#anthony mackie really made sam wilson his own person

[sparklesandmarvel]

I'm reposting this because I don't want it getting swallowed up by the length of the post but some of y'all need to get a grip. I had to respond to the person who had som foolishness to say about my post, so to recap:

@ribbonsflyingoutthewindow

All you did was show how ignorant and tone deaf you are. You make several arguments that fall flat for several reasons and are just laughable.

Firstly, I cannot believe Black have to keep saying this, we do not care if you have Black "friends", that is irrelevant to the argument and you can have Black "friends" and still be racist. Saying this actually leads me to believe that you are because why are you throwing around these relationships like you collected tokens you want to cash in? It’s like you are using your “friends” as a veil to poorly hide your racism.

2. My whole post is about the racist reaction to Sam being Captain America and how Bucky wouldn't have been treated like this had he been chosen. Trying to center yourself and your thoughts and opinions about how not racist it is to have a preference is not appropriate.

I literally said "People constantly inserting their opinion "Bucky would've been better," for no actual reason." Referring to the people who say this and give no actual reasons as to why Bucky would be better. At the end of the day people will have preferences and that's fine, but as far as the Captain America preferences go they seem to only prefer white Captains whether they want to admit it or not.

And honestly there is no reason to not want Sam to be Captain America. There isn't. There is not one valid reason. It happened in the comics and Sam was able to do the job just fine, Sam Wilson in the MCU is smart, caring, tough and more than capable of doing the job with or without super soldier serum.

When you said "If you want strictly my opinion (which you don't, but it's the only one you think I'm qualified to give), here it is. Marvel chose Sam to pander to an audience when they could have chosen Bucky and made a statement." This statement proves:

YOU ARE RACIST

Anytime a Black person is chosen for a popular and important role the company is “pandering to an "audience". This is a racist argument and I'm not going to sugarcoat it. It’s racist and spoken by racist people. The fact that you think the only reason why Sam was chosen is to be a token Black man to pander to an audience shows exactly what you think of Black people and how much you value them. If you even watched one episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier you’d know just a little bit about why it is such a big deal that Sam is taking over the mantle of Captain America. I’m not explaining it to you because you seem like the type to not care and still push a ridiculous narrative. But I will say considering the history of racism in America that is still prevalent to this day, Sam becoming Captain America is a big deal and does make a statement, it’s just that a lot of white people don’t try to relate to characters and backstories that don’t look like them or remind them of their own.

To address Bucky: I think there is nothing wrong with him getting his mental health together before taking on a role as stressful as Captain America, and where his character was left after Infinity War and Endgame he wasn’t really in a position mentally to take on the role. I don’t like how the Russos acted like he was too damaged to take on the role at some point but Bucky in the comics and in the MCU doesn’t want the role. Him wanting to be Captain America is inconsistent with his character. 

Now this is where the part of your argument gets really funny: 

“And this is really big for me because it has nothing to do with race, but everything to do with origin. Anthony Mackie was born in America. Sebastian Stan came here from Romania after Communism had destroyed so much of their homeland. So this was Marvel's ONE CHANCE to put the shield in the hands of an immigrant. It doesn't matter if an immigrant plays any other role, but to let them play Captain America? That makes such a strong statement it brings tears to my eyes to think about. Marvel has other Black superheroes. There isn't another chance to make an immigrant the face of America.”

You think A WHITE MAN is the BEST choice of an immigrant taking over the role of Captain America? His character isn’t even an immigrant so what the hell would that do? “Marvel has other Black superheroes” How dismissive of the importance and value of Black superheroes. The more you explain yourself the more racist you sound. You don’t need to walk around using the n-word to be racist. There are and will be plenty of chances for an immigrant to take on the role of Captain America, right now it’s going to be a Black man and if you can’t see the significance of that in a country that has and still actively treat Black Americans like trash, then you need to revisit history class and talk to those “Black friends” of yours.

If you really aren’t racist, you need to do some self reflection. Your response shows how dismissive you are of Black characters and their importance. Being more offended at being called racist than actual racism is a problem and detracts from solving the actual problem.

#marvel #mcu #sam wilson #captain america #tfatws #anthony mackie #the falcon and the winter soldier #bucky barnes #fandom racism #racists in mcu fandom #yall dont think youre racist but you are

[becassine]

So I think some excellent points have been made by people over the past 24 hours about why supporting Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie is important and why you should at least click on the episodes weekly even if you don’t watch. But here’s my two cents or pennies, for what it’s worth... 

We love Stucky, we all love Stucky, and that isn’t going to change because of TFATWS. Endgame happened. Did we love it? No. Did we want to scream at the TV? Yes. Did they completely fuck over Steve Rogers after his entire arc? Also yes.

However, nothing we as fandom say is going to make Chris get back in his cap suit. We’d love to see America’s Ass return -- as Nomad -- and give Stucky the airtime it deserves but it’s not going to happen anytime. We all know that Disney would rather cut both characters than ever do that again. And at the end of the day, Steve gave the shield to Sam. 

Now Sam Wilson is awesome. As is Bucky Barnes. And the two of them get to have their own show where they actually get lines and character development beyond Steve’s friend and therapist and Steve’s best friend (*whispers* boyfriend). I can’t wait to see it personally because I think it’s going to show them in a different light and throw up some interesting plotlines. We get 6-8 HOURS of content, vs. a regular film where Bucky might get 3 lines and some angsty looks. Now is there going to be Steve content that is going to upset some people? Sure, I imagine there is. I really hope they get it over and done with in the first episode, like ripping off a band-aid.

What I haven’t liked, over the past few weeks, is some of the passive racism about Sam. I think some people are unaware that they even *have* these biases. But I really recommend that you look at the language you’re using and explore why you’re saying things in a certain way. Sam and Bucky and their show can exist independently of Steve Rogers - just imagine he’s chilling in Wakanda with T’challa and sending Bucky photos of his goats. That’s what I do. Sam will make an awesome Cap and -- if you are boycotting this -- please just think about the message it sends to younger black kids - that they can be a superhero too and they’re not just limited to one. Chadwick Boseman was a huge influence, people mourned his loss worldwide, and we need to continue that legacy.

Now, onto the show and why engagement matters. If we don’t watch TFATWS, we don’t engage with the content and we don’t at least click into the episodes, it can and will affect the future earnings potential and careers of Seb and Anthony. Both at Disney and externally. 

And that, frankly, can’t happen. Both of these guys have worked way too hard throughout their lives to be at the top of their game from an acting point of view. Bad films = less pay. Bad films = less choice of movies. Which lead to more bad films, less films and, eventually, no films.

Also an edit: Netflix counts a watch as intentionally clicking and watching something for at least two minutes. Disney+ doesn’t state it. So please click and let it roll, just mute it and hide it in a different tab.

So if you have Disney+, I implore you to click into the episodes. Give them the clicks, give them the attention they deserve. Because at the end, it’s about content, the real-life actors that have poured their heart and soul into this project, and drives more diversity in films which benefits our generation and future ones. Support them. It’s what this fandom is supposed to be all about.

#my thoughts #take it or leave it #i don't want to lose followers but i had to get this off my chest #if this makes one or two people more click in to the episode then it's worth it #engagement counts so much guys #i worked in marketing for half a decade and can tell you that this is nothing but the truth #sam wilson #anthony mackie #sebastian stan #bucky barnes #tfatws

[wenellyb]

Can I ask your opinion on the what if... series? I'm really hating the Captain Carter trailers. I feel like it's disrespectful to Sam's character who has only just taken up the mantle of Captain America and the shield. I get that this is an alternate timeline series but from the sounds of things they plan on launching these alternates into the main MCU via the multiverse. If rumours are true and Peggy appears in Doctor Strange 2, then that means Captain Carter will appear on the big screen as a supersoldier shield-weilding Cap before Sam appears. And that doesn't sit right with me. Not to mention the merchandise that's already everywhere. Feels like Sam's getting sidelined again before he's even had the chance to shine on his own. Anyway, I'd be interested to know your thoughts on it, if you've seen it. (Also, less related, the uniform being the British flag just reeks of WW2 British imperialism which is also just ugh. And I'm an Australian, our flag literally includes the British one! I just do not like any of this.)

Hi Anon!!! Thanks for the ask it's a very interesting question.

I haven't thought about it a lot because I have seen the trailers and I liked it, it looks like a very cool show and I llike Peggy Carter's character.

They have announced the What If... series since a long time ago and one of the scenario announced was indeed what if Peggy was "Captain America", so this isn't exactly a surprise.

I have seem some posts about the fact that there is much promotion and much more merchandise is done for Captain Cartet than for Captain America. And that are disappointed that Sam's character is sidelined and maybe it's too spon and I will changer my mind, but I personally don't feel that way for now.

I guess I would have more of a problem if:

-it weren't an animated series and there was a real show with Captain Carter. I didn't know about Peggy appearing in Doctor Strange 2, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what is the screntime, if she appears as Captain Carter or not. But for now, I personally don't see Captain Carter as a problem or as Sam's character being sidelined.

- if they brought back Chris Evans' Captain America on a different project, like those rumors said some ago. It would annoy me to no end if they used the excuse of the multiverse to bring back another version of Steve Rogers as Captain America, or as

Honestly, for me, there is a problem with Sam's character and how him being Captain America is handled, but it has nothing to do with the What if series. I think it's important to put the blame where it should be.

The problem isn't that there is more promotion or more merch available for the What If series or Captain Carter, because the show is about to air, so it's normal that it would get promoted, that's how it works.

To me, the problem is that we had a TV show with Sam as Captain America, and then... nothing???

The problem is that we had an announcement for a Cap 4 movie but with no realease date nothing? Not even a TBA date in 2024 or whatever? With all these MCU moves already lined up there should be at least an official announcement, even a vague date.

And I'm thinking maybe we'll get to Sam Wilson in other movies, before the Cap 4 movie, but it's not a certainty, and also what about the official dates for his own movie? Not even something like "confirmed" or "announced" with the Captain America logo.

That's what doesn't sit right with me, because for now it looks to me that Disney has no plan to follow up on Captain Sam Wilson... Just from the looks of it, I don't know what they will or will not do.

Am I the only one who remembers that we were supposed to have a Cyrborg solo movie in the DCEU? It was announced and it never happened? So that's what's really making worried regarding Captain America.

From where I'm standing, Disney wants the diversity points without putting in more work than necessary.

Another issue is that historically the fandom never stands up for the Black Superheroes and the Balck actors.

It happened woth Ray Fisher, it happened with John Boyega, and I think John's case it's even more disgustimg because the behavior of the fandom eventually led to his role beong reduced in the Saga...wtf. They preferred to run an incoherent story and make a mediocre movie rather than pay Fonn his due!

Just an example of what I mean when I say that the fandom doesn't support Black Actors: You see all what is happening with Scarlett Johansson right? The lawsuit etcetera.... I have seen dozens and dozens of posts supporting her and her lawsuit.... And this isn't coming from her fans... It's even coming from people who dislike her but understand the importance of what she's doing. I understand the importance of what she's doing... But I can't help and compare it to he support Ray Fisher had in the fandom, when he was calling out the abuse he received from Joss Whedon and from some Executives. Since the story with Scarlett started every 10th post on my dash is about it. And yes, it's still fresh, so it's normal people are talking about it. But when the whole story started with Ray Fisher, the reaction was just not the same.... People were amkong posts that wouldn't get more that a 100 notes, and for me it was easier supporting from Twitter because at least I could retweet Ray's tweets.... but let me tell you that he was bassically fight alone. ALONE.

I have seen so many posts saying.... "I hate Scarjo but..." "I can't stand Scarjo but..." So from where I'm sitting a problematic White actress will get more support than an unproblematic Black actor denouncing abuse. And just to be clear... I do think that the fandom should support Scarjo's lawsuit because Disney is never held accountable for the sh*t they do, I'm just making a comparison and saying they both deserved support but only one of them got it.

That's why I have absolutely no fate that the MCU fandom will stand up for Anthony Mackie or Sam Wilson if it's ever necessary seeing how they turned their back on Anthony Mackie the moment they thought he was against "Sambucky". They will turn their back on him and his character the minute a minor inconvience happen. And Disney/Marvel will love that because they will have a justification as to why they will not follow through with Sam Cap (His characyer is unpopular.... or whatever excuse they will find).

And about the interview thing, I guess I could understand if and only if they had a problem with some of the things he had said... But the fandom made it clear that they only cared about what they thought he said about Sambucky, not the rest, proving once again that the fandom is untrustworthy. Because they were ready to condemn hom for something as trivial as a fictional ship.

If push comes to shove, and for instance they brought back another Steve Rogers from another universe, I'm sure they would be quick to support THAT character instead of Sam.

To me the problem is Disney & Marvel Execs and also the fandom of course... Because the Execs go where the money is... If the fandom is hyping up anybody BUT Sam Wilson... the execs will do the same... because they will promote characters who are the most popular.

It's important to reward reprensation, and hype up movies and shows with reprensentation, but to me it is as important (if not more important) not to reward lack of representation.

