events he missed out on while under ice and has compiled a handy-dandy list of pop culture to catch up on, he maintains that he is “too busy” to think about dating or anything other than the next mission, and yet is growing increasingly perturbed by Fury’s secrecy and the questionable nature of many of his missions.
Steve’s black and white view of things clashes with the morally grey way of the modern world.
Carrying a great deal of loss, survivor’s guilt, and sorrow for the years, friends, and loved ones he has lost, Steve strives to maintain his composure; he is compelled to continue following orders and serving his country out of a sense of duty and to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. since his former flame, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), helped found the organisation. Steve struggles a bit to form new friendships and relationships, though he does take the advice of his colleagues to heart and tries, somewhat awkwardly, to ask out his neighbour, Sharon Carter (VanCamp). His difficulties in this aspect are only exacerbated by Fury’s cagey demeanour and when Sharon turns out to be S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 13; struck by a series of devastating revelations that turn friend into foe and unable who to trust, The Winter Soldier is as much a film about Steve coming to terms with the grimy and chaotic nature of the modern world as it is about shaking the world of the MCU to its very core.
Thanks to his increased screen time, Fury’s character is fleshed out considerably.
Steve’s more old-school sensibilities and dislike for secrecy causes some friction between him and Fury; Fury, however, remains the consummate spy’s spy and is fully prepared to compartmentalise information from even super soldiers like Steve. Thanks to Fury’s extended screen time, we learn much more about his character, backstory, and motivation than in his previous bit-parts and cameos; Fury’s plan to launch a series of Helicarriers to monitor and eliminate potential threats as part of “Project: Insight” insults and angers Cap, who sees it as oppression rather than freedom. Cap’s discomfort with secrecy, Fury’s motives, and recent events are shown to have some basis when, unable to decrypt the data S.T.R.I.K.E. retrieved from Batroc, Fury requests that Secretary of Internal Security Alexander Pierce (Redford) delays the project until a proper investigation can be undertaken. The data is suddenly and violently stolen by a mysterious and aggressive assassin known as the Winter Soldier, who attacks Fury while in transit and then appears to kill the S.H.I.E.L.D. director. When Cap refuses to share the encrypted file with Pierce, he is branded a fugitive and hounded by the very people he once fought alongside and considered allies. With Romanoff’s help, Steve decrypts the data and is led to a S.H.I.E.L.D. bunker where the electronically preserved consciousness of his old foe Arnim Zola (Toby Jones) reveals, to Steve’s horror, that Hydra are not only alive and well but have infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and much of the world’s government, including members of the World Security Council and Senator Stern (Garry Shandling), and that Pierce is planning to use Project: Insight to eliminate potential threats to their power before they can become a problem.
Pierce’s instrument is Bucky, who’s been brainwashed into a ruthless assassin.
Much like previous casting in the MCU, Robert Redford was quite the coup for Marvel Studios and his enigmatic presence lends an authority and credibility to the film that is in stark contrast to the idea that superhero films are just big, dumb action flicks. Pierce’s primary agent is the titular Winter Soldier, a menacing and almost robotic assassin who attacks with precision, efficiency, and has a cybernetic left arm. Superhumanly fast and incredibly strong, the Winter Soldier is easily able to catch and fling back Steve’s shield and unbelievably adept with guns and, especially, knives. Romanoff is familiar with the assassin, having heard of him as something of a bogeyman during her time as a Russian agent, but Steve is absolutely stunned to discover that the assassin is his old friend, James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes (Stan), who survived his seemingly fatal plunge in The First Avenger. Recovered by Hydra agents and subjected to a version of the same super soldier serum that augmented Cap, Bucky was routinely brainwashed into becoming a ruthless assassin; kept in cryogenic stasis and unleashed whenever Hydra required a target to be eliminated, Bucky’s sense of identity is all but lost thanks to decades of mindwipes and manipulation. For the first time since he became the Winter Soldier, Bucky begins to question himself and his mission; intrigued by Steve’s knowledge of him, he is curious to find out more but no less dangerous as his conditioning dictates that the mission must always come first at the expense of all other distractions.
Though surrounded by betrayal, Steve is supported by allies both old and new.
