History Series / TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier

-->'''''[[MeaningfulRename Captain]] [[PassingTheTorch America]]''''' ''and the Winter Soldier''

** Carl Lumbly's character Isaiah Bradley was a successful SuperSoldier project that ended up incarcerated for decades and turned into a test subject as a result. Carl's best known comic book role is [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Martian Manhunter]], a GameBreaker-level superhero who got PutOnABus.

* BuildingisWelding: In the fifth Episode John Walker builds a new shield for himself, which involves some welding.

* Building is Welding: In the fifth Episode John Walker builds a new shield for himself, which involves some welding.

The show made its debut on March 19, 2021, two weeks after ''Series/WandaVision[='=]''s finale, and concluded on April 23. The same day its finale aired, it was announced that a fourth ''Captain America'' movie was in development with the script being co-written by Spellman and series staff writer Dalan Musson.

!Spoilers for all Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse works preceding this one will be left unmarked.

* IndyPloy: When Bucky asks Sam what the plan is, Sam doesn't say anything, making Bucky respond, "So, ''no'' plan?" Sam just ruefully smiles and then jumps out of the plane.

** When Karli fights other super-soldiers, she's an example, managing to match them blow for blow even though she's half they're size, and they have the same enhancements she does.

** John Walker as US Agent in comics typically represents the worst aspects of America in the political climate at the time a given story is written. Most consistently, he's an unapologetic {{Jerkass}} who frequently feels Steve Rogers doesn't really represent "[[NoTrueScotsman the real America]]." Here, he has nothing but respect for Steve's legacy and honestly tries his best to live up to it. He's a flawed man to be sure, but at heart, he is a good man.

* KnifeNut: The Flag-Smasher super-soldiers love fighting with knives. {{Lampshaded}} by John Walker in episode 4.

* ActionGirl: The Dora Milaje manage to casually out-fight Walker, the most accomplished soldier in modern American history, and even super-soldiers, all without benefitting from any enhancement.

* AdultFear: The first episode gives two pretty hefty doses:
** Bucky is still haunted by the crimes he committed as the Winter Soldier--which is ruining his attempts at a normal life (as well as driving his TheAtoner sentiment on overdrive). For his part, he is thankfully receiving help, but his condition and traumatized psyche is not making it easy for everyone.
** Sam, while more mundane, is dealing with the nightmarish paperwork and familial trauma his being a victim of [[Characters/MCUThanos Thanos's]] [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Blip]] caused. With him being gone for 5 years (plus his family income and financial standing), it was left to his sister Sarah to raise her children and keep their family business afloat. The stress of those events was clearly a very real and traumatic lived experience for her.
** In Episode 4, Karli personally calls Sarah and tells her that she intends on meeting with Sam alone, not before threatening the lives of her sons. Naturally, Sam has Sarah and the kids hightail it out of there almost as quickly as Karli called them before settling the matter with her then after, this time with Bucky in tow.
** Also in Episode 4, Zemo offers some Latvian kids some Turkish Delight, and tells them not to trust Bucky and Sam while also asking them for favors. He's quite literally embodying the old stereotype of "never take candy from strangers".

** Sam has a new suit that no longer requires him to manually adjust the sweep of his wings. Redwing, his drone, has also been upgraded and features missiles, lasers, and machine guns.

** Some promos feature the Disney+ logo with a metallic sheen as if it's made of Vibranium, like Sam's shield or Bucky's arm. The arc that follows the "+" sign is also juxtaposed with the curves of Captain America's shield.

* NameAndName: ''The Falcon''' and the Winter Soldier''. [[spoiler:After the final episode, the title is changed to ''Captain America and the Winter Soldier.'']]

* MythologyGag: In the comics, Bucky is Cap's sidekick. In the movieverse, Bucky wasn't Steve's sidekick during the war, he was just a member of his squad, but in this series he can be viewed as Sam's.