That's why I have absolutely no intention to pay for a MCU movie other than Shang Chi, and Black Panther and also Cap 4 whenever it comes out! But other than that... I'm staying away from the movies with always the same group being represented.

TL:DR; in my opinion, there is indeed a problem but the problem isn't the What if series, far from it.

#what if #sam wilson #captain america #peggy carter #ray fisher #john boyega #anthony mackie #And the Marvels too #Forgot to add that! #Sorry for the typos

[margarethx]

You all probably remember that cursed meeting with fans from three years ago where Tom Holland jokingly laughed that he’s never seen “The Falcon” movie, becuase Anthony Mackie never got one. And it’s obviously funny now that we just got tfatws and the announcement about Captain America 4 with Sam Wilson in the span of one month.

But what is really interesting about this whole comparison between the two of them is that... Spider-Man movie was a given. Everyone knew it’ll be made. I don’t mean to say that Tom is bad at his job and didn’t deserve it or that he didn’t put any work into his role. But Peter Parker is such a popular and strongly established character, that any decent actor can just pick the role and go with it without much extra effort.

Samuel Thomas Wilson on the other hand was never a recognizable name. Comic book fans who read some stories before CA:TWS were obviously aware that he exists... he’s not even a new character (both him and Spider-Man are from the 1960s)... but the MCU audience is obviously much bigger and most of us didn’t know about Sam untill 2014 or later.

What I’m trying to say is that Anthony Mackie is in large part responsible for building the character of Sam Wilson and making him an iconic Marvel hero that everyone will remember from now on. When he started to appear in the MCU movies Sam wasn’t even Captain America in the comic books yet (as far as I know). But Anthony was so good at playing Sam and developing his story along with all the creators behind the scenes that now you cannot pretend to not know the guy. He’s just as important for that universe as any other character that came before him.

Again... it’s not really meant to be mean towards Tom Holland (even if dissing him is very funny), but if you think about it Tom didn’t need to work hard to get his Spider-Man movie. He showed up once in Civil War and that was it. Anthony Mackie on the other hand has appeared in at least 5-6 Marvel movies, before he finally got some real recognition in his show. And only then the actual movie was promised (just not with The Falcon).

It’s like a person who won a lottery bragging that they got a car before someone who’s been saving to buy it for 7 years. It’s just not impressive.

---

(And please don’t explain to me that it’s because The Falcon was not popular and giving him a movie would make no sense. No one knew who Scott Lang was when Ant-Man was added to the MCU with his own franchise. Hell, even Iron Man was kind of a no-name in 2008.)

#anthony mackie #tom holland #sam wilson #samuel thomas wilson #captain america #captain america sam wilson #the falcon #captain america 4 #peter parker #spider-man #mcu #marvel #marvel cast #mcu cast #tfatw #tfatws #the falcon and the wintersoldier #the falcon and the winter soldier #stackie

[shelobussy]

I know you talk abou st*cky in the interracial ships stuff, but can we talk about st*ny? Iron husbands is literally right there, but I also always sees Rhodey as Tonys moral support only. And ik Tony is very shippable with most characters, but the fact his ship is Rhodey is one of the lowest ships in ao3 (ironstrange, winteriron and god forbid stark*r all had more fics in ao3).. It's pretty telling this side also has racism problems...

I'll go ahead and answer this here, but letting y'all know that I do have a marvel sideblog if you want to hit me up there (@themarvelarchives).

Hey, I'm going to ramble for a good minute.

So after I posted my very incoherent, controversial take on St*cky vs SamBucky, there were a ton of ppl who came onto anon saying that St*cky shippers were racist. I think I only answered a few, but y'all were pretty insistent on it. I personally have not observed that St*cky shippers are so I'm not calling anyone out on that side of the fandom for that.

I also did not call out anyone on this side of the fandom bc that's not what my meta was about. I think I mentioned maybe once or twice in the whole post that there was underlying racist in the fandom, but since you asked, we can talk about it here.

Covert Bigotry In Fandom Spaces.

To understand what's going on in the MCU, we have to first look at what I call "woke-queer" fandom.

So "Woke-Queer" Spaces is the phenomenon where certain fandom members like to call ppl out on their bigotry, while covertly harboring their own queerphobia/racism/etc. An example of this that we're all familiar with is TERFS and how they like to claim that they are progressive and woke, while also claiming that trans women are fake and trans men are sexist.

How this translates to fandom, however, is the hypocrisy that is cancellation and callout culture.

For example, Supernatural in particular is a fandom that likes to call out the writers on their homophobia and racism, and yet, somehow, the fandom is chalk full of homophobia and racism. If you want to read more about this, here is a truly excellent article from the perspective of a queer woman of color.

Moving on, I've also talked in a previous meta post, on the internalized acephobia that exploded in 2019 after Good Omens was released. Rather than reiterate everything I said in that post, I'll just leave it at this: the controversy in the Good Omens fandom can be summed up by the fact that queer audiences are claiming that Ineffable Husbands is the wrong kind of queer. The hypocrisy oozes off the screen, doesn't it?

A final way this viably translates to fandom, is in how the Doctor Who fandom evolved over time.

So Steven Moffat takes over as head writer and showrunner in 2010. It's a new series, a new Doctor, a new Tardis, and new branding. He steps up the action, changes the color grating, and raises the stakes. Women are sexier, the Doctor is smarter (and more of an asshole, but that's another meta post), and every companion comes with their own impossible mystery that makes them Special™.

Series 5-10 got tons of woke points for having lesbian characters, an episode where the Doctor is homoerotic with James Corden, and an underlying trans narrative with the Master's reincarnation. What a lot of people forget, however, is that his series was incredibly sexiest, incredibly lesbian/biphobic, and basically turned the Doctor into everyone's fantasy sex-object.

This, unfortunately, brought out the worst of the fandom. There was RTD Era vs Moffat Era wars exploding in certain corners, TenxRose shippers vs ElevenxRiver shippers.

What does this have to do with covert racism in fandom cultures though?

Hnnngng ok, so back in RTD era's we get Martha Jones, the Actual Best Companion On The Entire Show. Except for the fact, of course, that she is written to be in love with the doctor. She's a brilliant character--smart, sassy, flawed, funny, flirtatious--and her entire plotline is reduced down to a school-girl crush on a white man.

She doesn't do well with fans, they scrap her after one season.

We move on to Donna Noble (The Other Actual Best Companion On The Entire Show) and RTD's era ends with them scraping her too and regenerating David Tennant's Doctor.

It will be five more series (not seasons, SERIES) until Doctor Who will have another black companion--who gets extra points for being gay--only to fall victim to "bury your gays" at the end of the season (but not really bc no one stays dead on Doctor Who).

The fandom's reception of Martha Jones was historically bad. The comparisons to her predecessor, Rose Tyler, were rampant and everyone was finding a reason to hate her.

The fandom's reception to Bill Potts was also historically bad, as everyone was screaming that she was being written for more "woke points" and that they wanted Clara back.

Fandom has a historically bad reputation of being problematic and, I would argue, the majority of it has to do with these toxic undertones of bigotry that slip under the radar. "Woke-queer" spaces, as I call them, are these instances above where spaces that claim to be inclusive of gender/orientation/race are covertly bigoted.

Marvel and Cancelling

Now is an excellent time to talk about the MCU.

Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson) has recently come under a lot of criticism from fandom members for shutting down shipper speculation.

"The idea of two guys being friends and loving each other in 2021 is a problem because of the exploitation of homosexuality. [...] something as pure and beautiful as homosexuality has been exploited by people who are trying to rationalize themselves."

I can't find the rest of the quote, but Mackie goes on further to say that it was important to him to portray "a sensitive, masculine figure" without insinuating that there was romance involved.

Woke culture lost it's shit. Everyone was suddenly claiming that Mackie was calling them exploitative for shipping a gay ship as a queer audience, which could not have been further from the case.

Mackie actually makes some very excellent points in that sensitivity is not gay/queer. Woke culture loves to rag on Toxic Masculinity, but the minute someone plays a character who is loving and sensitive with no queer narrative in mind, they are immediately canceled.

What Am I On About

Okay, let's actually address what your ask was about, Nonnie. You pointed out--rather truthfully--that it is unfair to call-out racism on one side of the fandom, while ignoring it on the other side.

Well, I've gone back through my St*cky vs. SamBucky analysis (which is incoherent at best, I apologize for that) and I see maybe once instance where I called out fandom members for being racist. Here's what I had to say about racism:

"[...] Iron Husbands is a rarepair, probably because it’s an interracial ship."

"[there is] nothing wrong with shipping two white men, but it does become a problem when you ignore/bash POC/interracial ships to the determinant of your own white ship."

And then there was the post you brought up where I addressed interracial ships in the fandom. That one is probably more relevant to this topic, to be honest, as I actually addressed fandom racism there. I assume that your reason for bringing up Stony is because it's a ship that is more relevant to my side of the fandom, HOWEVER, the reason I highlighted Stucky instead was because I was comparing the fact that they've both been around the same amount of time and are relationships that feature the protagonist and their best friend.

You brought up St*ny in the ask, however, so I'm going to talk about St*ny for a minute.

As someone who never has nor will ship St*ny, it never even occurred to me that some of the problem behind the Iron Husbands tag being so small is because everyone ships the white, boring ship. You brought up a very valid point, but because I was never in that part of the fandom, I can't really speak to any possible underlying racism there, besides what I've already said above.

I would be interested in hearing a St*ony shipper or ex-St*ony shippers thought on this, but sadly I don't know any. If you have any more thoughts regarding this, Nonnie, pls drop back into my inbox.

You do make some excellent points in this ask though, and I would like to talk about racism on my side of the fandom.

So back to Mackie and his Twitter cancellation. Notice that Disney made him address the rumors and not his co-star, Sebastian Stan. Anthony Mackie is put on blast and made to answer fan demands and receives backlash, while Sebastian Stan gets to fly under the rader. This is not, by the way, a criticism of Stan, but instead of the blatant racism Disney has been displaying over the past few years.

How this ties in with the rest of my post has to do with my "woke-queer" spaces bit. The outcry across the MCU fandom over Mackie was swift and unforgiving. He was cancelled on charges of homophobia and bigotry--all the while these same fans turn a blind eye to any queer interpretation of other interracial ships and discourse in their own fandom.

The racism that I'm speaking about, of course, is an almost passive racism. Of course if you don't ship a specific ship for reasons other than their race, it's perfectly fine. It's okay not to ship Iron Husbands or SamBucky or any other interracial fandom ships. However, the distinct lack of shippers in the fandom IS telling because there are people who would ship that exact ship if not for the fact that one of men is black.

I don't have much more to say about this except to thank you for bringing it up and for listening to my long rambling post.

(Feel free to bug me about Tony Stark, MCU ships, MCU Meta and anything you want to talk me about on this blog and @themarvelarchives.)

#this got long sorry #iron husbands #sambucky #james rhodes #tony stark #sam wilson #anthony mackie #doctor who #moffat critical #my meta #ash does meta #ash does fandom #marvel #mcu #fandom critical #fandom criticism #long post

[agentxthirteen]

SAM WILSON aka The Falcon is a former U.S. Air Force pararescue jumper turned Avenger who was Steve Rogers’ right hand man. When Sam finds himself tangled in an international conflict that is more personal than he could have ever imagined, his only shot at overcoming this trial will be to team up with his least favorite 106-year-old: Bucky Barnes. Anthony Mackie, who returns as Sam/Falcon, welcomed the opportunity to dive deeper into the character. “I feel like with this series, we've been able to show you why Sam and Bucky are who they are and why they believe in what they believe,” he says. “You get to meet and get to know them as three-dimensional characters. You get to see them as people. It's funny because usually in a movie forum, you only have two hours to tell the beginning, middle and ending of a story. But we have six episodes to tell the entire scope of where these characters have been, how they feel about the world they're in, and where they're going once this series is over.”Upon returning from the Blip, Sam joins his sister Sarah in Louisiana in an effort to help save the family business. It’s complicated and he struggles. “Sam became a hero because of where he’s from—he saw that the world was not fair,” explains head writer Malcolm Spellman. “He ran off to save the world by joining the military. But he’s always worried if joining the military was really about running away from problems at home—they seemed so insurmountable, it'd be easier to save the world.”But it’s not the only thing on his mind. The future of the shield and the role Sam plays is not as clear as Steve Rogers anticipated. Says Spellman, “He truly believes that there’s an argument to be made that red, white and blue—stars and stripes—inherently represents oppression.”Adds Mackie, “Sam considers the shield a representation of the country that we live in. There's a lot of trepidation as far as how does a Black man represent a country that does not represent him?”