While Steve’s oldest friend may have been turned into a merciless enemy, Cap gains a new ally in United States Air Force pararescueman Sam Wilson (Mackie); though fully trained in advanced aerial combat and utilising a specialised rocket-and-wing pack as the Falcon, Sam is primarily focused on helping veterans to reacclimatise to society after serving overseas. As a result, he forms an immediate friendship with Steve based on their mutual military experience and losses; with few friends and confidantes to talk to, Steve finds a kindred spirit in Sam and he helps Cap to focus on moving on with his life as best as he possibly can. When Pierce brands Cap a traitor and orders all agents (both those loyal to S.H.IE.LD. and those oblivious to Hydra’s infiltration) to hunt him down, Sam is one of the few who stands by Steve and suits up as the Falcon to join him in his desperate assault against the Helicarriers in the film’s finale. Black Widow also gets a great deal more time to shine here than in her previous appearances; ostensibly placed as Cap’s partner in S.T.R.I.K.E. missions, she is a pragmatic, straightforward, and very modern character in contrast to Cap’s more dated sensibilities. Indeed, while he struggles to adjust to the morally grey nature of the modern world, Romanoff has lived in a morally grey area for her entire life and sees (and approaches) situations very differently to Steve. Her secretive nature conflicts with Steve’s more honest ways just as much as Fury’s but, when push comes to shove, she prioritises her friendship and partnership with Steve over all other concerns. Still a kick-ass, impossibly alluring character, Romanoff actively tries to encourage Steve to socialise more and explore his potential in the modern world, seems legitimately heartbroken when Fury is killed, and works alongside Cap to uncover the mystery of the Winter Soldier and the depth to Hydra’s infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel.
The Nitty-Gritty: Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an impressively intriguing and complex political thriller masquerading as an action-packed superhero film; for those who say all the MCU films look and feel the same, I would recommend taking another look at The Winter Soldier, which is far more gritty and serious than the average superhero film, to say nothing of its MCU cousins. Filled with as much intrigue as it is action, the film challenges our perception of the MCU by turning friends into foes and making us question the motives of everyone we’ve grown accustomed to by this point. Accordingly, the primary goal of The Winter Soldier is to take everything that has been established about he MCU and tear it down; S.H.I.E.L.D., especially, once this seemingly benevolent governmental arm that provided the Avengers with every resource they could ask for, is shattered into fragments by the reveal that Hydra has infiltrated it since the end of the Second World War. At the time (and, if I’m being honest, even now), I somewhat disagreed with stripping S.H.I.E.L.D. away from the Avengers as it felt like we hadn’t really had a chance to really explore what it was all about or see them operate at the peak of their power but it definitely put the MCU on the path towards the fracturing of its premier super-team and the extremely effective unification of every costumed hero against a cosmic threat. Zola reveals that, over the years, Hydra has been destroying individuals and governments (primarily using the Winter Solder) to weaken society and the will of humankind.
The Winter Soldiers considerably ups Cap’s fighting scenes and skills.
The culmination of this is an algorithm, developed by Zola, which is capable of identifying those who could become threats to Hydra’s power and eliminating them; this list includes names such as Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), Doctor Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and the yet-to-be-introduced Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). As much as I enjoyed The First Avenger, its action scenes weren’t really too much to shout about; the film gave a general overview of Cap’s superhuman abilities but he didn’t have too many chances to really show what he was capable of. The Winter Soldier changes all of that; Cap freely dives out of aircraft without a parachute, is fully capable of taking on entire groups or armed (and unarmed) men in both large and confined spaces, and he uses his indestructible Vibranium shield to fantastically brutal effect as an offensive weapon. Cap’s almost single-handed takedown of Georges Batroc (Georges St-Pierre) and his terrorists is only the top of the iceberg when it comes to how hard-hitting and impressive the film’s action and fight scenes are, with Cap’s extraordinary scuffle with Rumlow and other undercover Hydra agents in the lift and his multiple fist-fights with the titular Winter Soldier being a notable highlight.
The film ends with S.H.I.E.L.D. destroyed and the MCU heading for major changes.
