With just days to go before its premiere, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier dropped one last trailer.
This final piece not only enhances the action but shows the emotional stakes involved with Sam Wilson taking up the mantle of Captain America.
The trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
The trailer opens with Sam (Anthony Mackie) practicing with Captain America’s shield as Bucky (Sebastian Stan) warns him “that shield represents a lot of things to a lot of people.”
The trailer appears to confirm the reports that Steve Rogers has died with a solemn Sam shown speaking at what seems to be Cap’s funeral. “Symbols are nothing without the women and men to give them meaning.”
A senator is shown speaking on the world “needing something to inspire us again,” which seems to lead to John Walker (Wyatt Russell) becoming the new Captain America instead of Sam.
Sam confronts Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman), a member of the anti-patriotism Flag-Smashers organization. There’s also Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) making plans.
The trailer emphasizes the action, with the pair battling terrorists on a moving train and Sam taking to the skies. There’s also Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) aiding the pair in a fight.
It ends with the pair noting they’re “co-workers” and Sam summing up, “we look damn good.”
The series’ impact
Having Steve Rogers dying is a bold move for the MCU, especially after Black Widow and Tony Stark’s deaths in Endgame. It shows the original stars of the MCU are giving way to a new generation of heroes.
The showcase of the Flag Smashers is notable. In the comics, the title was used by a lone anarchist convinced the only way to unite the world was to do away with nationalities. The identity was utilized by a few figures who would often do battle with Cap.
This Flag Smashers group showcases how “The Blip” where half the planet was dusted by Thanos and returned five years later, has created a sense of chaos in the MCU, which Zemo is taking advantage of.
It’s also why the U.S. government might decide Walker is a better fit for a “traditional” Cap than Sam. This forces Sam and Bucky to go on their own to face Zemo and a coming conflict with Walker.
The shield
While the series promises to focus on who gets Captain America’s shield in the end, the actors shared with Empire Magazine how each found out Sam would end up with Cap’s shield at the end of Endgame.
Stan cracked that Mackie found out at “a party I was not invited to,” with Mackie retorting that it was a football-watching party and Stan doesn’t follow sports.
Chris Pratt was holding court, and so [Evans said], ‘Come downstairs, I want to show you something. He was like, ‘Have you seen the final scene [in Endgame]?’ I’m like, ‘No.’ So he runs out, gets the script, and he literally sits me on the couch, and the whole time I’m reading it he’s just pacing back and forth like, ‘Oh my God, oh my God!’ It was a fun, emotional moment that we shared with nobody else.”
In contrast, Stan only found out when actually filming the scene. At the same time, Stan wasn’t upset, noting that Bucky was not the right choice.
“It never really made sense to me — [Bucky] just was not in a place for that, mentally. I’m not sure where the character would have gone even if that had happened.”
In the comics, Bucky did fill in as Cap when Steve was presumed dead but returned the mantle when Steve returned. Sam also had a stint as Cap when Steve briefly retired and a new comic book series has the pair working together.
This final trailer promises that this unique pair has the daunting task of not only saving the world but also honoring the legacy of Cap.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres on Disney+ on March 19.