Set [[{{Interquel}} six months]] after the events of ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', the series follows [[ComicBook/TheFalcon Sam Wilson]] (Creator/AnthonyMackie) and [[ComicBook/BuckyBarnes Bucky Barnes]] (Creator/SebastianStan) on a worldwide adventure that puts their abilities to the test after Sam initially declines taking up the mantle and shield of ComicBook/CaptainAmerica. Returning cast and characters include Creator/EmilyVanCamp as [[ComicBook/Agent13 Sharon Carter]], Creator/DanielBruhl as [[ComicBook/BaronZemo Helmut Zemo]], Georges St-Pierre as [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier Georges Batroc]], Creator/FlorenceKasumba as [[Film/BlackPanther2018 Ayo]], and Creator/DonCheadle as [[ComicBook/WarMachine James Rhodes]] while newcomers include Creator/ErinKellyman as Karli Morgenthau, Creator/WyattRussell as [[ComicBook/USAgent John Walker]], Creator/CleBennett as Lemar Hoskins, Creator/AdeperoOduye as Sarah Wilson, Danny Ramirez as [[ComicBook/CaptainAmericaSamWilson Joaquin Torres]], Creator/CarlLumbly as [[ComicBook/TruthRedWhiteAndBlack Isaiah Bradley]], Elijah Richardson as [[ComicBook/YoungAvengers Eli Bradley]], and Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus as [[ComicBook/{{HYDRA}} Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine]].

*** Also in the episode, it's mentioned in passing that Karli was an art history scholar and ended up in Madripoor when she got a job there. [[spoiler:Sharon's front business is as a dealer in works of art.]]

** Karli Morgenthau and the Flag-Smashers come off as a much more earnest group than they are in the comics, due to YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters being in play (something lampshaded by Karli herself in the fourth episode). As the series goes on, their only crimes as a group amount to helping refugees and providing medicine for those in need, while Karli herself [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope increasingly escalates them]] into terrorist acts and threatening Sam's family -- she doesn't exactly like doing so, but feels that it is all necessary for the cause, yet by the end even her supporters are [[EvenEvilHasStandards visibly uncomfortable/reluctant with following through these acts]]. Notably, Sam defends the group on numerous occasions, with his main concern being the fact they've all got SuperSoldier abilities, making them dangerous. At the end, even after Karli had been killed by Sharon, he tears into the senators that because the situation was as bad as it is, people helped "a misguided teenager" fight against governments ''because'' her/the Flag-Smashers goals were well-intentioned, and that they'd better try to improve the situation before the ''next'' Karli gets desperate enough to resort to such extreme measures.

** Baron Zemo breaks out of prison with the intention of destroying any and all replications of the super soldier serum and killing anyone who took the serum that could prove to be dangerous. By the end of the series, he's done all of these things, allowing himself to be imprisoned in the Raft with little trouble.

* BigBad: Karli Morgenthau and the Flag-Smashers are the primary antagonists, as Sam and Bucky work to stop them before they escalate in their terrorist actions, [[EnemyMine even recruiting Baron Zemo to help]] due to his expertise and distaste for Super-Soldiers. The Flag-Smashers stole their Super-Soldier serum from the crime lord of Madripoor, the Power Broker (a.k.a. Sharon Carter), who sets out for revenge against them but otherwise remains a GreaterScopeVillain. The government-mandated successor to Captain America, John Walker, is set up as a secondary antagonist as he gradually goes off the deep end after [[spoiler:taking the serum]] and committing increasingly brutal acts, though fortunately he comes to his senses by the finale.

** The name Power Broker is used to refer to the underworld leader of Madripoor, though as of Episode 4, the character is still TheGhost. Episode 6 reveals that Sharon is the Power Broker.

* ConnectedAllAlong: In "Truth", it turns out Sharon Carter and George Batroc are working together, though the relationship is strained because Sam has ruined his operation in Algeria and Batroc partly blames Sharon for it. However, she contacts Batroc again to send him on an operation with the Flag-Smashers which will allow him to take revenge on Sam.