The Winter Soldier culminates in a two-pronged attack against Hydra, which is positioning S.H.I.E.L.D.’s own technology to rain fire upon major American cities. When Fury reveals that he faked his death, he is able to get Black Widow close enough to Pierce to take him out of play and broadcast all of Hydra (and S.HI.E.L.D.’s) secrets to the world to effectively neuter whatever secrets and leverage the organisation may have. At the same time, the Falcon and Cap attack the Helicarriers; while Falcon fights with Rumlow, Cap switches the control chips so that the Helicarriers attack each other rather than their intended targets and, in the process, is forced into a final, brutal fist-fight with the Winter Soldier. As the Helicarrier collapses around them Steve refuses to fight his former best friend and tries to reach him; although he takes a savage beating, his words apparently strike enough of a chord in Bucky for him to rescue Steve from drowning and he disappears, alone and free for the first time in over seventy years. While Easter Eggs and references to the larger and ever-growing MCU are actually far less prominent in The Winter Soldier than in its Phase One counterparts, the film ends with Steve and Sam starting a new mission to track Bucky down, Fury adopting a pretty half-assed new look in a new-S.H.I.E.L.D.-less world, and a tantalising tease for the next big Avengers crossover.
The Summary: For me, and for many, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is kind of where the MCU “got serious”; the films before it had always dealt with some pretty serious issues but generally approached them or balanced them out with some spectacular action or moments of entertaining levity. Here, though, the focus is definitively on being more of a political spy thriller full of intrigue, mystery, and suspense as much as action. That’s not to say that it’s dull, boring, or too serious for its own good; in fact, The Winter Soldier perfectly balances its action with its gritter aspects in a way that other superhero films can only dream of. The result is easily one of the best MCU, and superhero, films ever made and a vast improvement over the first film…and that’s keeping in mind that I am a big fan of The First Avenger! But The Winter Soldier fully sold me on Cap as a character, fleshing out his morals and motivations and challenging his perception of the world and his allies by turning them all upside down. Better yet, the film introduces one of my favourite MCU characters, the Winter Soldier, who is played to perfection by Sebastian Stan and is a wonderfully realised tortured reflection of the morally just Captain America. The decision to tear S.H.I.E.L.D. down and reveal that Hydra had secretly been operating behind the scenes for decades was a bold one and one that was definitely part of a well-crafted long game for the MCU and it all stated here with this exceptionally well-crafted thriller of a film.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Fantastic
What are your thoughts on Captain America: The Winter Soldier? What did you think about the way the film, and the MCU, handled Cap’s return to the world after being frozen in time? Did you truly believe that Fury had died in the film? What did you think to Bucky’s reintroduction as the Winter Soldier and the debut of the Falcon? Were you a fan of the changes the film made to the MCU and the destruction of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Where does this film rank against the other Captain America movies and the larger MCU? How are you celebrating Captain America this month? Whatever your thoughts, drop a comment below and be sure to pop back for more Captain America content throughout July.
January sees the celebration of two notable dates in science-fiction history, with January 2 christened “National Science Fiction Day” to coincide with the birth date of the world renowned sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov, and HAL 9000, the sophisticated artificial intelligence of Arthur C. Clarke’s seminal 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), being created on 12 January. Accordingly, I’m spending every Sunday of January celebrating sci-fi in all its forms.
Released: 17 July 2015 Director: Peyton Reed Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Budget: $130 to 169.3 million Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Abby Ryder Fortson, and Michael Douglas
The Plot: Petty thief Scott Lang (Rudd) struggles to adapt after being released from prison. Determined to prove himself to his young daughter, Cassie (Fortson), he turns to stealing once more and unwittingly nabs Doctor Hank Pym’s (Douglas) Ant-Man suit. Gifted with an opportunity to turn his life around, Scott trains with Pym and his stern daughter, Hope van Dyne (Lilly), to master the suit’s ability to shrink and control ants in order to keep the conniving Doctor Darren Cross (Stoll) from perverting Pym’s life’s work into a weapon.