BUCKY BARNES was Steve Rogers’ best friend and a WWII veteran who was brainwashed by Hydra to become the Winter Soldier—a deadly and ruthless assassin who would stop at nothing to achieve his assigned mission. As revealed in the post-credit sequence of “Black Panther,” Bucky’s mind was healed by the Wakandans, and he later joins the Avengers to heroically battle and ultimately defeat Thanos. But now that Bucky has been thrust back into the real world, he must figure out how to become James Barnes again—all while facing the demons from his past. Sebastian Stan portrays the eternally troubled Bucky/Winter Soldier. “He is trying to embrace his new life—but he’s pretty lost and having an identity crisis again,” says Stan. “He's doing his best, finding his own path after Steve, after all those events. It feels like this is the first time he's finally free, so to speak, to look after himself. But it's not easy. “How does this character now function in the world?” continues Stan. “What's his life going back to Brooklyn? How is he meeting people? How is he interacting at coffee 5shops? Is he dating? Is he thinking about another career? Is he in therapy? There were all these questions about where we could take this character. There were a lot of fun and exciting things that came out of that exploration.”Co-executive producer Zoie Nagelhout adds that for the first time, Bucky is making a concerted effort to take charge of his life—and that includes making some difficult amends. “He is working to unburden himself from the trauma of being the Winter Soldier,” she says. “He believes that will get him closer to knowing what he wants.”Stan asserts, however, that Bucky’s past is there to stay. “Look, there's always going to be a darker side of this character, which I’ve always loved—it’s what makes him more interesting and complex,” he says. “I feel like that doesn’t go away. It's still there deep down. He's just learning how to deal with it a little bit better.”

JOHN WALKER is one of the highest-ranking soldiers in the U.S. military. He is patriotic, strong, good-intentioned, and every bit of him will be put to the test as he tries to team up with Sam and Bucky to protect the world from a new threat. Wyatt Russell was called on to portray the dedicated soldier. “We thought Wyatt was an interesting choice because a lot of his work before had him playing the slacker with long hair and a beard,” says executive producer Nate Moore. “But we found this unique energyin him that neither Sam Wilson nor Bucky Barnes has, and we felt that was important so that John Walker stood apart from these two characters.”But, says Russell, Walker’s journey is not without complication. “I gravitate towards characters who need to make difficult decisions,” he says. “His dichotomies are what attracted me to him, and I’ve been allowed the leeway to shape him a little because we’ve never met this character before.”

SHARON CARTER, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who went on the run after breaking the Sokovia Accords, knows that if she stepped foot in the United States, she’d be arrested. But life underground has taken its toll on Sharon, who’s become somewhat jaded while fending for herself since the events of “Captain America: Civil War.” But heroism runs in her blood, and she finds herself tangled in Sam and Bucky’s global fight.Emily VanCamp, who returns to the MCU as Sharon Carter, says the character has changed since we last saw her. “Listen, when we find Sharon, she’s in a pretty dark place,” says VanCamp. “When we first see her, there’s a little bit of anger. She’s tougher, a little raw and rough around the edges—a totally different version of Sharon than what we’ve seen in the films. That’s really interesting to explore.”Adds Nagelhout, “We never really heard from Sharon after she put herself out there for Cap, Sam and Bucky, so we felt it was important to tell her story—to see what’s she’s been going through after throwing her career away to do what she felt was right. She’s that kind of person.”

ZEMO, the Sokovian special forces officer who targeted the Avengers after he lost his family in the battle of Sokovia, has been rotting in a German prison since we last saw him in “Captain America: Civil War.” But Zemo isabout to be reignited with a new ferocity. “I kind of fell in love with Zemo,” says director Kari Skogland. “He’s a man who’s struggling with this desire for revenge. But his story is a slippery slope of trying to make something right, but going about it all wrong. So, when we meet him, he’s paying for his crimes. He’s lost everything. He’s in a very sad place. I couldn’t help but feel a certain amount of sympathy for him.” DanielBrühl, whoreturns as Zemo, feels similarly about the character. “In ‘Civil War,’ I was fascinated by the fact that Zemo is a multi-layered villain,” he says. “He’s not just a sinister bad guy. But there was not that much time to explore different facets of him, so it was great to be given the opportunity to revisit this character.”

#sharon carter #sam wilson #bucky barnes #baron zemo #spoilers #john walker

[lyricalvillain]

TFaWS Spoilers Below!

Okay. Okay. Can we frigging talk about Falcon and Winter Soldier stuff real quick? Cause like... I'm blown away by all the emotional stuff going on here. I am loving where this is going so far and the intense issues the characters are struggling with and how wonderful the Actors are doing right now.

Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie)

Anthony Mackie is a national treasure. I love his portrayal of Sam Wilson. He does an astounding job. He has such an expressive face and he uses it to break my heart.

His character is going through a lot right now. He just got back from being dead for five years. People mourned him, his family mourned him. He is trying to reintegrate himself into the world and his loved one's lives. Which is even harder when there's a five year gap of missing time to account for. Right away in Ep1 he's given shit from a banker about that five year gap in employment. (Which, excuse me sir who raised you???)

All while coming to terms with the fact that Steve is gone. Steve is gone and he dropped this monumental legacy onto Sam's shoulders.

And Sam felt he didn't fit that role, felt like he was standing in this massive shadow cast by what people expected from Steve (and now what they expect from Sam). His speech about needing new heros, and letting the shield rest because noone could live up to Steve-- wonderful. Beautifully delivered. Mackie is killing it portraying Sam. Just. A++

And the cinematography in that moment. The massive image of Steve looming over Sam. Really pushing how Sam feels in that moment.

He felt that the shield, the legacy, the title belonged to someone else. He had his own name, his own legacy that he was building. His own identity. I can see how he wouldn't want to give up being Falcon and pick up Steve's shield.

But that made the end of ep announcement of the new Captain America all the more heart wrenching, like seriously I wanted to cry. Because Sam trusted that the shield and uniform would be kept at the museum. Trusted that his decision and wishes would be respected. And oh god, how they rolled over that without a seconds hesitation.

The entirety of episode two was just triggering for both of our boys. Sam was constantly being reminded of how he gave up the shield. It’s the first thing Bucky says to him, and it’s the thing Bucky focuses on the most. Sam is probably already furious that this is happening and John Walker isn’t helping that either.

“It would be easier if I had Cap’s wingmen to back me up.”

Sam’s reaction to this was very telling. He was with the guy up until this point it seemed. As soon as he said this, Sam left. And I think it has a lot to do with him having his own autonomy as a hero, his own identity, his own legacy. He is very focused on who is behind the symbol, the person behind the symbol. (I also think Sam may have some Imposter syndrome going on, maybe?) He helped take down Thanos, take down Hydra. He’s put the work in, he's made a name for hinself. So when John says he's put the work in. I feel like that's just insult to injury right there for Sam.

While I doubt John meant any harm, he definitely stuck his foot in his mouth. It seemed like he thought of Bucky and Sam as accessories instead of their own individual people. Like they didn’t have issues and lives outside of being brushed off and put in play for whatever Cap needed them for. 

Sam was with Steve because they were friends, why would he ally himself with John Walker, a man who had taken up the mantle he had tried to lay to rest, a man he didn’t know at all? A man who didn’t know him at all.

And don’t get me started on the cops man, they called for BACKUP. They stopped because they judged someone based on the color of their skin, and the backup arrived as they figured out who they were harassing. Fucking systemic racism, man. (Good job portraying that as well though.)

Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)

Bucky... God damn. What a mess. Tragic back story to the max, add in a dash of survivors guilt, self worth issues a mile wide. And lets not forget the trust issues. We have those too.

We all know his past, the brainwashed assassin with no real name. Treated like a weapon, stripped of humanity and autonomy.

He was a fugitive for probably about four years spent some more time on ice in Wakanda, and then vanished for five. He comes back to help kick Thanos' butt and then Steve... Just leaves him to live his life in the past. For Steve it's been a long time. Steve lived through those five years without Sam or Bucky. But for Bucky it was only yesterday that they had been fighting to stop Thanos. He hasn't been able to integrate properly into society. He only had Steve and by extension Sam.

So now he's left to integrate on his own. Steve was his anchor, and he's adrift in the future where he only consistently talks to his therapist and a man who's son he murdered.

He is not okay.

In episode one and two we see just how not okay he is. He's mired in his past, clinging to the vestiges of his combat experience and skill set he picked up as the winter soldier. Sam tells him he's not a spy anymore and Bucky fights to be able to help, to feel relevant again.

Hes so focused on Steve's shield. I like to think its partially because of what Steve's trust symbolized to him, and also because it's tied so closely with Steve's memory that seeing someone, that Steve didn't give it to, wield it bugs him. Steve's last wish was for Sam to pick up the title.

The revelation that he was trying so hard because Steve believed in him broke my heart. Especially once he started doubting that faith his friend had in him.

"What was rule two again, Doc?"

Nobody gets hurt. But I wonder if bucky was implying that he has been hurt. I mean probably, Sam said some hurtful things, they both did. And they're both snarky and defensive. Still Bucky will help Sam, because even though they argue and fight, they're friends, united in grief and trauma. I just have so many feelings about my boys guys.

John Walker (Wyatt Russell)

I’m not gonna lie I expected to hate John, in fact the ending of the first episode just begs you to hate him. I don’t love him. But surprisingly I also definitely don’t hate him. He is a giant dumbass though.

So firstly, this dude is from the comics, he’s eventually  known as U.S. Agent.

He operates within the confines of the law, and is basically the government’s lap dog at this point. Whereas Steve, as Captain America, had gone against orders multiple times, against the law even, to do what he thought was right. Despite the obvious differences in their character so far, there is a parallel we can draw between John and Steve and even John and Sam.

John feels that pressure that Sam felt in Episode one. It’s the first thing he really talks about. He doesn't want to let the people down.

He has been used as a marketing tool very much like Steve. Propaganda posters, the works. He tells his friend (high-school sweetheart?) that he wants to just “do the job” like Steve did. He’s frustrated about being paraded around, surrounded by dancing girls and stuffed in front of cameras.

As irritatingly confident as he seems, there is a lot of doubt and nerves in this guy. He is also… not enhanced. He’s just slightly above average for a human.

“I’m not trying to replace Steve, I’m not trying to be Steve. I’m just trying to be the best Captain America I can be.” This was honesty, there was frustration in the lines. He probably feels overwhelmed, he is reaching out for help from people who knew Cap best and are best equipped to help him take down the Flag Smashers.

Later when he shows up to bail Bucky out, he made a few more mistakes. Firstly, the therapy thing. Ordering his therapy to clear him so he wouldn’t be tied up was just short sighted and selfish. He may have thought he was doing Bucky a favor seeing as the therapy was court mandated, but Bucky NEEDS that therapy. His therapist was the only person he had regular contact with that wasn’t emotionally torturous for him.

Also calling Bucky an asset. DUDE. This man was referred to as “The Asset” for 70 YEARS. He was brainwashed and treated like a thing, didn’t have a name, wasn’t allowed to decide things for himself. So John swooping in and making the decision to “liberate him” from therapy because he was “a valuable asset”? John, buddy, pal. Maybe don’t. Maybe take you “I know what’s best” shtick somewhere else okay?

He knows who these men are, and he’s trying to be helpful and supportive to get them to like him, trust him and work with him. But that’s hard when you don’t KNOW these men and what they’re suffering through. John is just going to trample all over their emotional minefield.

That’s it from me, thanks for reading through my rambling thoughts on fictional characters guys! I'm going to go cry in a corner until next week.

#tfaws spoilers #wintersoldier #winter soldier #bucky barnes #sebastian stan #falcon #the falcon #sam wilson #anthony mackie #john walker #captain america #u.s. agent #wyatt russell #character analysis #like just a long post of me talking #marvel #MCU #falcon and winter soldier spoilers #the falcon and winter soldier spoilers #the falcon & winter soldier spoilers

[ladyaj-13]

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

After putting it off for too long, I’ve finally watched!

Overall verdict? I liked it. Nothing particularly revolutionary or quirky, but there doesn’t necessarily need to be (although I can understand why, because of this, it didn’t have the same hype as Wandavision). It was a solid superhero story headlined by two charismatic leads and I thought it did what it did - generally - well. I wasn’t simultaneously scrolling Twitter, which is always a good sign, although a portion of the credit for that should go to Sebastian Stan’s face: the boy is beautiful.

Sam Wilson. What a character. I love that they kept the VA group leader aspect of him alive and well, and bothered to keep showing him reverting to patience, understanding, acceptance and discussion instead of ‘smash-em-up’ - it’s a point of real difference over other heroes, and an important skill set which works so well with Captain America. It also gives Anthony Mackie something to delve into which isn’t all wisecracks and abs (not that I’m complaining about wisecracks and abs).

I also liked Sam with a family. It’s fairly unusual for a superhero - think Steve, Tony, Bruce, etc., all pretty much free agents, surrounded only by those who can protect themselves. I do hope they don’t lean too much into making Sam’s family a point of weakness in Cap 4 and any future projects (as there was a hint of, when they were threatened by Karli). It’s obvious. It’s boring. I don’t know, maybe Bucky gets a job down there hauling fish and the threat of the Winter Soldier popping up from behind a barrel of sardines keeps all the bad guys away.

In the treatment of having a black Captain America and the tensions surrounding that - I’m not really the person to judge whether that was done well or not, but as someone who can’t really understand, it felt like a realistic and nuanced portrayal? I liked that they had those conversations and raised those issues.