* CreativeClosingCredits

* DarkerAndEdgier: Though the banter between Bucky and Sam breaks it up occasionally, the overall series leans toward the darker side of the MCU's usual tone, with its themes of politics and war similar to the ''Captain America'' films -- which makes sense, as the two main characters are Cap's sidekicks and successors trying to continue his story. Previously untouched themes of race and mental health are also prominent throughout the story, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the word "shit" is thrown around with surprising regularity]]. And then there's the WhamShot at the end "The Whole World is Watching", when Walker, having gone off the deep end after taking the serum and Lemar's death at Karli's hands, has just brutally beaten a helpless and begging Flag-Smasher to death with the shield, and stands, its edge covered in blood. And finally, Sharon Carter [[spoiler:undergoing a FaceHeelTurn as the unrepentant, senselessly vengeful, self-serving and cash-grabbing monster of a crime lord known as the Power Broker]].

* NameAndName: ''The Falcon''' and the Winter Soldier''. After the final episode, the title is changed to ''Captain America and the Winter Soldier.''

* NothingPersonal: Done in different episodes. [[spoiler:Zemo]] apologizes to Bucky for using the activation words on him in ''Civil War'', assuring him that it was merely to achieve a goal that was unrelated to him. [[spoiler:Then in the last episode, Karli tells John that she didn't want to kill Lemar, because he couldn't have made a difference. John takes it very personally.]]

* PietaPlagiarism: [[spoiler:Karli]] dies in Sam's arms in this pose. He then carries their corpse out to the police this way, highlighting the tragedy of their death.

** Walker is subjected to this by Sam and Bucky, who make no attempt to hide how much they dislike him and see him as a ReplacementScrappy and InadequateInheritor for Steve.

* PunchedAcrossTheRoom: Several examples
** Karli accidentally kills Lamar this way as he struck a beam with his head hard.

** Episode 5 shows a disgraced and disavowed John Walker building his own Captain America shield.
** Episode 6 shows Sharon Carter given a full pardon and her old position back by the U.S. Government -- which is unaware that she's the Power Broker and now has access to high level Government secrets.
* SuperheroMovieVillainsDie: Looks to be played straight at first with Karli Morgenthal and Batroc both KilledOffForReal, but Karli knows full well that the seeds she's sown will just keep on growing. Turns out she still has a number of loyalists out there, like the very soldiers rounding up the Flag-Smashers in the end (and Zemo has no reason to kill the ones that aren't super soldiers), and [[GreaterScopeVillain the Power Broker, Sharon Carter herself]] will be taking on a more active role now that ''the Government has granted her all the authority she needs.''

* TemporaryScrappy: John Walker is intentionally made unlikable (if sympathetic). His debut as Captain America is a slap in the face after Sam turned the title down, his cockiness alienates potential allies, his impatience ruins plans, and he eventually loses control and beats a man to death. There are certain standards that come with being Captain America, and the show demonstrates that Walker doesn't have them.

* VillainsOutShopping: When Sam receives an embarrassing phone call from his sister in the middle of an undercover meeting with the Power Broker's subordinates, who actually seem to take the rather embarrassing call in stride, implying this. It's only when Sam's sister calls him by his real name that they realize he's a narc.

* WhamEpisode: Episode 4, "The Whole World Is Watching". Seems a bit self-explanatory once you get to the final WhamShot of the episode where Walker beats Nico to death with the Shield in front of dozens of witnesses.

** Episode 4: The shot of John Walker holding the Shield, covered in blood after having brutally murdered Nico, who was unarmed and begging for his life, in front of the whole world to see.

* AdaptationalVillainy: Sharon Carter in the comics was always an ally of Captain America's as well as stayed loyal to SHIELD and her friends even after quitting the organization. Here, Sharon has become disillusioned with the government and superheroes after none of her friends tried to have her back when she was a fugitive of the states, eventually becoming the manipulative and power-hungry Power Broker in a bid for revenge and conquest.
* AdaptationalWimp: Both John Walker and Lemar Hoskins are explicitly just BadassNormal, though Walker is commented as possessing seemingly unnatural physical capabilities to the point he was subject to studies and apparently passed a number of tests. In the comics, they were both enhanced to the point that they were Steve Rogers' physical superiors by a considerable margin. This however, actually changes after Walker takes the serum in Episode 4.