The Background: When comic book readers were first introduced to Hank Pym/Ant-Man, he wasn’t quite the garishly-costumed Avenger would later help form the Avengers; instead, he was merely a scientist featured in the pages of Tales to Astonish #27. The creation of the legendary duo Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character was re-envisioned as a superhero eight issues later and would go on to be a consistent, if unstable, character in the pages of Marvel Comics. Crucially, however, Pym wasn’t the only character to take up the mantle of Ant-Man; one of Pym’s most notable successors was Scott Lang, a reformed criminal created by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, and John Byrne, who took over the role in 1979. Both Hank Pym and Scott Lang had featured in Marvel cartoons and videogames since their debut, but development of a live-action film can be traced back to the 1980s, when development was scuppered by a similar concept, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (Johnston, 1989). The project finally started gaining traction in the early-2000s when Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish wrote a film treatment focusing on the Scott Lang version of the character for Artisan Entertainment, who held the film rights at the time. Over the next ten years, the film was continually showcased and teased; the character was bumped from the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and eventually slotted in to debut in Phase Three. Sadly, Wright eventually left the project in 2014, right after both casting and the script had been finalised, due to “creative differences” between himself and Marvel Studios. Peyton Reed soon succeeded Wright as the director and worked closely with star Paul Rudd (who underwent a physical transformation for the role) and writer Adam McKay to rework and expand upon Wright’s script. Double Negative and Industrial Light & Magic handled the film’s shrinking effects, with star Corey Stoll sporting a motion capture suit to bring the villainous Yellowjacket to life. Finally, after being in development for over ten years, Ant-Man released to a massive $519.3 million worldwide gross; the reviews were equally impressive, with critics praising the film’s family dynamic, performances, and the unique blend of humour and action that set it apart from other MCU films. The film performed so well that a sequel was produced in 2018, and a third instalment is due for release later this year, and only served to further bolster Rudd’s undeniable charm and charisma.
The Review: Ant-Man is one of those Marvel superheroes that I’ve never really had strong feelings about one way or another. Like many, I mostly know the character as being an emotionally and psychologically unstable individual who occasionally abuses his wife and has inferiority complexes, though I primarily associate the character with one of the Avengers’ greatest villains, Ultron. Consequently, while Ant-Man and the Wasp were instrumental in the formation of the Avengers in the comics, I can’t say that I was too disappointed to see the character miss out on the big screen debut of Marvel’s premier superhero team. However, by the time Ant-Man was produced, the MCU was really ramping up its scope; the Avengers had formed, we’d seen Gods and bleeding-edge technology and even space adventures and, while Ant-Man probably would have fit in nicely during the MCU’s first phase (although it probably would have been deemed too derivative), it was actually a surprising breath of fresh air to come back down to “ground level”, so to speak, before really getting balls deep into the Infinity Saga.
Years after Hank quit S.H.I.E.L.D., ex-con Scott tries his best to set a good example and rebuild his life.
Ant-Man opens up in 1989 and by showcasing just how far de-aging technology has come as Hank Pym (digitally restored to match the time period) angrily confronts Howard Stark (John Slattery), Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell made up to look noticeably older), and Mitchell Carson (Martin Donovan) after discovering the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division’s (S.H.I.E.L.D.) attempts to replicate his Hank Particle technology. While Peggy is shocked at the revelation, Howard tries to impress upon Hank that his research could be put to far better, greater use than simply fuelling his efforts as Ant-Man. Already annoyed at being reduced to a glorified errand boy, Hank is pushed to the edge when Carson mocks his anger and brings up his late-wife, Janet, leading to Hank lashing out, breaking Carson’s nose, and quitting S.H.I.E.L.D. Although Howard pleads with Hank to reconsider, Hank storms out, making an enemy of Carson in the process and establishing a few key plot points for the movie: Hank doesn’t trust S.H.I.E.L.D., seems a little unstable, and is highly protective of his research. The film then jumps ahead to then-present day to introduce us to Scott Lang right as he’s being released from prison; a former VistaCorp systems engineer, Scott is a veritable genius, holding a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering but is reduced to working a menial job at Baskins-Robbins in his desperate attempt to stay on the straight and narrow and set a good example for his young daughter, Cassie (Fortson). It’s crucial to note that that Scott wasn’t arrested for anything violent or threatening (indeed, he states that he hates violence); instead, he hacked into VistaCorp’s security system and redistributed misbegotten funds to their victims before exposing their misdeeds online, painting him as a sympathetic, almost Robin Hood-like figure right from the outset as he strives to do good deeds and has a clear moral compass but isn’t exactly the best at making responsible decisions. Although Scott has a strained relationship with his ex-wife, Maggie (Judy Greer), and her new fiancé, cop Jim Paxton (Bobby Cannavale), he is extremely close to Hope, who is always excited to see him. He’s desperate to make up for lost time but faces nothing but an uphill battle to show that he’s changed and can be a responsible adult.