I also liked how they took the red hand group as a consequence of the snap and built that into an actually morally grey question, with no obvious right answer. It’s a diversion away from Captain America storylines where right and wrong is generally quite obvious (don’t side with Hydra, folks!) into a more realistic, modern conundrum. It suits Sam’s Cap, as well - this isn’t a problem to be fixed with a supersoldier punch and a star spangled suit.

What I disliked was how they started there - with a really interesting problem - and then pushed Karli down the path into a stereotypical villain role. It felt like they did that because in the end, they needed Cap to save the day and take down the ‘bad guy’, but it feels like they could (or should) have done something more interesting. The portrayal of this ‘bad guy’ Karli at the same time as ‘angel’ Karli (she’s so young, she’s just a kid, Sam carries her in his wings and a spotlight) felt weird to me. Like they were trying to make up for pushing her down the villain path, but they’d done that to such an extent that I was left thinking - if this wasn’t a woman, would you be doing this? Or just taking her(/him) out? She’s killed hundreds, of her own volition - there may be reasons, but she’s not an innocent.

One final thing that annoyed me was Bucky’s lack of anger towards Steve. Bucky needed Steve, and Steve left him. I have another whole Endgame-inspired post where I rant about how you don’t have to read the Steve and Bucky relationship as romantic if you don’t want to, but Steve’s actions still don’t make sense, so I won’t repeat it here. But Bucky should be angry. That would be a way to start rehabilitating that ending, opening up and exploring a decision which a lot of fans felt made no sense. Except it’s not addressed at all.

Either Bucky’s worked past it in previous therapy sessions (um… okay then? I'm not convinced based on the therapy we saw) or he’s just not angry - but the only reason I can think of for a lack of anger would be if he doesn't blame Steve for leaving him. But for Bucky to think that it was right and good for Steve to leave him behind after everything they’ve been through together - to leave before the end of the line, guys! - speaks to a deeper well of self-hatred than they bother to portray. That’s huge. That level of self denial and self isolation would impact every aspect of his life. I’m not saying Bucky’s fine, but he’s shown as reasonably level and functional, especially in later episodes - he’s attending Sam’s family gatherings for goodness’ sake. He wouldn’t do that if he thought so little of himself that even Steve was right to give up on him.

The end of Steve and Bucky's timeline was such a disaster (of their own creation) for Marvel - it pushed me out of the fandom, tbh, and I haven’t rewatched Endgame since I saw it in the cinema. To take the character of Captain America and tarnish it in his last moments was stupid, frankly, and everyone - the fans, the characters, the actors, the crew - deserved a better round up to that story.

This show isn’t that better roundup, not really, but if you can get over the fact it ignores that elephant, it’s pretty good. I could go on - about Sharon, they’ve set up something really interesting there, about John Walker, about Zemo, about Sam nearly taking his own head off with the shield multiple times - but this post is already long enough! I’m guessing we won’t get another series as a fourth Cap movie has been greenlighted, which is a shame, as I like the extra character stuff you can get in a TV series, but I look forward to the film too. And good on them for keeping it to 6 tight episodes instead of dragging it out to 10, 12 or 26. Perfect.

#aj's media reviews #tfatws #the falcon and the winter soldier spoilers #this is just me spewing opinions everywhere so i can reminisce in a year's time

[anadorablack]

FATWS Ep. 5 Thoughts

Me having thoughts. Lots of thoughts. Spoilers below.

This episode upped the game a notch. I say it each week, and each week I mean it, but this series is such quality content I can’t express myself enough most of the time.

Okay...let’s try to be coherent.

- Sam and Bucky fighting Walker for the shield like the team they are was great but also stressful AF because Walker has proven that he’s unhinged and I honestly thought one of our boys was going to get seriously injured.

- Bucky surrendering the shield to Sam was so symbolic I...

- Joaquin Torres is the next Falcon, I don’t want to hear anything else. He’s the purest child and I want to see him with his wings next ep okay?

- I don’t feel any sort of sympathy towards Walker. Not one ounce of it. But DAMN, he’s right, the government made him this way, own it punkasses!

- (On this note, I’d like to address the fact that talent did NOT skip a generation in the Russells’ family tree. Goddamn Wyatt is talented.)

- K. Helmut. I KNEW he was going to the memorial. It was a given. I also knew that Bucky wasn’t going to shoot him because that’s not him anymore, but-

- He was CLEARLY okay with dying. Had made peace with it, just like in Civil War when T’Challa found him in Siberia. And that made me so sad I started weeping.

- (I really hope we’ve not seen the last of him. He’s such a cool character, in a way he wasn’t at all in the comics. I love my antiheroes, sorry.)

- (And Daniel will be missed. I don’t care about that ‘sugar daddy’ stuff, I’m 30 and Dan is hardly old enough to fit the description, but I’ll miss him. His voice, his fucking coat, and his stellar acting. Stan since 2009 represent. :P )

- Bucky being the one to ask the Wakandans for a new suit for Sam is so sweet, please!

- Isaiah’s speech and story made me feel so uncomfortable. As only a white woman from Europe could feel uncomfortable. The situation in the US has always made me want to vomit, because I’ve not been raised in that environment at all, but this hit super hard.

- The US being the ‘land of the free’? Ha. Ha. Ha. Has anyone of you punks actually studied your own History? Murderers, the lot of you!

- Sarah Wilson deserves everything. That’s it.

- Bucky flexing his super-strength, uh? Got a message for Sam, Bucks?

- Bucky smiling at Sarah like he used to before the War... I don’t know how to feel... She makes him feel flirtatious like his old self? A blessing for our hearts, a curse for our eyes. Fuck you Seabass.

- Our boyz repairing a boat. Like mates. *cough cough* SOULmates.

- Bucky apologizing was important. His character is evolving. May I remind you that he was born in 1917? Yeah, so, some things haven’t computed yet in that white boy’s brain, but they’re starting to, because he’s spending time with Sam and if there’s ONE person who can make you see things you never saw, it’s Sam Wilson.

- Yes, Sam is right: stop relying on somebody else to tell you who you are, Bucks. You’re you. Steve was a bitch, forget him.

- (Am I still bitter over Endgame? You got it! Have I hated Steve Rogers ever since? You betcha ass!)

- “We’re just a couple of guys” Right. Stop it. Get a room. Now.

- That training montage....... I’m not physically attracted to Anthony Mackie (despite acknowledging that he’s handsome, that’s a given) so I wasn’t thirsting and more pondering. Because it was important to see him train and become Captain America ON HIS OWN. Without Bucky’s help, or anyone’s help for that matter. He’s made himself. It was super beautiful to watch. Amazing.

- Also, can’t wait to see him in that new suit next week. I’m salivating thinking about it.

- Also, tired of hearing about that Winter Soldier guy. He’s WHITE WOLF, now, people!

- Sharon is shady. I really don’t like what they’ve done to her character, despite the obvious ‘repercussions from Civil War’. She’s Peggy’s niece, and Peggy’s niece would NEVER be this shady. Correct me if I’m wrong.

- Sam is surely becoming my second favourite Avenger, right after Wanda. His character is amazing in so many ways... <3

- Anthony Mackie is a wonderful actor. Everyone in that episode was just amazing, but he SHONE.

- Macattack and Sexy Seabass play off each other so perfectly, I’m just asking for them to end up living together and only working together because it’s just perfection.

- Anthony’s man-crush on Seabass shows, and I love it.

- I’m gonna miss Zemo. And Ayo. Because the Dora fighting the Flagsmashers would have been epic... :D

- Can’t wait for next week, and at the same time, I don’t want it to end.

- The Russos couldn’t see what wonderful actors and characters they had in front of them, but thankfully, someone else did and repaired the fuckery that these two had made with Endgame (yes, I’m talking about Sam (mostly Sam, who was flavourless before this), Bucky, Zemo, and even Sharon).

- I’m done ranting, see you on the other side!

#fatws #fatws spoilers #falcon and the winter soldier #falcon and the winter soldier spoilers #sam wilson #anthony mackie #bucky barnes #sebastian stan #falcon #captain america #winter soldier #white wolf #baron zemo #john walker #us agent #wyatt russell #sharon carter #ayo #sarah wilson #isaiah bradley #joaquin torres #steve rogers

[youngbugandtonystank]

I’ve seen a lot of things on Twitter recently about the hype over white ppl vs black ppl at marvel on Twitter about how ppl always hype up the white actors and characters but never the black ones .. and about how the black character don’t get that much attention weather it be interviews or even with social media following ? I just wanted to know what are your thoughts about the subject?? I mean I kinda do agree .. with some of them about how they are feeling with the situation

This post can explain pretty well how racist Disney can get, especially with TV shows and movies. Here, let me share it:

This content was made by @anikawalia. You can find more of this in this source: x.

Some of these things happen with the MCU too. Well, Disney /= MCU.    

While I adore some of these friendships, it always bothered me how they make the black/POC characters the sidekicks and best friends:

White hero, sidekick of color: why Marvel needs to break the cycle

The problem with this is they get reduced to ‘sidekick/best friend’ when they can cast a black/POC person to be the protagonist instead. Some of those characters are disrespected in major ways in the MCU. They’ve missed several opportunities to introduce more non-white leads. And sometimes they don’t even get them the promo those characters deserve. Ned Leeds for example, Jacob Batalon was the only member of the main cast that didn’t get an official poster/promo for Far From Home, even if Ned has been a major part of Peter’s life and a big character in the previous movies to the point that he had a cameo in IW and Endgame, yet he didn’t get promo for a movie where he actively participates in. 

Or the fact that they kicked out Laura Harrier only to give a romantic relationship a spotlight. And when asked about it, Watts said Liz was probably older because of Laura’s age. Disrespectful af. Laura was very vocal about continuing in the MCU, and she didn’t even ask to be Peter’s love interest, no, she wanted to play a more important role in the franchise. She said she wanted Liz to become Firestar and even hinted that she wouldn’t mind playing Black Cat. People forget to credit her for being the first black lead female and love interest for a Spider-Man adaption. Nobody cared about that, they only said she was only a ‘love interest’ that we shouldn't care about because she's not MJ. And this is exactly the problem when they’re casting black/POC characters. They’re not accessories or representation points. If she wanted to continue and they clearly have space for characters like Betty Brant and Happy Hogan, then why is Liz not getting the same treatment? Sorry, I went off but this makes me really mad. You have no idea how excited Laura was about getting this role. Literally every interview, she mentioned how much she wanted to continue. 

Also, the Latin-American representation. I’m not even going to start with this because lmao I’m getting mad. I hope we see America Chavez, Anya Corazón, and Ava Ayala getting their rightful throne in this franchise. 

Here are some thoughts some of the actors shared about this:

"I’ve done seven Marvel movies where every producer, every director, every stunt person, every costume designer, every PA, every single person has been white," Anthony Mackie.

Laura Harrier thought Zendaya stole her role because she didn’t think Marvel was going to cast two black actresses in the same movie

Zoe Saldana: Because you’re not just dissing me, you’re dissing what that child considers important in their world.”

Benedict Wong: This idea of a manservant-sidekick. That’s not something that appeals to me. I sort of found that out myself, and I thought, “How can we change this?” Maybe there’s a kid who’ll watch and say, “Oh wow, there’s a superhero representing me.” That’s what we want from diversity.

Lashana Lynch: We didn't have to explain that Maria is Black, you can see that she is. She's raising a young Black child, as well." 

Jacob Batalon on critics are praising the diversity in the film. And how does that make him feel and what does it mean for him as a Filipino-American.

Michael Peña on How is the MCU doing in Latinx representation?

But we also should celebrate some wins here, our new James Bond is Lashana Lynch, our new Captain America is Sam Wilson, we have a canonical princess Shuri Udaku, and the queen of Asgard is Brunnhilde, let’s celebrate that♥ Also, War Machine deserves his own TV show on Disney +.

#mcu #marvel #disney #captain america #sam wilson #spiderman #far from home #laura harrier #zoe saldaña #lashana lynch #michael peña #anthony mackie #disney + #zendaya #tom holland #jacob batalon

[siancore]

On your response to that twitter post on Anthony Mackie, I think you're 100% right. Even if you're disappointed Bucky isn't given as much screen time, which in truth I personally am, it gives you no right to attack others. That's what's so toxic in fandom, viewing it as a zero-sum game where another person's joy has to equate to your resentment and anger. This how much better fandom would be if we were all supportive instead, more positive and productive instead of destructive. (1/2)

So congratulations to Anthony Mackie for having a big role during an important time in America. He is someone this fandom should be proud of, not the subject of misplaced anger. (2/2

Hi, Anon. You’ve made some really valuable points here and I agree wholeheartedly: Sam finally being in the spotlight does not negate Bucky’s importance as a character. That was not even what Anthony Mackie was saying. Yet, there are so many people in this fandom who try to shift the focus away from Sam Wilson and move it to their white favourite at every turn. They wait for any opportunity to swoop in and say, “What about Bucky?”

