Marvel released not only a new poster but a new trailer for ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Disney+ series during the 2021 Super Bowl. The series itself is premiering exclusively on Disney+ in March, making it the second piece of the phase 4 puzzle to land on the platform. We’ve had a good look at the trailer, which you can watch below, and what follows is a breakdown of the major story details and Easter eggs that link to the comics.
Madripoor? – Leaked set photos clearly showed the flag of Madripoor, a fictional island nation made famous in the X-men comics. Somewhere in Southeast Asia, Madripoor first appeared in New Mutants #32, and featured heavily in the Wolverine solo series. The Island is a kind of lawless haven for criminals and has links to Wolverine, the X-men (Magneto used it as a location for his headquarters) and it was even once taken over by HYDRA. The most interesting comics link though, comes from Hawkeye, who was captured there while trying to retrieve a videotape of himself committing an illegal execution. What was it that Barton got up to in the years between Infinity War and Endgame?
The Mask – A major part of the promotion for the series has been Baron Zemo’s mask being included as part of his costume. This is something that will please fans, as it’s about as comic accurate as you can get.
Flag Smasher – We get a good look at another villain in action, in the form of a masked terrorist group. Tie-in merchandise has confirmed that the logo seen on the masks is that of Flag-Smasher. A formidable fighter, seen in the clip giving Winter Soldier a run for his money, Flag Smasher is kind of an anti-Captain America, opposed to nationalism and everything that Cap stands for.
HYDRA Paratroopers? – In a shot that we’ve seen previously in the 2020 Disney+ trailer Falcon is engaged in battle with some mysterious paratroopers. They appear to be wearing the SHIELD skydive suit seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home. What’s interesting is the colour of their suits, in the comics yellow and green are the colour of HYDRA agents. Is this the return of HYDRA?
Sharon Carter is a Bad-Ass! – Whilst she didn’t get too much character development in the Captain American films, it seems that she’s here to play a bigger role in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Series. Carter is a force to be reckoned with, in an action sequence that shows off her hand-to-hand combat skills. We know from merchandise that Sharon is on the run for breaking the Sokovia Accords, when she stole back Cap’s shield and Sam’s wings to help the fugitive Avengers. If she survived Thanos’ snap, it’s possible she’s been on the run for seven years. There’s a comic storyline that sees her believed to be dead, she comes back to help Steve Rodgers, who learns that her time ‘away’ has made her more grim and ruthless. 
The US Agent Show – We see a slightly longer clip of US Agent making his debut at the Super Bowl (during the Super Bowl – meta or what?) The US Agent is John Walker, the guy that the US Government has chosen to take over as Captain America. In the comics John Walker was created to be the exact opposite of Steve Rodgers. Eventually he was reintroduced as Rodgers’ replacement and the new Captain America, and further down the line rebranded as US Agent. We’ll have to see how US Agent plays out in the series, If I had to guess I’d say he won’t be all he seems.
That’s My Shield – In a scene near the end of the trailer we see Sam throwing Captain America’s shield, it’s the first time we’ve seen him use it properly as he seems to be in a fight, rather than training. In the comics US agent proves to be an unworthy Captain America, could this be the moment Sam steps in and takes back what’s rightfully his?
What are your thoughts on the trailer? Looking forward to the series? Did you notice anything that you think we missed? Let us know in the comments.
Marvel Studios’ “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes aka 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.