Luis’s enthusiasm is offset by Hanks’ cantankerous nature and Darren’s lust for power.
After his release, Scott is taken in by his former cellmate and best friend, Luis (Michael Peña), an enthusiastic, supportive, and incredibly friendly and optimistic former con who initially tries to coax Scott back into his former life. Luis is one of many highlights in Ant-Man; in many ways a predecessor to the colourful characters and banter we’d see in Thor: Ragnarok(Waititi, 2017), Luis just exudes likeability and friendliness. Peña’s delivery and fast-talking cadence also provide one of the film’s most hilarious moments where Luis rapidly breaks down the particulars of a big-time score, which is fantastically realised with Peña’s voice playing over a number of other ancillary characters as he enthusiastically tells Scott how he came by this information. Luis sets Scott up at an apartment and introduces him to Dave (Tip “T.I.” Harris) and Kurt (David Dastmalchian), both of whom are only too eager to assist with Scott’s heist into a rich old man’s house and make that big score. Scott doesn’t return to his cat burglar ways lightly, but believes he has no choice if he ever hopes to set himself up with an apartment, pay his child maintenance fees, and see his daughter again. In the interim years after the opening, Hank Pym has done pretty well for himself; he set up his own company, Hank Technologies, and is clearly quite wealthy from the research and technology developed there. However, he has slowly become more and more of a recluse and been pushed further away from his company; his protégé, Darren Cross, is in the final stages of assuming full control of Hank Technologies, renaming it Cross Technologies, and fully replicating the Hank Particle technology. Fascinated by Hank’s past as the shrunken secret agent superhero Ant-Man, Darren has developed a suit, the “Yellowjacket”, to reproduce the technology and sell it as a peacekeeping weapon for geo-political and military applications. Hank is frustrated by all of this, especially Darren’s insistence on reproducing the Ant-Man technology, but handicapped by his ability to do anything about it; prolonged exposure to the Hank Particles has left Hank physically unable to suit up again because of the risk of further (and permanent) damage to his mind and body but he is equally adamant that his estranged daughter, Hope, not take up the mantle because of the risk not only to her but also his lingering guilt and fear after losing his wife to that same technology.
Darren is not just on the cusp of having everything he lusts for, but also completely going off the rails.
Although Darren is frustrated at his inability to shrink organic material, both Hank and Hope know that it’s only a matter of time before he cracks the secret and begins manufacturing weaponised Ant-Man technology. Although Hank is reluctant to risk losing Hope, he’s more than happy to recruit Scott to his cause, having identified him as the perfect expendable candidate for their operation thanks to his intellect and skills as a cat burglar. I always found Hank’s reasoning here very interesting, and somewhat hypocritical; he won’t risk losing Hope so he brings in Scott, positioning him to a point where the former thief has little choice but to agree to become Ant-Man, but Scott has quite a lot to lose as well so it just goes to show that Hank, for all his morals and ethics, doesn’t necessarily have the most clean-cut of motivations. Anyway, Scott is initially disheartened to learn that all his efforts have resulted in only an old motorcycle suit and a funky helmet but, upon slipping into the outfit out of sheer curiosity, he is both excited and horrified to discover that it enables him to shrink down to near-microscopic proportions at the push of a button! Scott is naturally freaked out and attempts to return the suit, only to be arrested in the process and perfectly placed for Hank to exposit a truncated version of his life story and his troubles with Darren Cross. For a stereotypical, suit-wearing antagonist, Darren actually has a few things going for him that help him to break free of the corporate bad-guy trope I loathe so much. Of course he’s a smooth-talking, slick weasel and a sharp businessman, but he’s also a manipulative and sadistic asshole; he took full advantage of Hank’s trust and faith to gain a majority interest in Hank Technologies, leeched every bit of information and brilliance from his mentor he possibly could to advance his own career and self-interests, and has no qualms about killing those who get in his way using perverted Hank Particles to reduce them to a gooey residue. He’s a highly intelligent, and highly unstable, antagonist who oozes charm but also menace; you’re never really sure what he’s thinking and you can almost see the urge to lash out and go full crazy bubbling beneath the surface. In many ways, he’s a dark opposite for both Scott and Hank since he’s kind of like what Scott could have become if he’d gone down that path while also being on the verge of a full-on meltdown like Hank seems to be half the time. Both Darren and Scott also have eyes on Hope, but Darren’s lack of mortality and lust for power are what separate him from his rival.