In this case, it’s, “What about Sebastian?”

And I ask, “What about him?”

He does his job just fine and doesn’t need fans saying shit to his colleague on his behalf. Do these fans not understand how strange and unsettling that is?

People really need to ask themselves why it rubbed them the wrong way that Anthony sat there and spoke about being the lead in his own show. Why it offended them so much that they went out of their way to tweet at him and make disparaging remarks about his personal character by saying he has an inflated ego. To me, it reeks of this insidious need for non-Black people to say to Black people, “Stay in your place”. To tell Anthony to pipe down, to minimise himself, and shrink away.

It’s gross, upsetting, and racist. Why shouldn’t he be proud of what he does and of his achievements? Why does he have to be reminded to humble himself? To be quiet? To share the spotlight? Why do fans think it’s alright to continually police everything this man says and does?

I wish that I could say that this was an isolated incident and a simple instance of misplaced anger, but it’s not. Anthony has been subjected to gross treatment from people in fandom before. From the comments section in clips of interviews and in articles, to outright disrespect at panels (that fucking ACE Comic Con Q&A took a year off my life I swear).

As for the disappointment over Bucky not getting much screen time: No one even knows if he’ll get less. It’s just like everything else with the character: Speculation. He will have a smaller arc, that’s one thing we can be sure of, but that’s an issue to take up with TPTB, not with a cast member who has nothing to do with writing the story. 

Anthony’s interviews shouldn’t be about Sebastian and Bucky. Sure, I want to know more about Bucky and hope that he gets an interesting arc in the series, but there’s a time and place for everything. 

This is the time for Sam Wilson to have the spotlight. This is the time to remind everyone, fans and studio executives alike, what most of us already know: That stories revolving around Black superheroes are needed and desired, and that a Black actor has the talent and charisma to carry a series.

And to echo what you said, Anon, congratulations to Anthony Mackie! Nothing but love and respect for My Captain America.

#anthony mackie #sam wilson

[lachemisenoire]

Sam Wilson appreciation time!

OK, now that I've fully exorcised my Sharon feelings, it's time to get into my Sam feelings.

Words simply cannot describe the joy and elation I felt watching Sam become Captain America in the finale. Let me just say that I've been a fan of Anthony Mackie since The Hurt Locker, and when the news of his casting in the MCU came out, I was THRILLED. I shit you not! And you know what? I had been headcanoning him as the next Cap ever since he first appeared in the Winter Soldier (because it had just happened in the comics!) so when the shield was actually passed on to him in Endgame, I almost flipped out. The one good thing Steve Biden did, istg.

Anyway, cue years of squabbling with certain stans who tried to downplay the importance of his friendship with Steve, and fandom constantly overlooking him in favour of Bucky. And now that Mackie's Sam is finally getting the praise and acclaim he deserves... I just feel so vindicated on his behalf, lmao.

And I do like Bucky! Now that he has a personality, Sebastian Stan really shines in the role. But there's something just, idk, really special about Sam. Maybe the older I get, the more I warm to male characters who are genuinely kind-hearted, empathetic, and just all around GOOD.

And the scenes with Isaiah and his speech... everything that's been going on in real life made watching Sam being celebrated as Captain America feel really really emotional and INCREDIBLY timely and relevant. The show tackled the fact that a Black Captain America was never going to have it easy head on. They had Sam himself say it. I don't have to spell out the current news that makes this issue so relevant IRL, but the fact that they so boldly went there? I was sincerely choking up.

Finally, although you could say that from time to time the show was a little too Bucky-centric, I think FATWS was a beautiful subversion of the white hero/Black sidekick pairing. Sam wasn't there to prop Bucky up - he was the one who had the 'hero' arc. And, while he still counselled Bucky and offered him advice, he wasn't reduced to that; he had his own arc, his own emotional journey, got to express his own feelings, and, importantly, got an apology from Bucky. That's huge.

Love them or hate them, Marvel has an immense impact on pop culture with the type of stories they put out, and the characters who portray these stories. While FATWS was not perfect, it does mark a new tone for the MCU that I hope will continue.

#sam wilson #fatws #falcon and the winter soldier

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Salutations to you, random people on the internet who most likely won't read this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons!

Gonna be honest, I didn't think The Falcon and the Winter Soldier needed to be a full-length TV series. I mean, if Spider-Man can discover that he didn't have to replace Iron Man in a two-hour and nine-minute long movie, then the Falcon can learn he can't replace Steve Rogers in the same amount of time, right? I was excited, don't get me wrong, but I didn't know how they can fit a plot for a movie into a six-hour-long series. Unlike WandaVision, which needed to be a TV show to get those TV homages right for each episode, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier didn’t sound like something that would honestly work better as a film. But, once it started airing, and my excitement increased each week, I can positively say that it would not have worked as successfully if it wasn't a TV series.

Unfortunately, I'll have to get into spoilers to explain why, but trust me when I say that if you haven't checked it out yet, you definitely should. Because I'm about to dive in (or fly in) as I explain why The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is easily in the top tier MCU projects.

WHAT I LIKE

Sam Wilson: If WandaVision was about developing Wanda, then The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is about developing Sam. He might share the spotlight with Bucky, but this is so clearly Sam's story. It's his journey of becoming the new Captain America that gets more of a focus, and it is one of the best aspects of the series. And as I said, it's similar to Spider-Man's journey in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Sure, this time, it's more about stepping up to the mantle, but both Sam and Peter have to learn how to be their own hero rather than replace the one left behind. In Sam's case, it's more than just being the new Captain America, but also being the black Captain America. I'll talk more about the implications of that later, but for now, all I'll say is that it was so engaging seeing Sam accept his role. Plus, even though Sam tries to carry Steve's title, that doesn't mean he's Steve Rogers 2.0. He has his own ardor and personality as Captain America, on top of still representing the aspects of what that title entails. Partial credit for that goes to Anthony Mackie, who does a phenomenal job of portraying a man who's inspirational and charming in all forms of hell. I'd salute him as much as I'd want to have a beer with him...except not really because I refuse to touch a single drop of alcohol. But Sam Wilson would make me consider it! Because he's that good of a character.

Bucky Barnes: Much like Vision in WandaVision, Bucky takes the sidelines as Sam acts as the main face of the series. Unlike Vision, however, Bucky's story seems more like its own thing rather than something that's connected with his co-star. In a way, it's better, but it also seems worse. Because without having it be locked with Sam's story, Bucky's is still compelling as it develops him further in his own way. His journey may not be as engaging as Sam's, but it's still entertaining enough to watch his own narrative get continued in small spurts. Although, the fact that Bucky's story has little to do with Sam's does have the unfortunate side-effect that he doesn't need to be there. His inclusion is very much welcomed, but I feel like Bucky dealing with his own guilt and trauma as the Winter Soldier could be something that can fill up its own series rather than half of one. That being said, Bucky absolutely needs to be in this show. The emotional turmoil that Sabastian Stan portrays so well hits hard, and his dry humor works for some comedic highlights. Bucky's half of the story might be unnecessary for plot reasons, but it is unquestionably necessary for enjoyment.

There’s a lot of talking: This seems like a misstep, especially since most superhero shows are bogged down by characters talking to pad out the run time. Although, the dialogue in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is more like the dialogue in the series Daredevil. There are more words than action, but nearly every line is so incredibly engaging that I do not care. Sam and his sister talking to a banker about getting a loan might not sound as entertaining as Sam being in an air chase against terrorists, but I surprisingly held onto every word being said due to how well-acted it was. Plus, these discussions help make these characters more human on top of making the world feel believable. I understand the argument of show don't tell, but to me, as long as the dialogue is written well enough and said convincingly, I can learn to live with it.

The Flag Smashers: The concept of the Flag Smashers intrigues me. The idea that a group of people believes things were actually better when half the world got turned to dust is a perfect concept for the MCU to explore. In fact, this is the third story in a row that dives deep into the consequences of what happened post-Infinity War and Endgame, and I'm all for it! The universe is forever changed by this one big event, and it's not going to be irrelevant anytime soon. For the Flag Smashers, they offer the most striking glimpse of how the world is forever changed. Now, I'll admit, after seeing doom and gloom in Avengers: Endgame, it would be better to see the benefits of the Blip that characters claim to have existed rather than told about them. But seeing how there were dozens of fans who made the audacious claim that Thanos was right, I don't consider it too far of a stretch to believe that the Flag Smashers could exist. Especially since the arguments that characters present do seem persuasive enough. It's only the actions that the group makes that derail any sense of the discussion. But in a good way...for the most part. But I’ll get into that later too.

The Reveal of the new “Captain America”: This was the dirtiest, sickening punch in the gut that the first episode could have ended on...and I love it!

John Walker: I often find the best antagonists are the ones I'm willing to psychologically analyze. That's John Walker in a nutshell. He is an arrogant ass who deserved to get slapped around when taking things too far. Yet, I always find myself coming back to those scenes where he seems conflicted about becoming the new Captain America. I get a sense that he genuinely wants to do the right thing and those moments when he asks if he is all but confirms it. John's problem is the constant support he's given by his friends. I'd argue that building his ego is the very reason why he gets frustrated so quickly by people denying him, as he often reacts like a toddler who throws a tantrum when a parent makes the "mistake" of saying “no.” This is why it's satisfying seeing people more powerful than John kick the s**t out of him because it results in his ego going through a well-needed deflation. Still, the constant frustrations he has for not being respected as the new Captain America makes his further descent into insanity all the more appealing to watch. Because him taking the super-soldier serum proves Dr. Erskine's theory is true: "Good becomes great. Bad becomes worse."

...And this is why the writers dropped the ball when trying to make John Walker redeemable. It's exceptional if that was the intention. After all, I did say there were glimpses of a man who wanted to become great, not worse. However, given what John does in later episodes, we're going to need more than glimpses to believe his switch from bad to good. Especially since his decision to set his anger aside to suddenly help people is a little too unbelievable for my tastes given how fast it happens. It's not an awful decision. It's just one that needed a bit more polish. I still find John Walker an incredible character regardless, but I don't blame people for being a tad more hesitant given how poorly paced his redemption arc came across as.

Readapting “Star-Spangled Man”: I adore this for two reasons.

Reason #1: It's a solid callback to Captain America: The First Avenger, which I will always stand by as my favorite Captain America movie.

Reason #2: It proves how much John Walker doesn't understand what it means to be Captain America. When Steve did this song and dance routine in his movie, he hated it. Better yet, Steve despised it. Because he wasn't helping anybody. He was just being a dancing monkey to appeal to civilians, and you see how much he regrets doing it with each show. For John, he relishes the whole thing, because of course, he would! John loves having his ego appealed to, and this routine is doing nothing but inflates it. It's a solid case of visual storytelling to prove to the audience just how disconnected John is from being Captain America. Steve or Sam wouldn't have done this, because being a hero is more than respect and adoration. It's about actually doing the right thing. A lesson that John desperately needs to learn.

Sam’s and Bucky’s bromance: You remember how I said that Bucky's dry sense of humor can be a comedic highlight? Well, that's only second rate to the times he and Sam bicker like an old married couple. Whether it's because of the writing, directing, or Makie’s and Stan's natural chemistry, seeing Sam and Bucky interact with each other is always a blast to see. And on top of being funny, there are these well-handled moments of drama shared between both characters that make their relationship convincing. It's why you can't have this series without Bucky, despite it so clearly being Sam's story that gets the more focus. Because without either character, we would miss out on some entertaining interactions that I wouldn't trade for anything else for this series.

Isaiah Bradely: Well, this character was a pleasant surprise. Although, "pleasant" might not be the right word because every scene with Isaiah is absolutely gut-wrenching in all the right ways. Carl Lumbly gives a phenomenal performance for a character that has been beaten down, with very little hope he has for any change that matters for his race. Plus, his backstory may not be as unbelievable as you might think. Between 1932-1972, America performed what is known as the Tuskegee Experiment. Scientists tested the effects of syphilis by injecting it into African Americans, telling them that they were receiving free health care when they didn't. So the idea that scientists tested super-soldier serums on African Americans, not knowing the dangerous effects, is not that far of a stretch. Neither is the knowledge that a black man was disrespected despite fighting hard for his country. If you researched African American history, you'll find that this type of horse s**t happens way more times than it should. It is heartbreaking, and Isaiah Bradley represents all of it. Thus making the little Isaiah exhibit in the Captain America museum all the more tear jerking just because of how sweet it is to see him get some semblance of a win. This level of discussion of what it means to be an African American is something I never expected with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but I greatly appreciate it nonetheless. What's even better is that these discussions don't end with Isaiah.

