Today's episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is already generating plenty of chatter online (find our recap of "New World Order" by clicking here) and Marvel Studios has now released four stills from the premiere. There's nothing too spoilery here, but more revealing images are likely to follow on Monday.
We catch a glimpse of Sam's battle with Batroc, Bucky's therapy session, and then a couple of shots showing the two heroes going about their everyday lives in the Disney+ series.
In my review of this episode, I concluded by saying that "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier brings the big screen blockbuster experience to Disney+ in a promising premiere that lays the groundwork for another Marvel Studios series which defies expectations and takes its leads on a thrilling journey."
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, a.k.a. The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. The Winter Soldier. The pair, who came together in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame, team up on a global adventure that tests their abilities...and their patience.
Directed by Kari Skogland with Malcolm Spellman serving as head writer, the series also stars Daniel Brühl as Zemo, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, and Wyatt Russell as John Walker.
Check out these four officially released stills from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier below:
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The Falcon's 10 best moments in the MCU!
10. "On Your Left"
This was a fun way to introduce Sam Wilson, and immediately created a fun dynamic between him and Steve Rogers. Taking his morning jog, Sam became increasingly frustrated when a fellow runner continuously shot past him (saying "On your left" each time), and finally confronted the hero.
A bond was quickly formed, and it's fair to say the veteran's life would never be the same again.
This was a natural, memorable way to bring the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and helped inform the story arcs of both characters in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. "On your left" would be referenced again down the line, but we'll get to that a little later on in this feature...
9. Teaming Up With War Machine
In Captain America: Civil War, Falcon and War Machine found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. When Vision unleashed a blast in an effort to shoot Sam out of the sky, he inadvertently hit Rhodey, and Tony Stark's best friend ended up being badly injured as a result.
There was no bad blood between him and Sam by the time Avengers: Infinity War rolled around, though, as they fought side-by-side in one of that movie's most memorable moments in the final battle.
Seeing them fly together as they protected the perimeter of the energy shield around Wakanda was a great moment, and one which resonated with many fans. Fingers cross for another team-up, eh?
8. Taking Down Brock Rumlow
Despite being a veteran, Sam was happy to put his wings back on and head into action alongside Captain America and Black Widow when S.H.I.E.L.D. came under threat from HYDRA.
Each of the heroes had a place in that explosive final battle, and it was down to The Falcon to square off with the duplicitous Brock Rumlow. Proving himself a true hero, Sam put his fighting skills to use against the villain, and ultimately managed to walk away from their hard-hitting fight the victor.
There was so much going on in this part of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it's easy to forget how crucial Sam was to stopping the future Crossbones from causing even more devastation.
7. His First Team-Up With Bucky
Fighting on the same side in Captain America: Civil War, The Falcon and Bucky - who clearly had no love for each other - found themselves teaming up to square off with the amazing Spider-Man.
They gave the web-slinger a run for his money, but were ultimately defeated by the rookie superhero.
The heroes made a great team (a sign of what was to come in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier perhaps), and Sam finally managed to get rid of Spidey with the help of one of his weapons. Bucky points out to a webbed up Falcon that he could have done this sooner, to which he responds: "I hate you."
6. A Battle With Ant-Man
Ant-Man's big MCU cameo came when Scott Lang was left with no other choice than to attempt pulling off a heist in the New Avengers Campus. The Falcon was dispatched by Black Widow to confront the pint-sized hero, but soon found more than he bargained for in his opponent.
This certainly wasn't The Falcon's finest moment, but the fight was an undeniably memorable one.
The scene was a great take on the classic trope of two heroes squaring off when they first meet, and while this was a lesson for Sam, it proved to have major consequences for the MCU. When Captain America needed to put a team together, he had a perfect idea for who could help them: Ant-Man. That brought him into the world of Earth's Mightiest Heroes in a significant way.
5. Helping Veterans
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will take a deep dive into Sam Wilson's past and personal life, but Captain America: The Winter Soldier still did a great job exploring what he was doing with his life.
Working at the local Veterans' centre, Sam helps those with PTSD, and delivers an inspiring speech which even Steve Rogers takes note of (it was likely that which make him sit up and take notice of what a good man the former soldier was). This has been forgotten by many fans, but it's a big deal.
Bear in mind that Bucky Barnes is dealing with PTSD from his time as the Winter Soldier, so these two heroes coming together could and should see Sam's time helping veterans brought up again.
4. Picking A Side
Captain America: Civil War was definitely a big movie for The Falcon, and it didn't take him long to decide he would back up Steve Rogers in the conflict over the newly introduced Sokovia Accords.
However, don't go assuming he only did this because Cap had before him. Before Steve even spoke up, Sam got caught up in an argument with Rhodey about what registering with the government would mean, so he was very much his own man in this situation. His loyalty to Cap was easy to see from this point on, though, particularly when the two teams of heroes came to blows.
Sam made the call that the rest of #TeamCap should be captured in order to give Steve and Bucky time to escape, a decision which ultimately meant he ended up behind bars in The Raft.
3. "On Your Left" (Again)
The Falcon was among those who were dusted by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, so his role in Avengers: Endgame was a small one. However, Anthony Mackie made his limited screentime count.
With Captain America standing alone against Thanos and his entire army, the hero suddenly hears a familiar voice in his ear: "On your left." It's Sam, and it was that which signalled the arrival of the MCU's heroes. It's a cool, memorable sequence, and one which The Falcon was at the heart of.
The look on Steve's face as Sam arrives is awesome, and the sight of The Falcon surveying the battlefield as those portals open is one we definitely won't forget for a long time to come.
2. Wielding The Shield
In Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers travelled back in time to get his happy ending with Peggy Carter, and later returned to the present as an old man. However, he brought his repaired shield with him, and decided that Sam Wilson was the right man to continue the legacy of Captain America.
The Falcon reluctantly took the shield from Steve, and that moment will now be further explored in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Make no mistake about it, though, this was huge for Sam.
For whatever reason, it's John Walker who wields the shield in that Disney+ series, but we're fully expecting Sam to become the new Captain America by the time all is said and done. That's a major evolution for this character, and one which means we'll say goodbye to The Falcon (not the wings, though).
1. A True Avenger
We're not sure you'll have expected this to make the cut, but it's arguably more important than most realise.
After a fleeting cameo appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron as Steve continued searching for Bucky, it was in Captain America: Civil War when Sam was finally given the chance to shine. With an improved set of wings, the hero proved himself an Avenger as he headed into battle alongside Cap, Black Widow, and Wanda Maximoff. You could just see he was loving it.
The biggest takeaway here, however, was that Sam fit right in with these other larger than life members of the team. From this point on, it wasn't at all difficult to view him as a legit member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. That's crucial as we head into Phase 4 with him as the new Captain America...