Hope resents her father keeping things from her and stopping her from suiting up.
Hope and Hank have a strained relationship, to say the least; she resents her father for keeping the truth about what happened to her mother from her, and for picking Scott over her, however they come together when they realise how dangerously close Darren is to perfecting and weaponising the Ant-Man technology. Still, Hope is very abrasive to both Scott and her father, referring to him as “Hank” or “Dr. Pym” for much of the film and constantly annoyed at Scott’s ignorance. Familiar with both Darren’s research and personality, as well as the particulars of Hank’s technology, to say nothing of the company’s security measures and systems, Hope is also Scott’s physical superior in every way; she sees Scott as a bungling, naïve fool who’s in over his head and is greatly frustrated at her father’s apparent lack of trust in her. To be fair, Hank distrusts almost everyone; he resents both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the flamboyant nature of the Avengers, and sees this job as being more about subterfuge then barging in all guns blazing. Hank is also tortured at the loss of his wife, who joined him for his pint-sized adventures as the Wasp and was lost to him after she was forced to reduce herself down beyond the limits of the suit and got lost in the “Quantum Realm” as a result. Scott’s influence on the two is palpable; by sharing with Hope that Hank clearly loves her and doesn’t want to risk losing her, he not only learns the trick to communicating with Hank’s ants but also helps mend the rift between father and daughter, finally revealing the truth about her mother’s death and her father’s inability to cope with the grief of his greatest failure. Consequently, all three are forced to set aside their differences, and self-doubts, in order to redeem each other and keep Darren from potentially threatening the world for the next generation.
The Nitty-Gritty: One thing that sets Ant-Man apart from other films in the MCU, particularly at the time it was made, was its strong emphasis towards humour; humour has always been a big part of the MCU, but Ant-Man is basically part-comedy and shines all the brighter for it. Paul Rudd impresses in the title role with his incredible screen charisma, likeability, and comedic timing and the film features not just the traditional snark and biting wit of the MCU but also some truly amusing gags relating to Baskin-Robbins (they always find out) and Titanic (Cameron, 1997), but also excellent use of sight gags and editing (the film consistently cuts away from the drama of Scott’s shrunken adventures to see him barely having an impact on the real world). Ant-Man also separates itself from other MCU movies by being as much a heist movie as it is a superhero affair; Scott and his crew undergo a great deal of preparation and planning before breaking into Hank’s house, which involves acquiring uniforms, cutting power lines, and communicating from a nondescript van. Once Scott is inside the house, we get to see just how capable and adaptable he is; he’s slick and agile, easily able to slip inside with barely a whisper, and cobbles together unique solutions to break into Hank’s antique vault using only household items. Whilst being trained in combat by Hope and the particulars to the suit by Hank, Scott lends his skills to planning the assault on Pym Technologies, which involves studying the layouts and the security systems and the defences surrounding the Yellowjacket suit. This requires a highly co-ordinated attack on all fronts, using every resource at their disposal, including not just Scott’s crew (much to Hank’s chagrin) and also an infiltrating into the Avengers compound. This leads to a brief scuffle between Ant-Man and Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) that is the first true test of Scott’s newfound abilities, and additional opportunities for Luis and Scott’s amusing cohorts to shine with their hilarious shenanigans.