The discussions of racism: Again, this was something I didn't expect, but grateful for it nonetheless. I mean, I should have expected it given that one of the co-stars is black, but given how the story was about Sam being the new Captain America, I didn't think discussion of racism and racial injustice would come into play. Turns out that I was naive to think those things are separate. The burden of being a black Captain America is something that not many white people, including myself, consider a big deal. But looking at America's past and how others react to any African American in power, you realize that, yes, it is a big deal. Isaiah, and several real-life POCs in history, prove that America doesn't respond well to a person of color being better than the average white man. So it is easily reasonable to believe that there would be issues with a black man becoming a symbol of what America should be. Hell, I'm willing to bet that there were issues when this happened in the comics way back when. Not because of some bulls**t about how it doesn't fit with the character or story, but solely because they can't handle a black Captain America. And if you don't believe something like this wouldn't happen to someone like Sam Wilson, look back to that scene with the police who didn't know he was the Falcon. This crap happens every day, and it's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that shines a light on it. Despite being something I didn't expect, the talks of racism are very much appreciated. And I'm as pale white as an introverted vampire. I can't even begin to comprehend how the African American community must feel about all of this.

Zemo: Who the f**k expected this guy to be one of the best things in the series?!

Seriously, from Captain America: Civil War, I wasn't too into Zemo as a character. I loved the idea that this powerless guy tore apart the world's greatest superheroes through intelligence and coercion. But his needlessly complicated plan and stale personality weren't enough to win me over. So when he returned, I expected to dread every minute of it. Little did I know that Zemo's comeback would skyrocket him into top-tier MCU villain territory!

Zemo is a character that, despite "helping" our heroes, still works on his own agenda. He might put them on the right path and occasionally assist in a fight, but only because he still won't stop at anything to make sure fewer super powered individuals are in the world. Because that's the thing about Zemo: His motivation was fine and understandable to a point, but his personality was flawed in Civil War. Here, I finally see how Zemo can work. Despite having no power, he uses his mind to look for any angle to control the situation, gaining an advantage even if it is for a short time. For instance, while he can't harm Sam or Bucky without risking his own life or jeopardizing his temporary freedom, he can still annoy the hell out of them. Like when he forced Sam into a situation where he had to drink literal snake juice. It's actually a ton of fun to watch, and I'm honestly glad that Zemo gets to live to see tomorrow. It means that he might make another return, and I can't wait to see what's in store for him in the future. Which is something I didn't think I'd say five years ago.

The Dora Milaje: It was actually pretty cool seeing these characters make an appearance, notably when they slapped around John Walker like it was nothing. Although, a part of me wonders that if Chadwick Boseman hadn't died last year, we would get to see T'Challa himself make an appearance. This lines up with the character, as I can see him dropping everything to hunt down the man who killed his father. Which would be just as awesome, if not slightly more so, to see. Still, we work with what life gives us. And what it gave are awesome cameos that make the MCU feel more inclusive about its characters rather than limiting them to their specific sections in the universe.

Walker killing the Flag Smasher: There is something so wrong with seeing that shield stained with blood. 'Cause here's the thing: Captain American can kill. He's a soldier. It's expected for a soldier to take lives for the sake of justice. What John Walker did isn't justice. It was vengeance. Vengeance that is fueled by anger rather than the need to do the right thing. Because when Captain America leads an army to kill the man who whipped out half the universe, that's fighting for a just cause. But when “Captain America” kills a man, the wrong man, for killing his best friend, that is an act of selfishness that no one would see your side on. And it was the final nail in the coffin that proves how John Walker does not deserve that shield.

Sam and Bucky vs. John: This might just be the best fight in the entire series. Not only is it so satisfying to see John Walker get everything that he deserves, but the whole thing was pretty intense to watch. After seeing what John can do with that shield, it makes moments when Sam and Bucky barely dodge his attacks with it all the more blood-rushing to see. Plus, Civil War's motif playing the background is another solid callback that fits well narratively since this is technically two superheroes fighting another superhero. It's an incredible scene that was worth the wait of four hour-long episodes to see.

Setting up Joaquín Torres as the new Falcon: I don't know if Marvel will follow through with this or even if they should. That being said, if they do, I'm all for it. Joaquín already seems like a pretty fun character, and his interactions with Sam show there's enough chemistry there to give Captain America a new wingman. I probably won't lose sleep if he doesn't become the new Falcon, but I'll still be excited regardless.

Madame Hydra: I know that she has an actual name, but I refuse to remember it due to how long and convoluted it is.

Anywho, we get a small glimpse of who Madame Hydra is as a character, but already I'm intrigued. She seems to have a fun personality, added by Julia Louis-Dreyfus' dry energy. Whether this is set up for the next big bad or just introducing a fun character, I'm interested. Madame Hydra was already a blast in the short amount of time she was in the show, and I can't wait to see what future installments have in store for her.

“Louisiana Hero”: Or as I like to call it, "Sam's Hero Theme." Because while this is the track that plays for the intro, it still shows up when Sam is training as the new Captain America. Not only is it insanely catchy, but I love that you hear a hint of the theme of Captain America: The First Avenger, yet "Louisiana Hero" is still very much its own thing. And that's another reason why I consider it Sam's motif because it fits precisely with the character. Sam is a person who has a hint of the good man that Steve was but still does his own thing when wearing the stars and stripes. Not a copy, but still heavily influenced by the original. So kudos to Henry Jackman for creating a musical piece that fits so well with a character far better than any other themes or motifs prevalent in the MCU. Because, let's be honest, there aren't that many.

Sam’s new suit: ...I mean, it looks cool. Kinda corny at times, sure, but points for comic accuracy.

Sam Carrying Karli: I mean, look at it.

This looks like something that should be painted and hung up on a wall due to how beautiful it looks.

Sam’s Speech: Two meaningful things are going on with this speech.

First, it proves once and for all that Sam Wilson is Captain America. He doesn't just fight for his country. He also believes the government that runs it should take accountability for any missteps before dealing with something worse than a person who took the term "rebellious teenager" into an extreme.

Second, it is so satisfying seeing Captain America tell government officials off about unjust treatment. Even if it does diddly-squat about anything in the real world, it's still a big moment that's effective because of the bulls**t that happens every day. It's far from an actual win, but it still feels good (I hope). And that still counts for something, right?

“We’ll need a U.S. Agent”: Credit to Louis-Dreyfus for saying a stupid cornball of a name and making it sound...not that.

WHAT I DISLIKE

Still running that Marvel Studios logo in every episode: It's still a nitpick, but its still annoying. It's alright if you want to use the full fanfare for the first episode, but at least shorten it for the rest of the season. Please? For the love of all that is holy?

The CGI: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has some pretty...not great CGI. It's not as awful as the CG in the DC shows on the CW, but it is way too easy to tell what looks real and what doesn't. Failing to make CGI convincing has been a problem in the MCU for a while, as most of the time, characters barely look like they really exist in the scene. To me, I compare it to when Red vs. Blue switches between actual animation and Machinima. The CG models stick out like a sore thumb to the in-game models, but at least it looks cool. Because while I don't believe that I'm seeing an actual man with bird wings flying through a canyon while chasing helicopters...it still looks cool. Still, not many people would be as forgiving as I am to this type of thing, so it's onto the dislikes it goes.

The direction of the action: Now I want to clarify that I have no problems with the action itself. Some fight scenes are pretty cool while also added with some exciting set-pieces that kept me engaged the whole way through. It's just the direction of the action that I have issues with. The camera is always shaky with so many cuts that it's hard to follow half the time. It's an understandable technique to hide the stunt double's faces or to make it look like it really is the actual actor who's doing the fighting. The issue is that once you know a show like Daredevil exists, with its plethora of well-directed action, the cracks in the armor become much more noticeable for a series like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Karli Morgenthau: Karli...frustrates me. Because on the one hand, Erin Kellyman does an impeccable job at portraying the heartbreak, frustrations, and determination that Karli has when fighting for her cause. On the other hand, Karli's cause is so layered with hypocrisy that it's hard to understand her position. She wants to prove how the world was better during the Blip, saying that everyone was happier then. So why do things like blow people up and kill “Captain America?” I get the latter. The guy's a d**k. But to prove to people how better things were, is death and destruction really the best choice to get that point across? I get the mentality of how people respond better to a harmful fist rather than a tranquil hand, but really, has that mentality ever worked out either? 

However, you could argue that her hypocrisy is fueled by the super-soldier serum, with the "good becomes great and bad becomes worse" theory that John all but confirms. Although, unlike John, we never got to see Karli pre-serum, so we don't know how much it really had affected her. With John, it's easy as many scenes indicate how close he was to snapping and murdering someone who disrespects him. We don't get that for Karli and are left to assume she was already crazy about thinking how intense violence can show the world how great things were during the Blip.

Then again, that could be the plan. Show how a person with the best intentions is ultimately wrong, given the lengths they go through to accomplish them. It worked for Thanos, so it should work here. And it would have...if not for Sam saying that Karli has a point. Because for the main hero to say that the villain is correct, you have to show them doing more good than bad. I understand the mentality Karli, and the Flag Smashers, have. But by doing nothing but committing crimes and violence, any point they have is discredited. Take note of the fact that nobody but nutcases on the internet says that Thanos has a point. Because he doesn't. He's a maniacal supervillain who does something so intense that nobody should be on his side. It's similar with Karli, but because we're apparently supposed to agree with her, she doesn't work as well.

...DO YOU SEE WHY SHE'S FRUSTRATING?! Because while I can see how she can be an incredible character, there are so many holes in how she works that I fail to appreciate any of it. And seeing how she's the main antagonist, a character who takes up a good chunk of the screen time, it's not a good thing that she tends to flounder more times than she should. I want to like Karli, but given everything that's wrong with her, I just can't.

Rewriting Sharon as the Power Broker: This is an intriguing idea met with a mixed execution. You see, I like the idea of a character who was once an ally becoming a villain, yet the heroes have no clue about it whatsoever. It creates solid dramatic irony, but only if done well. With Sharon, it's not really done well. It genuinely feels like her character was changed radically to give her this personality. A fun personality, I'll add, but one that comes across as really jarring when looking back at her previous appearance. Don't get me wrong, a character's current personality feeling so radically different from their previous one can work a treat, but only when we see them go through point A to point B. We're told about the s**t that went down with Sharon, but unlike understanding the mentality of the Flag Smashers, her personality change would have been more effective if we saw it. So while I like the idea of Sharon becoming another big bad in the future, I would have liked it more if we saw her decline into possible villainy.

------------

By using my usual scoring system for MCU shows and movies, I'd give this season of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier a solid 8/10. There are problems. Quite a lot of problems. Hell, even the stuff I like comes with a fair share of issues. It's just a matter of asking yourself, "Do I like some parts more than I dislike them?" For me, I find myself enjoying much more than I didn't. It's not perfect by any means, but while it definitely falters at times, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a series that soars to great heights. You might not be in love with it, but you’ll have a helluva good time regardless.

Now if you don't excuse me, it's time I swap from one superhero series to another as I share my more in-depth thoughts on--

#marvel cinematic universe #the falcon and the winter soldier #mcu reviews #what i thought about

[metalgearkong]

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier - TV Review

5/1/21 ***spoilers***

Created by Malcomb Spellman, directed by Kari Skogland

Out of all the announced Disney+ MCU shows, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier seemed to be the most out of left field. Two sidekicks from the later 2 Captain America movies pair up and get their own show? What made their bormance so special? I mean, I like them well enough, but what is it that warrants a show? With all of it now said and done, this show is not what I expected, in a good way, but I can't say it lived up to its own potential. It brings up a lot of controversial subjects--stuff I really found interesting and progressive, but it doesn't fully commit. That being said, I'm glad it exists, and it takes many steps in the right direction.

6 months after Avengers Endgame, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) are returning to every day life, and the problems that come along with it. Bucky in particular is attending strict therapy to repair mental damage from decades of being Hydra's Winter Soldier. Sam is working with his sister and her boating shrimp business. As it turns out, the Avengers didn't technically receive a salary. Strange beings who they worked with, and i assumed Tony Stark or government funding supported the Avengers. Who built their base, made their suits, equipment, and how have the Avengers gotten by so far? The idea is brought up, but the show never comes around and fully explores this interesting point.

The Falcon the the Winter Soldier is only 6 episodes long, compared to WandaVision at 8. I feel like this show needed to be as longer for the numerous ideas it brings up and doesn't have time to flesh out. The main conflict of this series is the fight against the Flag Smashers. A revolutionary group, they want to return the world to what it was during the "blip." They want a worldwide policy of nations without borders. This is a really cool concept and something I could get behind, but yet again it's an interesting idea that is never sufficiently fleshed out. What (according to the Flash Smashers) was so great about the state of the world during the blip? What did nations do around the world that makes the Flag Smashers want to return to the way of life? Did people receive more finances and property? Did socialism thrive? None of this is ever expanded upon.

I also didn't care much for Karli Morgenthau, the leader of the Flag Smashers. Apparently their whole side story had to be changed last minute due to the covid-19 pandemic, and their inconsistent dialog and motivation shows this fact. I never bought actress Erin Kellyman as a revolutionary which thousands of people would follow and kill for, nor did I buy her as a juiced-up super soldier. The best character to come out of this show is John Walker as the government approved new Captain America. Wyatt Russell plays the character extremely well, and it's engaging to see a villain which so easily could have been one-dimensional develop into a more rounded person. He did however get a stupid small redemption in the final episode, but this "good guy" moment is wedged between him brutally killing an unarmed person in public, and joining what looks to be a "Dark Avengers" squad. For a show with progressive ideas, John Walker killing a civilian in a fit of rage should have been a point of no return.