** Sharon Carter was heavily featured in the series promotion, was part of the annoucement for the series, and has third-billing in the credits, but has around ten minutes across the entire series (even if she has plot importance).

** John Walker is an active-duty U.S. Army Captain when chosen as the new Captain America. He had won no less than ''three'' medals of honor and excelled in all tests given to him by the U.S. Government. He also trained himself to wield Captain America's Shield to the same degree, being able to skillfully wield it in combat. And this was before he took the super-soldier serum.
* BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork: Used extensively in the finale where Sharon, aka the Power Broker, guns down Batroc and Karli, and Zemo's butler blows up most of the remaining Flag Smashers.

** Sharon Carter manages to wipe out the Flag-Smashers and Georges Batroc to prevent them from revealing her true identity as Madripoor's Power Broker, and also get her job at the CIA reinstated by Sam Wilson, allowing her access to government weapons to sell on the black market, and further increase her power and influence.

* BigBad: Karli Morgenthau and the Flag-Smashers are the primary antagonists, as Sam and Bucky work to stop them before they escalate in their terrorist actions, [[EnemyMine even recruiting Baron Zemo to help]] due to his expertise and distaste for Super-Soldiers. The Flag-Smashers stole their Super-Soldier serum from the crime lord of Madripoor, the Power Broker (a.k.a. Sharon Carter), who sets out for revenge against them but otherwise remains a GreaterScopeVillain. The government-mandated successor to Captain America, John Walker, is set up as a secondary antagonist as he gradually goes off the deep end after taking the serum and committing increasingly brutal acts, though fortunately he comes to his senses by the finale.
* BittersweetEnding: The Flag-Smasher's attack on the GRC is foiled, Sam takes on the mantle of Captain America, proves himself worthy of the title to the public and sees to it that Isaiah Bradley's story is added to the Captain America Smithsonian exhibit. Bucky is finally able to face and let go of his past traumas. Walker is able to let revenge go and takes on a role he's much more suited for, the covert U.S. Agent. However, Sam was unable to save Karli; and his attempts to make things right for Sharon has created a new threat, since she's been revealed as the Power Broker and -- now with a full pardon and her old job back -- is expanding her reach into government prototypes. Not to mention, it's left in the dark exactly how legitimate Walker's new role is.
* BlackAndGrayMorality: While many heroes and villains have both virtues and vices, the Power Broker seems to be the only truly malevolent force in the present timeline of the series, targeting pretty much anyone who runs afoul of her with threats and swift violence.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: A particularly harsh example: after several reminders that systemic racism is still thriving through the Snap, the first major fatality is Lemar Hoskins – and that by accident on Karli's part, who by way of apology assures John she only wanted to kill people who could make a difference. Lemar's death sends John Walker down the slippery slope.

* BloodierAndGorier: Well, as far as you can get per the standards of Creator/DisneyPlus, anyway. Compared to other MCU works before it (especially ''Series/WandaVision'', which came before it in release order), this show doesn't pull any punches in much of its fight scenes, being more on par with those seen in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' and ''Film/JohnWick'', just ''barely'' scraping by with that TV-14 rating. Special mention goes to the ending of Episode 4 with John Walker caving Nico's ribs in with the Shield, in possibly the most brutal death in the main MCU.

