Review
It’s the Hypocrisy for Me A Falcon and the Winter Soldier Retrospective
DENNIS R. UPKINS
The first thing I would like to mention is that there must be a recognition on the part of everybody in this nation that America is still a racist country. Now however unpleasant that sounds, it is the truth. And we will never solve the problem of racism until there is a recognition of the fact that racism still stands at the center of so much of our nation and we must see racism for what it is. —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The Other America When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I’ve learned to brace for the worst and hope for the best. Although Falcon and the Winter Soldier (FAWS) had the elements and potential to deliver a game-changer of a narrative, it doesn’t mean that the Disney Plus superhero series would. Deliver they did, with each episode in fact. Joining the ranks of Luke Cage, The Coulson-May Power Hour (billed in some regions as Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Daredevil, and even Daughters of the Dragon (the apology tour that was the second season of Iron Fist), FAWS is not only one of the best MCU television series to date, but also one of the best shows to grace the small screen. Taking place six months after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Sam Wilson struggles with being handed the mantle of Captain America, which he initially rejects. However, a new threat emerges which forces Wilson and former Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, to 16
June 2021
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team up and embark on a global adventure. Part superhero drama, part political thriller, part noir, part espionage, part action buddy comedy, this miniseries’ masterstroke is that it defies genres and is interwoven with commentary on racism, antiblackness, and other forms of related systemic oppression. How impressive is FAWS? It’s so impressive that I’m almost ready to forgive showrunner Malcolm Spellman for his involvement in that Rape of Thrones/Confederate fustercluck from a few years back. But if a critique of systemic oppression is to be had, sometimes it’s necessary to examine the source delivering the message. From homophobia, to racism, to antiblackness, the MCU, Marvel, and parent company Disney have substantial amounts of red on their ledgers: Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is now claiming the world is ready for LGBTQ superheroes. Both Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther featured scenes that confirmed both Valkyrie and Ayo are LGBTQs, yet Feige had said scenes removed from both films. So to see Marvel attempt to cash in on LGBTQ dollars opportunistically is peak caucacity. MCU stans getting six feet in their fee fees because the MCU’s bigotry is exposed is to be expected.
Let movies be movies and characters be represented like they should and want. Not be forced into an agenda. —Humberto Lozada
