The Whole World Is Watching

Growing up watching Marvel movies, I was ecstatic when Marvel Comics revealed their jaunt into television earlier this year. As streaming platforms become more common, it was a natural progression for the MCU to venture into the world of limited series and TV shows to expand their cinematic universe. WandaVision was Marvel’s first Disney+ show and its great success set up a strong foundation for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TFATWS). Released every Friday from March 29-April 23, TFATWS challenged Marvel’s conventions by grounding the show’s plot in realism. Rather than just focusing on superheroes, this show comments on America’s hegemonic power, violence, and race in light of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

TFATWS is set six months after the last Marvel movie, Avengers: Endgame, featuring Sam Wilson (the Falcon) and Bucky Barnes (the Winter Soldier), as they struggle with the new world order and citizen discontent. Sam Wilson (portrayed by Anthony Mackie) was given the title of Captain America by Steve Rogers in Endgame’s finale, yet he relinquishes the name. Bucky Barnes (portrayed by Sebastian Stan) confronts Wilson after his decision, entwining these characters for the rest of the show. Their alliance is strengthened when common enemies arise, and Wilson and Barnes seek to restore peace in a world of unrest.

Although only six episodes long, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier tackles important American political themes. Mackie’s character introduces the most important theme: race. Wilson struggles with his conflicting identities as a Black man and American soldier. He learns of Isiah Bradley, the first Black Super Soldier, and the struggles other Black Super Soldiers endured at the hands of the US Government. Race becomes more biting when Captain America is resurrected through John Walker, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white man. Not only does Walker represent a palatable figurehead for American politics, but he also is a puppet of the American propaganda machine. Even though Sam Wilson is respected by the government, he knows the color of his skin isolates his ranking.

I often forgot I was watching a fabricated storyline when watching TFATWS because every Friday, another fault in American culture and politics was deconstructed in forty-five minutes to an hour. The most impactful episode in my opinion, “The Whole World is Watching” ends violently with the Flag Smashers killing John Walker’s best friend, Lemar Hoskins. Out of vengeance, Walker murders one of the Flag Smashers with the Captain America shield. Onlookers gape and dozens of cameras film Walker’s action, mimicking a story we know all too well. The final shot pans over Walker, his shield bathed in blood as the world watches.

I sat in silence for several minutes after episode four ended. TV was always an escape from the real-world. That is why I only ever watched comedies like New Girl, Parks and Rec, or Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. These shows are samples of reality with a humorous tone that deflects real-world problems. Political and social issues don’t dominate the screen or even find screen time at all.

Yet, this time, the heavy topics addressed drew me into TFATWS. I wasn’t deterred. I was charged. Every week, I waited to see how Marvel would tackle a new issue, lacing the real and fictional together as one. I rooted for Sam, hoping he would be empowered by his identity rather than discouraged. I cheered when Walker lost the shield, and cried as Isaiah Bradley recounted his torture as a Black Super Soldier. These characters are compelling, passionate, raw, and real. I applaud the writers for brilliant character dynamism.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is an important watch regardless if one does not like superheroes or comic book adaptations. It harnesses real-world issues as a mechanism for self-reflection, both individually and institutionally. But, this show is not without inaccuracies or misrepresentations. Mechanically, the final episode was somewhat rushed. This show was far more condensed than other television projects Marvel has created, and there were many plot holes. However, it is assumed the COVID-19 pandemic caused reshoots and forced script rewrites.

Some of Marvel’s goals with TFATWS were flawed. For example, sympathy is a major element in the show’s six episode arc. It is right for the non-Black audience to sympathize with the plight of Black Americans and individuals who have experienced trauma. However, sympathy is complicated when intended for antagonistic figures.

The Flag Smashers, led by Karli Morgenthau (portrayed by Erin Kellyman), are a radical, anti-nationalist group seeking to restore the world before the Blip when half the population disappeared at Thanos’s hand. They want world governments to welcome refugees rather than fortify borders to recreate a pre-Blip world. Morgenthau encourages plundering, murder, destruction, and violence to get her way. But “she’s just a kid,” as Sam Wilson puts it. Kids do not deserve trauma, but the Flag Smashers were not as noble as portrayed. Their cause is important, yet Marvel’s intentions cannot excuse their execution.

This failed execution is partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic and forced reshoots. There have been rumors about plot changes, the most common one being the original plot was about a global pandemic and bioterrorism. Rewrites and reshoots were then necessary for Disney and Marvel to save face and not create an insensitive TV show that implied an Asian country (Madripoor) engineered a virus. This rumor has not been confirmed by the writers, but it explains Marvel’s unfulfilled attempt to fully convince its audience of the Flag Smashers’ noble intentions.

John Walker is an even more significant example of undeserving sympathy. He is no Steve Rogers, no Super Soldier, and perhaps, not even a real hero. He murders a man in cold blood, perpetuates police brutality, and reinforces the American propaganda machine. A character arc for John Walker would need several more hours of television, work, and effort. Yet, the director intended to elicit sympathy for John Walker. Kari Skogland revealed in an interview that she wanted the audience to like Walker, and she believes it was achieved. This is inherently problematic because Walker’s murderous actions mirror American police brutality. In our everyday life, officers who abuse their power are treated like Walker in the TFATWS’s finale. Justice is an important cornerstone for discussions about police brutality, but Walker’s justice felt undeserved.

There are rumors of more seasons for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, so loose ends could possibly be resolved. Even if this series is reduced to a single season, the messages are not lost. There is just more that could have been done. So, the whole world iswatching, Marvel. Perhaps justice is next on the agenda.

By Anjali Chanda

Writer, dog lover, and hopeless romantic