* CreateYourOwnVillain: The Avengers in general were pardoned after the Blip, but Sharon Carter was not. They and the government ignored her, leaving her to turn to a life of crime in Madripoor. This could come back to bite Sam and Bucky, as Sharon (now the Power Broker) sent Batroc to help the Flag Smashers and gave him the chance to kill Sam out of revenge for the foiled aerial hijacking in episode 1. Her new CIA job will also allow her to sell top-secret weapons and intel to the black market, which could be used against them in the future.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Though the banter between Bucky and Sam breaks it up occasionally, the overall series leans toward the darker side of the MCU's usual tone, with its themes of politics and war similar to the ''Captain America'' films -- which makes sense, as the two main characters are Cap's sidekicks and successors trying to continue his story. Previously untouched themes of race and mental health are also prominent throughout the story, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the word "shit" is thrown around with surprising regularity]]. And then there's the WhamShot at the end "The Whole World is Watching", when Walker, having gone off the deep end after taking the serum and Lemar's death at Karli's hands, has just brutally beaten a helpless and begging Flag-Smasher to death with the shield, and stands, its edge covered in blood. And finally, Sharon Carter undergoing a FaceHeelTurn as the unrepentant, senselessly vengeful, self-serving and cash-grabbing monster of a crime lord known as the Power Broker.

** Episode 3's title is "Power Broker," a person who's mentioned to rule over Madripoor but never actually appears in the episode...until Episode 6 reveals that they were there the whole time. In hindsight, it makes sense that Sharon Carter first appeared in the episode named for her.

** The Power Broker is frequently mentioned, but has not appeared on screen. {{Subverted|Trope}} in that she was right there in front of us the whole time.
* GoryDiscretionShot: In "The Whole World is Watching", John Walker goes off the deep end after Hoskins is killed, and repeatedly smashes the shield into one of the Flag-Smashers, killing him in public. The strike itself is not shown, but the shot of the blood-smeared shield is horrifying enough for the audience to understand the gravity of what Walker has done.

* HauledBeforeASenateSubCommittee: John Walker is subject to this in response to [[RevengeBeforeReason the actions he took to avenge the death of Lamar Hoskins]], where he is immediately stripped of his awards and title of Captain America by his commanding officer. After all, regardless of the victim being an international terrorist, executing a person in cold blood on foreign soil in front of the general public is a ''disastrous'' look for America on the international stage, so removing Walker from his position is a logical choice of action to save face from the PR. Unfortunately, they also strip him of all benefits and leave him to twist in the wind, which leaves him vulnerable to a visit from exactly the wrong person...

* PietaPlagiarism: Karli dies in Sam's arms in this pose. He then carries her corpse out to the police this way, highlighting the tragedy of her death.

** After the death of Lemar Hoskins at the hands of Karli, John Walker, whose judgment was already being clouded after taking the Super Soldier Serum, kills the nearest Flag Smasher he can catch. Even after being stripped of the title of Captain America, Walker continues to pursue Karli for revenge.
** Sharon Carter resents the US government for blacklisting her, forcing her on the run and destroying her family name. Once she regains her status as a CIA agent, she plans to use her connections as the Power Broker to sell top secret government projects and intel on the black market.

* SanitySlippage: Walker becomes steadily unhinged over the course of the series due to the stress of taking on the mantle of Captain America and the constant frustration of hunting Karli and the other Flag-Smashers. This comes to a head in episode 4 after Walker takes the Super Soldier serum. He becomes increasingly violent, and after Battlestar is accidentally killed by Karli, he completely goes off the deep end and brutally murders one of the Flag-Smashers in broad daylight in front of a horrified crowd.

* ATragedyOfImpulsiveness: John Walker's impulsiveness (amplified by the serum) eventually gets the better of him, leading him to kill a Flag Smasher, battling Sam and Bucky and losing his Captain America title, military honors and pension.

** The two Dora Millaje from Wakanda aren't particularly large even for women and are completely unenhanced, but they each manage to hand Walker a CurbStompBattle even though he's a legendary and hulking soldier. They're even able to throw their spears so hard that that Walker can't dislodge them, but they can pull them out with ease.

!The following contain unmarked spoilers for this series and all Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse works preceding it. Read at your own risk.

* PunchedAcrossTheRoom: Several exmples