Although set in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, the Super Bowl LV trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier demonstrated that the Disney Plus series (slated for release on 19th March) would primarily be a follow up to Captain America: Civil War (2016). It’s obvious a show starring Captain America sidekicks would continue from the Captain America films, but it is interesting given both Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and the MCU had seemingly moved on from that installment.
At the time, Civil War seemed like a game-changer to the MCU status quo that broke the Avengers apart. But Captain America’s next appearance in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) saw him reunite with (most of) his former colleagues, slightly nullifying Civil War's long-term impact. Yet as WandaVision is currently showing, MCU history allows plenty of dormant storylines to reappear and be expanded upon. Black Widow will also explore the post-Civil War, pre-Infinity War “Secret Avengers” era. And although set in the MCU “present,” the Falcon and the Winter Soldier trailer reminds audiences of the multiple dangling plot-threads left in the wake of Civil War.
Helmut Zemo
One of the main antagonists of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was also the main villain of Civil War: Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl), and one of the MCU's best. Far from the colorful Nazi supervillain of the comics, Civil War’s Zemo was a grieving father who lost his entire family during the Battle of Sokovia in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Seeking vengeance, but knowing he couldn’t defeat the Avengers directly, Zemo instead sowed internal fractures to pit them against each other, and was content to commit suicide following his success. Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) did capture Zemo, however, telling him “the living are not done with you yet.”
Zemo could not have predicted that Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) alien invasion and Infinity Stones would override the Avengers’ disagreements and make them reunite. True, the focus of his efforts – Captain America and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) – are both now gone. But as the Disney Shareholders announcement shows, there are more superheroes than ever before. So, Zemo can be seen clutching his iconic purple mask from the comics, declaring “superheroes cannot be allowed to exist.” His schemes in Civil War to disintegrate the Avengers may have had temporary success, but it appears in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Zemo will seek a more permanent solution.
Sharon Carter
Another familiar face from Civil War who will reappear in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp). Sharon was introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) as Steve’s civilian neighbor, who was quickly revealed to be an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent sent to monitor him. But Sharon proved her loyalty by helping Cap overturn HYDRA, even if it meant disbanding S.H.I.E.L.D. By Civil War, Sharon had joined the CIA, and revealed she was the great-niece of Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) at her funeral.
Later in Civil War, Sharon managed to retrieve the equipment of Cap and Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) after becoming fugitives for helping the brainwashed Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), also making her go on the run. For her troubles, she and Captain America kissed, paying off the coy flirtation the two had exchanged, even if its complicated by Sharon being the great-niece of Steve’s one true love.
This is further complicated by how Steve ultimately traveled back in time to be with Peggy in Endgame, Sharon essentially being neglected by the MCU. As a character, she got slightly lost in the confusion of the overarching Infinity Saga. But The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will catch up on Sharon’s fugitive activities since Civil War, and expand her role beyond that of a burgeoning, mostly unconsummated, love-interest. Plus the trailer spotlights Sharon’s hand-to-hand fighting, showcasing how she will have an active role in the show.
The Mantle of Captain America
It’s surprisingly easy to forget, given how long Steve Rogers embodied the role, but “Captain America” was originally an invention of the US Government. Indeed, Captain America: The First Avengers (2011) had Steve perform in a USO tour to motivate the American war effort, and he had to independently sneak away to start actual combat missions. Therefore, his decision to defy the government in Civil War was more complicated than that of a private citizen, as it was the government who had created and technically "owns" his alter-ego.
Aside from a minor scene arguing with Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) in Infinity War, any actual government response to Captain America was left unexplored. It also remains unclear how the average MCU citizens regard Steve Rogers. The impact of Steve’s decision to oppose the government has gone largely underexplored. The closest was a joke in Spider-Man: Homecoming, where after showing a recording of Cap introducing a “Gym Fitness Challenge,” Coach Wilson comments “I’m pretty sure this guy’s a war criminal now, but whatever I have to show these videos.”
Endgame had the aged-up Steve pass along the Captain America mantle to Falcon, but their exact status with the US Government is unclear. WandaVision shows the Sokovia Accords are still in effect, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a storyline where Jeffrey Mace (Jason O’Mara), aka “Patriot”, was recruited as the superpowered leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will do something similar with US Agent (Wyatt Russell), who can be seen during the trailer’s football half-time show. In the comics, US Agent is also a state-sanctioned version of Captain America. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will not only pick up on "who" carries the Captain America mantle, but "what" this mantle means to the post-Civil War public.
Falcon and the Winter Soldier
The aspect The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will most obviously explore, given the title, is the relationship between the two men. As despite both being close allies to Steve Rogers, they have not had much direct interaction within the MCU. Falcon aided Cap’s search for, and protection of, Bucky in Civil War, but the two didn’t get much downtime to bond, what with Bucky being brainwashed half the time. Indeed, the few moments we did get during Civil War pointed towards a passive-aggressive rivalry, with Bucky asking Falcon to move his car-seat up, and the two bickering during their fight with Spider-Man (Tom Holland) at the German airport.
After this fight Falcon was captured by Iron Man, and while he was imprisoned Bucky was taken to Wakanda. The two wouldn’t meet again until Infinity War, but even then, they were too caught up in Thanos’ battle to have any meaningful interaction, and both became victims of Thanos’ Snap. In Endgame, they stood together to wish Captain America luck on his time-travel, but again such interactions were mainly conducted through Steve Rogers rather than standing on their own.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will therefore showcase the pair’s dynamic without Captain America to mediate. In fact, how the characters generally behave outside of Cap’s shadow should be interesting to see. Like Steve, Bucky is also a “Man Out of Time”, with the added weight of having been brainwashed by HYDRA, but he hasn't yet had much chance to tell his own story. The trailer suggests the two will continue to buddy-cop rivalry established in Civil War, another aspect of the MCU that is ripe for exploration.