My favorite aspect of The Falcon & the Winter Solider are the racial aspects it brings up. Finally we have a big mainstream company and mainstream show directly making light of the unfair bias and poorer treatment of minorities, especially black men. To see it happen even to an Avenger (Sam) was really cool, and fourth-wall breaking. Sam also discovers a man named Izayah who was a test subject, along with other black men, for the original super soldier serum in WWII. Izayah's mistreatment and his disenfranchised view of the United States is some of the best stuff in the entire show. Everything is all about living up to the legacy of Steve Rogers, but Izayah thinks no black man should even want to bear the stars and stripes. I hope this trend continues as it hangs a lampshade on something broad entertainment should address.

The action and cinematography also evoke my favorite corner of the MCU: everything directed by the Russo Brothers. The fight choreography is visceral without having to be flashy or larger than life (until the end). It was also great to see Sam Wilson reject the shield at the beginning of the show, thinking he would never live up to the mantle. His humility and growth throughout the show is also some of the best stuff to see. He truly is a man of the people, and the next best person besides Steve Rogers who truly can be and deserves to be the new Captain America. Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) also reemerges from Captain America: Civil War, but his character is totally retconned into being a Baron (comics accurate) with huge amounts of wealth and resources. I didn't like his character as much as I did in Civil War, as an everyday soldier tearing the Avengers apart is more compelling than a rich and powerful supervillain doing the same thing. He also had a dumb moment where he wore his purple ski mask for literally one action scene (less than a minute or two) and took it off never to be seen again.

Sharon Carter also makes an appearance, but I don't think the character, nor her twist being the Power Broker meant anything to me. It could be this show going a bit too far with its story threads. Carter has never been a charismatic character to me, and I'm wondering how they'll keep her interesting in the MCU going forward. She is the icing on the cake for too numerous and too weak of villains in this series. I also didn't think it was consistent of honorable of her character to go down a bad path especially knowing the lineage of Peggy Carter. I'm curious where this aspect of the story will go, but I'm not holding my breath. I wish this show cut out some of its threads in order to focus on some of its very good core ideas, especially only at 6 episodes.

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier has a lot of interesting ideas and brings up a lot of important ideas. I didn't expect this show to be critical of racial treatment, police brutality, and government overreach. To eventually see Sam evolve into the new Captain America and believing it down to the atom is the best thing to witness about this story. Bucky gets the short end of the stick, and while he does go through healing, I wish he had more great action or dialog scenes. The Falcon & the Winter soldier sets up future stuff, as the MCU does best. Sharon Carter might be some kind of bad guy going forward, the Dark Avengers seem to be forming, and Sam Wilson as Captain America may go on to lead a new generation of Avengers. The show is far from perfect, and sadly doesn't commit to some of its best ideas. I would watch another season, but hope it would have a slightly sharper script.

7/10

#the falcon and the winter soldier #winter soldier #bucky #sam wilson #captain america #MCU #mcu phase 4 #black falcon #anthony mackie #disney #=w=

[sherrybaby14]

You’re Everything I Want

Summary:  You reunite with Sam Wilson after the snap.

Warnings:  Angst, fluffy smut, this is on the romantic side of things

Rating: E

Pairing:  Sam Wilson x reader

Words: 2500

A/N:  I was inspired by Anthony Mackie’s photo shoot with Men’s health and would very much like him to bench press me now.  

                 The thick silence was worse than everything your mind cooked up.  

                 “Say something.”  You folded your arms around yourself.  

                 “What’s there to say?”  Sam rose from the couch.  “It’s over.”

                 His face was blank, emotionless.  You knew him well enough to know it was a façade. Whatever he was feeling he buried. It was a prime example of why you were breaking up with him.  

                 “I love you.”  You stood up now. “I’ll always love you.  But this is for the best.  You’re never here and when you are, you’re so deep in your head.  I can’t live this way.”  

                 “Goodbye.” He rolled his shoulder’s back and went for the door.  

                 You wanted to chase after him, stop him from leaving.  Tell him to fight for you, but Sam Wilson needed something.  You didn’t know what it was, but the last few months it became obvious it wasn’t you.  

                 So you stayed still.  Not letting a tear fall until the slam of the door shook the frames on your wall.  

~~

               Chaos was an understatement.  Your hand shook when you put your key in the apartment door. You still had a hand right? Several of your co-workers disintegrated into nothing.  Were you next?  The street was filled with cries and it sounded like bombs were going off.  

                 How many had vanished?  Were there children without parents?  Cars going ninety miles an hour whose drivers went poof? Why were you safe?  Was anyone really safe?

                 You went to the bathroom and turned on the light, needing to see your reflection in the mirror.   There was nothing but terror on your face as the tears continued to fall.   You hadn’t cried like this since your break up with Sam.  

                 Sam.  Was he safe? You hadn’t spoken in months, but the thought of him leaving this Earth made you keel over.  

                 You hit the bathroom floor and pulled out your phone. It didn’t work.  Nothing worked.   What the hell happened?  

                 “Please be okay.  Please be okay.”   You pulled your knees to your face, mumbling as you rocked.  

                 You continued to beg, but in your heart of hearts, you knew.  Sam was gone.

~~  

               Life went on, but everything carried a grey tint. The world figured out a way to work somehow.  Every person on the planet carried guilt with them, nobody was unscathed by what had come known as “the snap”.  

                 A year in you went on a date.  He was more interested in talking about his long gone wife and your thoughts still stung of Sam.  You never should have broken it off.   You should have stuck by his side, given him the time to open up to you. Wherever he was, you hoped he knew you still loved him.  

                 Two years in and you were ready for a mini-relationship.  It lasted a few months, but he didn’t hold a candle to Sam.  None of them did.  You were in love with a ghost.

                 Three years in you decided to try casual sex. A few internet hookups, when you met up for the action you demanded the lights be off.  It wasn’t a stranger between your thighs, it was Sam.  The fantasy always broke when they didn’t touch you right, not with the same caress and obsession that came with Sam’s hands.

                 Four years and you accepted it.  There would be another for you.  You would rather be alone than with anyone else.   When you shut your eyes you still saw his face.  

                 “I miss you.”  You imagined him reaching out and running a hand down your cheek while you lay in bed together.  

                 “I’m always with you.”  Sam pulled you closer.  “Always.”

                 The fantasy brought a tear as you hugged your pillow, pretending it was Sam and squeezing on for dear life.    

                 Five years in and you’d accepted your decision. Equal parts lonely and content. Moving through your day as fast as possible so you could crawl into bed with memories of your beau and the hope he made an appearance in your dreams.  

 ~~

               The day started off like any other.  You were sitting at your desk, trying to update your playlist for the day when you heard a familiar voice.  

                 “Hello?”  

                 It took you a moment to place it.  You stood up from your chair, knocking it over.  Had you finally cracked?  Were you insane?  

                  “That was weird.”  Another voice from the past.  

                 You ran to the hall.   Your mouth hung open and tears stung your eyes.   The other survivors came out too, all of you starring at the vanishers.  

                 “How is this happening?”  A coworker took off running.  

                 Sobs broke out and you brought your hand to your mouth not to join them.  They were back.  The missing had returned.   Your legs shook as you collapsed on the floor.  

                 “Thank you.”  You shut your eyes and pictured Sam.  

                 A smile came with the tears.  He was back.  You didn’t know how, or why, but you could feel him.  Your world.

~~

               That night you barely slept.  Where was he?  Was he thinking about you?  Would he make contact?  You still had his phone number, but would it even work?  You were too scared to try.  

                 Plus, given his Avenger status, you imagined he had bigger things to deal with.  You still smiled thinking about him.  If he never wanted to see you again you were okay with that.  All that mattered was he was back, even if he wasn’t with you.

 ~~

               News poured in.  Tony Stark saved everyone and he died for it.  Life was not fair, but like everyone else, you were grateful for his sacrifice.  

                 The world kept turning, the grey replaced by colors.  People were smiling more.  Yourself included.  

                 You kept a news alert on for any mention of Sam, but as usual Steve Rogers got most of the press.  The Avengers were not infallible though.  They’d lost more than Tony Stark.

                 When you walked up to the stairs to your apartment you couldn’t keep the smile off your face at the sounds of the people.  There were more televisions on, more radios blasting music that was popular five years ago, even footsteps.  

                 You entered your place and went straight for the bedroom, stripping off your clothes and changing into a baggy old t-shirt before plopping down on your bed.  

                 You laid down on your side and pulled out your phone.  You found yourself staring at the thing quite a bit, still unable to dial the number. Last few years it was like you’d forgotten that you broke up with him months before the snap.  That was the headset Sam lived in.   Nothing had changed for him.  

                 It had only been a week.  Maybe, once he’d been back for a few months you would reach out. Reconnect over some coffee.  Talk about your break up.  Or maybe that was just a fantasy.  Another one you could live with for the time.  

~~

               A loud knock echoed through your apartment.   Your eyes popped open as you sat up on the bed. The clock told you it was the middle of the night.  The pounding didn’t stop as you swung your legs over, rubbing your eyes as you walked in the darkness to the door.  

                 “I’m coming,” you didn’t want the person to wake your neighbors.  

                 They ignored your comment and continued with the knocking.  You groaned as you undid the locks and pulled open the door, ready to strangle the obnoxious visitor.  

                 The sleep faded when deep brown eyes stared into yours.  A gasp left your mouth.   Neither of you spoke a word, but your fingers had a mind of their own.  They reached out and touched his cheek.  

                 You half expected your hand to fall through him like a ghost. All the times you’d imagined touching him over the years were nothing compared to this.  He was real, flesh under your fingertips.  Tears started to well up.

                 Sam took a step into your apartment and scooped you up, putting his hands under your ass.  You brought your hands to his neck and wrapped your legs around him. There was something metal hanging across his back, large enough you were surprised it fit through your door frame.

                 He brought his foot up and kicked your door shut, before walking you to the bedroom.  

                 “Are you real?”  You had to ask the question, unsure that this was not a vivid dream.  “Wait, don’t answer.  If you’re not I don’t want to know.”  

                 “I’m real.”  He pressed his head forward and you did the same touching foreheads.  “And I’m here.  In every sense of the word.”  

                 “I never should have let you go.”  You slid a hand to his cheek again.  

                 “I never should have left you.”  Sam sat down on the bed, leaving you straddling him in your lap.  

                 You reached over to your nightstand and turned on the light, needing to see all of him.  Your brain wasn’t sure your eyes were telling the truth.  You feared if you blinked he would vanish.  

                 He reached behind him and took off the metal thing, tossing it to the floor.   One of his hand ran up your back until he got to your neck.  Sam pulled you forward.  

                 Your lips parted before they touched his.  You moaned, fantasizing about his kiss did not compare to how it really felt.  His mouth was perfection on yours.   Sam slid his tongue into your mouth and you gripped down on his shoulders, your body flooding with electricity.  

                 You ran your hand down his chest until you got to his belt.  You wanted all of him.  

                 “Do you want to talk first?”  Sam broke the kiss.  “I have a lot to make up for.”  

                 “I’ve spent five long lonely years thinking about this.”  You moved to kissing his neck, missing the way his skin tasted. “If you’re gone in the morning I want one new memory.”  

                 “Baby, I’m not going anywhere without you.”  He grabbed the bottom of your shirt.  

                 When his fly was undone Sam lifted his ass and you pushed his jeans and boxers down.  You didn’t get to see anything since he was lifting your shirt over your head, blocking the view.  

                 Once your top was gone you gasped at the sight of his cock.  It was larger than you remembered, hard and angry for you. The sight of it eliciting a moan from your lips.  

                 “I missed you too.”  Sam dipped his head to your chest.  

                 He took your nipple into his mouth and sucked lightly, flickering his tongue across the bud, making it harden into a pebble.   You brought one hand to the back of his head, scratching over his hair while your other went to his cock and started rubbing the tip, your thumb gathering the amount of precrum that was already forming.  

                 Sam let out a grunt before standing and flipping you to your back.  His mouth left your breast, making the air feel that much cooler without his heat.  

                 He took off his shirt and it took everything you had not to cry at the sight.  His body was as defined as ever, perfect for holding you in the way you craved.  He continued to undress, kicking off his shoes with his pants.  

                 You used the opportunity to push your panties down, leaving yourself completely bare and ready for him, parting your legs and bending your knees.  

                 Sam grabbed an ankle and brought it to his mouth. He placed a light kiss, his eyes on yours as he made his way down your leg.  Your body began to shiver.  

                 “What’s wrong?”  He looked concerned.  

                 “I’m so happy you’re touching me, but I want more.” You’d had five years of foreplay. “I want all of you.”  

                 A grunt left Sam’s mouth and he dropped your foot and dove on top of you, his lips found yours again.   You ran your fingernails down his back as he positioned himself.  