The suits look fantastic thanks to both excellent practical and digital effects.
Ant-Man absolutely excels in its visuals and presentation. The Ant-Man suit itself is a thing a beauty; fittingly drawing its influences from Scott Lang’s comic book adventures and more modern interpretations of the character, it’s not a mechanised suit of armour or made up of fancy nanotech and wis, instead, a very tangible and almost rudimentary costume that resembles a motorcycle outfit. It looks advanced, but not so advanced that it’s impossible to believe a genius like Hank Pym could have made it at home and with limited resources, and I love how it seems so functional and practical. The helmet is especially impressive, especially in this first outing for the character; rather then peeling back like nanotech, it flips up and is a largely practical prop, all of which works wonders for bringing this frankly ridiculous character to life. Darren’s Yellowjacket outfit is functionally similar, but noticeably different; for starters, it was brought to life using digital effects but I sure as hell couldn’t really tell that when watching the film. Yellowjacket has always been a bit of an absurd character, costume, and concept for me but the film presents the character as very menacing and technologically superior to Ant-Man in everyway. While it’s admittedly very “safe” for the film to wheel out the dark doppelgänger trope again, Yellowjacket can not only shrink and grow himself and other objects but he can also fly and sports stinger-like blasters on his back; this, coupled with the characters’ distinctive red and yellow colour schemes, really makes it much easier to distinguish the two in their climatic fight scene.
Ant-Man’s unique ability to shrink makes for some fun and innovative action sequences and visuals.
Naturally, Ant-Man’s most unique selling point is the character’s ability to shrink down to a near-microscopic level; this effect is rendered using digital technology and directly attributed to the suit and the Pym Particles, meaning that Scott must stay in the suit and the helmet at all times to stay alive when shrunken. Although minuscule in size, Scott retains his full-size strength and weight, effectively making him superhuman when he’s shrunk. However, the dangers surrounding him are many and varied; normal, everyday things such as a person entering a room, rats, and water are life-threatening hazards and the effect is, quite naturally, very disorientating for Scott for much of the first half of the film. Thanks to a lengthy (and amusing) montage sequence, Scott slowly learns to master the suit, which enables him to shrunk and grow in a fraction of a second to pass through the smallest openings, strike with near-superhuman speed, strength, and swiftness, and enlarge or reduce everyday objects to be used as weapons in combat. As versatile as the suit is, perhaps the greatest benefit of the suit is the ability to control ants using electromagnetic waves. Hank is obviously the absolute master of this; he controls flying ants to spirit Scott across the city, commands “Bullet Ants” to keep him subdued, and even directs drones to communicate and pass sugar cubes. While Hank is very clinical about this ability, preferring to number the ants rather than name them and grow attached to them, Scott is much more appreciative of their help and bonds with them like one would a pet. He names his flying ant “Anthony” and is devastated when it is killed near the finale, but also learns through his training of the particular differences and practical applications of each of the different types of ants at his disposal: “Crazy Ants” can conduct electricity to fry electronics, Bullet Ants deliver an excruciating sting, “Carpenter Ants” allow him to fly about at high speeds, and “Fire Ants” not only bite but also form bridges and pathways. By the finale, Scott has fully mastered the suit and the ants, and is able to shrink and grow in the blink of an eye to dodge bullets and take down entire groups of highly trained, armed men, leading to some of the MCU’s most unique action sequences as everyday locations are rendered exciting and action-packed thanks to Scott’s diminutive stature.
Yellowjacket is defeated, Ant-Man returns from the Quantum Realm, and Hope finally earns her wings.
A particularly frosty confrontation between Hank and Darren sets Cross off and sees him beefing up security, leading to an escalation in Hank’s plans. Although he despairs of Scott’s friends, Hank begrudgingly accepts their help in causing distractions and infiltrating Pym Technology. While Ant-Man and his ants fry the servers and cause chaos to the security systems, Hank puts himself in considerable danger as Darren negotiates the selling of the Yellowjacket technology to Carson and his Hydra associates, and the two finally reveal their true faces as hated enemies. Although Hank is wounded in the fracas, the timely intervention of Hope allows Scott to escape when he’s captured; Hope’s pleas to Darren fall on deaf ears and, pushed to the edge by the destruction of his company, he dons the Yellowjacket suit for himself and fully embraces his hatred and lust for power. This leads to some fun and incredibly unique fight scenes as Ant-Man and Yellowjacket battle not just on a damaged helicopter but also in a suitcase, bouncing about between packets of sweets, keys, and a mobile phone, and Ant-Man bats Yellowjacket into a fly zapper with a table tennis pad. Darren’s knowledge of Scott’s identity leads to him targeting Cassie, escalating their conflict significantly and leading to my favourite fight sequence of the film where Ant-Man and Yellowjacket duke it out on a toy train set and across Cassie’s bedroom, leading not just to an enlarged ant being set loose upon the city but a gigantic Thomas the Tank Engine crashing out into the street! Yellowjacket’s titanium armour proves too tough for Ant-Man and, with his daughter at risk, Scott has no choice but to risk going sub-atomic in order to disrupt Darren’s suit and reduce him down into a twisted nothingness. Adrift in the Quantum Realm, Scott is disorientated and bombarded with bizarre visuals but holds on to his memories and love for Cassie and uses those emotions to force himself back to consciousness, repairing his regulator and returning to the real world. His heroic actions and self-sacrifice earn him not just his daughter’s adulation but Paxton’s respect, finally allowing him to be a part of Cassie’s life once more or for them to build a family unit. His return also gives Hank the hope that he might be able to retrieve his wife one day, and finally sees Scott and Hope act on their mutual attraction for each other. The film concludes with Luis (eventually) relating that the Falcon is actively seeking out Ant-Man for help with a much bigger problem that affects not just the superhero community, but the entire world, and Hank finally gifting Hope with her own Wasp suit for the next go-around.
The Summary: I wasn’t expecting much when I went into Ant-Man; the MCU was growing and starting to veer away towards the cosmic and outlandish and it seemed like their days of doing more grounded, more human heroes were all but done but Ant-Man definitely set a precedent for diverse storytelling that the MCU continues to stick to. It’s amazing to me that even after expanding their scope towards Gods and the depths of space and hinting towards larger cosmic threats the MCU is still masterfully able to snap back to ground level with a character like Ant-Man, and Scott Lang was such a breath of fresh air for the franchise. Paul Rudd is so immediately likeable, and he brought a real comical, heartfelt performance to Scott Lang, and it’s largely thanks to him that I found myself actually caring about Ant-Man for the first time in…I think forever. The comedy and gags on offer were absolutely top notch, with Luis being an obvious highlight, but I also really enjoyed Michael Douglas’s performance; he played a world weary, cranky, slightly unstable former superhero-come-mentor perfectly and brought so much presence to every scene he was in. He, like all of the actors in this, also seemed to be having a great time with the film, which doesn’t take itself too seriously and perfectly incorporates elements of a heist movie to give it a unique flavour. While we see incredible cosmic visuals and escalating threats quite often in the MCU, Ant-Man’s shrinking sequences are still really impressive; I love how our senses are changed alongside Scott’s when he’s smaller and how everyday things we take for granted suddenly become a life-threatening obstacle for Ant-Man. It’s fun seeing Scott learn about the suit and what he can do, and seeing him bond with the different ants and work alongside his crew, and while I think Ant-Man probably would have been better placed in the MCU’s first phase, it was a much-needed palette-cleanser at the time and remains one of the most entertaining and unique entries in the MCU.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Great Stuff
Did you enjoy Ant-Man? How did you think it compared to other films in the MCU? What did you think to the emphasis on comedy and heist elements and on Scott’s status as a struggling ex-con and father? Did you enjoy the film’s unique action sequences and shrinking effects? Were you disappointed that Yellowjacket ended up just being a dark mirror of Ant-Man or did you think Darren’s character stood out enough to justify it? Were you a fan of Ant-Man prior to this film and, if so, which iteration of the character was your favourite? Whatever you think about Ant-Man, sign up to drop a comment below or leave a comment on my social media, check back in next week as Sci-Fi Sunday continues.
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