                 “Mmmm,” You lifted your hips and dug into his skin when he began to sink.  

                 “You’re tight.”  Sam growled. “Really fucking tight.”  

                 “It’s been awhile.”  You arched your neck and he used the opportunity to bite and suck at it, making you purr while he stretched you with his massive cock.  

                 “You feel amazing.”  Sam moved up to your ear and lightly nibbled.  “It’s been a long couple of months without you.”  

                 A whimper left your lips.  Sam had no idea.   You wanted all of him, as much as you could get.  So you lifted your legs and wrapped them around his hips, tugging him down until he was satiated inside of you.  

                 He started slow, sliding in and out of you while you rolled your hips against him.   Moans left your mouth as you tossed your head to the side.  

                 “I can’t believe this is real.”  You didn’t mean to say that out loud.  

                 Sam moved a hand to your chin and turned your face to look at him.  

                 “Nothing is more real.”  His lips found yours and he increased his speed.

                 It felt like he was splitting you in two in the most delicious way.   You rolled with him, your clit brushing against his pelvis with each thrust.  It was too hard to pay attention to the kiss as your body came alive for the first time in years.  

                 Again your head fell to the side and your arms went limp.  Sam’s fingertips traced down your skin until they found your own fingers.  

                 You wasted no time intertwining them with his, squeezing tight as he continued to pump you, your bodies perfect for each other.

                 “Sam, I’m going to cum.”  You were getting dizzy.  

                 “I know baby.”  There was a breathiness to his voice.  “Cum for me.”  

                 His hands squeezed down harder on yours and it was all you needed.  Your toes curled and eyes pinched shut as the pleasure crashed forward.  Sam started to fuck you with abandon, each quick thrust sending another spasm from your core.  

                 “Wait…”  You didn’t know if the word came out right.  

                 “Fuck.”  Sam bottomed out.  

                 “Ummmm.”  Your head swam with what you wanted to tell him, but all you could focus on was his erupting cock, filling you with his seed.  

                 It clicked.  You looked up at him with some panic.  

                 “I’m not on the pill anymore.”  There had been no point with your inactive sex life.  

                 “Good.” Sam smiled.  “I want to start our life together right away. I’m not wasting any more time.”  

                 Another round of tears started to form.  Sam tilted his head.  

                 “I love you so much.” You gave a half smile.  

                 “I love you too.”  Sam squeezed your hands again as he dipped down to give you another kiss.

                 Finally, it felt like your life was getting started.

#sam wilson x reader #falcon x reader #marvel #marvel fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #sam wilson #avengers #anvengers fanfic

[a34trgv2]

Why It Worked: Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 2

Introduction: Picking up were we last left off on Why It Worked, Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe expands on this ever expanding franchise with new characters, new stories and new creative visions. This Phase is often regarded as the “hit or miss” period in the MCU, but I’d argue it succeeds so much more than it falters. So without further adieu, let’s get started.

The Plots: Phase 2 comprises mainly of sequels to the Phase 1 movies, and yet they all feel natural and very much stand on their own. Iron Man 3 picks up where The Avengers left off and sees Tony Stark battle with PTSD. All the while, he faces off against a notorious terrorist called the Mandarin (more on him later). Thor: The Dark World finds the Norse god of thunder protecting the 9 Realms from the Dark Elves, who’s sole purpose is to drown the universe in darkness. Captain America: The Winter Solider shows who Steve Rogers adjusts to the modern world as he faces off against the mysterious foe, the Winter Solider. And finally, Avengers: Age of Ultron finds Earth’s Mightiest Heroes face off against an A.I. who’s idea of saving the world is destroying it with a meteor. There are 2 films this Phase that aren’t sequels: Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man. The former opens up the cosmic side of the MCU by introducing a rag tag team of misfits who must ban together to stop an vengeful warlord from reeking havoc upon the galaxy. The latter is a heist movie involving a guy trying to be a good role model to his daughter while also communicating with ants. This films bring in the same amount of charm and humor the first Phase brought and then some. Guardians of the Galaxy in particular had some of the smartest and well timed jokes in the MCU up until that point. Not only that, but there this Phase also brought in life changing events that carried on in future films. Tony’s paranoia caused him to build Ultron, S.H.I.E.L.D. became compromised and ultimately destroyed in Winter Solider and even with that, HYDRA lives on in other parts of the world by Age of Ultron. None of this would’ve at all been possible if it weren’t for the creative talents of Shane Black, Alan Taylor, Joe and Anthony Russo, James Gunn, Joss Whedon (again), and Peyton Reed.

Cast and Characters: Since we’re all familiar with the core Avengers at this point, let’s introduce the new faces starting with Sam Wilson aka Falcon. Sam is Steve Roger’s new friend introduced in Winter Solider. A veteran himself with a smart and charming personality, he and Steve hit it off almost instantly. Plus, Anthony Mackie is just right for the role, making the character funny, smart and tough in his own right. Next up we have the Guardians of the Galaxy, featuring Peter Jason Quill, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccon and Groot. Peter starts off as a Han Solo-type of character, but throughout the film we find his full of layers. He’s got charm, humor, heart, anger, cockiness, he’s basically the every man in this wacky side of the galaxy. All brought to life flawlessly by Chris Pratt. Gamora is a headstrong and dangerous woman who plays against the love interest trope in this film as she has great resentment for her father Thanos and sister Nebula. It also helps that she’s played brilliantly by Zoe Saldana, who brings the right amount of humor and fierce veracity to the character. Drax is meant to be this stoic tragic figure who seeks to avenge his fallen family. And yet his lack of understanding metaphors and Dave Bautista’s performance make him one of the funniest characters in this franchise. Then we have Rocket and Groot, a raccoon and a tree man who became household names over night. Rocket is a fowl mouth, sarcastic and crude rodent with a good heart under that ruff exterior. Groot meanwhile is wears his heart on his bark, having such a calm and gentle demeanor, while also not being afraid to be the muscle Rocket needs. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel bring these characters to life through their commitment and strife; I couldn’t have picked anyone better. Moving on from the Guardians, we have Scott Lang, the thief with a heart of gold who’s trying to be a good role model for his daughter, Cassie. It goes without saying that Scott’s funny (being played by comedic actor Paul Rudd and all), but he’s also very smart and caring for those around him. His skills in robbery and breaking and entering make him perfectly capable of dawning the Ant-Man costume, at least in the eyes of Hank Pym. Speaking of which, the original Ant-Man from the comics is now a wise, crusty old man with a good heart. Michael Douglas gives an excellent performance as this character, making it believable that he was at one time a superhero and is now passing the torch to a younger suitor. Hank’s daughter, Hope is a smart, stern and strong woman who at first resents her father for pushing her away after her Mom went MIA. After learning the truth, she comes to respect him and Scott a little more. Evangeline Lilly is perfect as Hope, delivering the right amount of humor and heart to. These new characters are just as memorable and as well fleshed out as the ones we’ve come to know and love at this point. And that’s not even mentioning Yondu, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, Vision, Harley Keener, Luis, Dave and Kurt, and Cassie.

The Big Baddies: I’ll just say this upfront: The Mandarin twist wasn’t bad. Unexpected, yes, but for the story Shane Black was trying to tell, it works wonders. I get fans wanted what we were advertised, but I think what we got works better. Iron Man 3 was a personal story first and foremost, so having him face of against an evil space wizard, while it would’ve been cool, it wouldn’t have fit with the overall narrative. Besides, Sir Ben Kingsley gave an excellent performance, being a menacing threat and a comedic fool all in one. Then we get Malekith, the quintessential example people point to when people say “Marvel villains suck.” <sigh> He’s not that bad folks. Malekith is a stone cold Dark Elf with one goal in life: to plunge the universe into darkness. He’s merciless, he’s dead serious and he sees the Asgardians as beneath him. Yeah, he wasn’t on screen for that long, but Christopher Eccleston gave a solid performance. Alexander Pierce makes for a really compelling villain because he firmly believes himself to be the savior of the world. Robert Redford brings out his calm and professional demeanor, while also making the character charismatic and intriguing. Ronan the Accuser is a power hunger warlord that sees the people of Xandar as beneath him, to the point were instead of siding with the peace treaty between the Kree and Nova Corp, he opts to try and obliterate the planet with the power of an Infinity Stone. Lee Pace gives a solid performance bringing the character’s anger and hatred to life and I look forward to see him again in Captain Marvel. Ultron is exactly what you get when you have the personality of Tony Stark and mix it with the genetic code of HAL9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Ultron has charisma, humor and a very passive aggressive attitude towards the Avengers. James Spader was perfect casting in this role as he gives a robot bent on destroying the Earth as his idea of saving it so much personality. Darren Cross is the young novitiate of Hank Pym turned corporate businessman attempting to sell Pym’s technology to the wrong hands. Corey Stoll manages to make the character funny, quirky and intimidating all in one and definitely deserves as much credit as the rest of his costars. The villains in Phase 2 are a step up from Phase 1 and will only get better come Phase 3.

Costumes and VFX: Not only were the villains a step up from Phase 1, but the costumes and CGI has improved significantly as well. Some familiar stuff such as Iron Man’s armor, Cap’s costume and the Hulk’s design have been given significant upgrades with each film. All the armors Tony has made in between Avengers and Iron Man 3 look excellent; no two armors look alike and the way they’re incorporated into battle is better than ever. Cap’s giving a more stealth like costume in Winter Solider and it fits very well with the spy angel the Russo brothers were going for. Then we have the look of the Hulk, who still brought to life through motion capture performance and looks more lifelike with more hair and softer looking skin. With the addition of new characters and new environments, there also came the use of new costumes and unique uses of CG. Despite being revealed to be a fraud, the Mandarin’s costume looks spectacular, giving him a modern terrorist look while also keeping his traditional green rob and a ring on each finger. The look of Asgard received a significant upgrade since the first Thor film, as it now has a Norse mythology feel and the costumes on the citizens look very authentic. Also, the costume and make-up department went above and beyond to make the Dark Elves distinct from previous film/tv portrayals of elves. They have pale faces with pointed ears and noses, pitch black armor and soulless eyes. The Kurse himself looks amazing with all the horns, body armor and actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaji (try saying that 3x fast) making the character physically intimidating. The Winter Solider’s metal arm is brought to life with actor Sebastian Stan wearing a plastic sleeve while CG was used in post. Also, for Hayley Atwell to reprise her role as a 93 year old Peggy Carter, she performed her scenes with a few trace markers while Lola VFX (who made Chris Evans skinny in the first Captain America film) added in the features of an elderly woman to make effect feel seamless. Then we get the Guardians and boy is this film littered with a mix of practical and digital effects. Starting with Rocket James Gunn’s brother, Sean, played the little rodent on set to interact with the cast while Bradley Cooper recorded his lines in New York. For reference, they used a real life raccoon named Oreo (who recently passed away, RIP) as well as a lifelike model before CG companies like Framestore brought him to life. Same treatment was applied to Groot, who was played by Krystian Godlewski on set and sources such as a botanical garden in London was used as reference. Zoe Saldana spent at least 5 hours a day in the make-up chair and the final result is flawless. Dave Bautista meanwhile spent at least 4 hours a day in the make up chair and looks just as believable as Saldana. The locations explored in Guardians such as the Kyln and Knowhere, are brought to life through practical effects for filming with the additional CG for wide shots. It all looks so real and authentic like the characters are actually there. Ant-Man’s costume is significantly different from the comics, but is very practical and lifelike. It also helps that when ever something shrink or grows, the effect is a subtle nodded to how Jack Kirby drew them in the comics. Lastly, we have Ultron, who’s brought to life with James Spade in a motion capture suit and a lifelike model used as reference. There’s plenty of other examples of the amazing use of CG and practical effects in these films, such as the de-aging of Michael Douglas in Ant-Man, the way Wanda Maximoff uses her magic, Yondu’s arrow and so much more, but to list them all will take forever.

Where it Falters: Edger Wright having a falling out with Marvel producer Kevin Feige robbed audiences of what could’ve been a great film. Not that Ant-Man was bad, quite the opposite. But having seen Scott Pillgrim vs. The World and Baby Driver, I feel as though it was a missed opportunity to let Edger make the film he wanted to make. Also, for a place called “the Dark World” it’s not really that dark. Also, I feel as though Pietro Maximoff was killed off a little too soon. I mean, we just met him and Aaron Taylor-Johnson was doing a good job as the character. Narratively speaking it makes sense, but I personally would’ve kept him around until Infinity War. Lastly, the Marvel One-Shot All Hail the King hinted that the real Mandarin was out there. It’s now been 5 years since that short and we’ve heard nothing from this “real” Mandarin. I’m hoping this get’s addressed sooner or later, otherwise it just feels like an attempt to silence detractors of Iron Man 3.

Conclusion: Marvel significantly improved their craft with Phase 2 and continues to grow strong to this day. With colorful new characters, exciting new locations, impressive VFX and costumes and great acting all all around, this is only a prelude in terms of quality for what might be the greatest era of the MCU yet. Thanks so much for reading and I’ll see you soon ;)

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