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Another Marvel series, another disappointment. This series really felt like it had the potential to be a proper sequel to Captain America: The Winter Soldier but instead we got a muddled mess that doesn't seem to know what stories it's trying to tell, is held back by an apparent need to set up/tie in other things that will come later, and that wastes two of the finest actors in action today (Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan). (1/5 or maybe 2/5 stars).
To be clear, I do mean actors. Both men have dynamic screen presence, wide emotional range, and good dialog delivery. But they need better material to work with than this series gave them.
The series nominally tells the story of Falcon/Sam Wilson becoming Captain America/Sam Wilson. It does so in a story universe that has to contend with 21st-century systemic racism amd also is the first attempt by Marvel to grapple with the effects of the snap/blip. The series' putative enemies - the Flag Smashers - are some unfortunate mishmash of straight-up terrorist, sympathetic defenders of the downtrodden, and weirdly unsympathetic individuals.
We also have to contend with Bad Cap/John Walker/US Agent, who this series makes far more likable than his comic-book version. Apparently he's going to be around later so instead of a resolution to his arc we just get him popping in and out. And a major appearance by old villain Baron Zemo, and Wakanda makes its return in the form of Ayo, and hey there's Sharon Carter because Reasons and we need to set up her future series too.
( spoilers start here )
I like both these characters and I'm really unhappy about how badly this failed to be the story it could have been.
To be clear, I do mean actors. Both men have dynamic screen presence, wide emotional range, and good dialog delivery. But they need better material to work with than this series gave them.
The series nominally tells the story of Falcon/Sam Wilson becoming Captain America/Sam Wilson. It does so in a story universe that has to contend with 21st-century systemic racism amd also is the first attempt by Marvel to grapple with the effects of the snap/blip. The series' putative enemies - the Flag Smashers - are some unfortunate mishmash of straight-up terrorist, sympathetic defenders of the downtrodden, and weirdly unsympathetic individuals.
We also have to contend with Bad Cap/John Walker/US Agent, who this series makes far more likable than his comic-book version. Apparently he's going to be around later so instead of a resolution to his arc we just get him popping in and out. And a major appearance by old villain Baron Zemo, and Wakanda makes its return in the form of Ayo, and hey there's Sharon Carter because Reasons and we need to set up her future series too.
( spoilers start here )
I like both these characters and I'm really unhappy about how badly this failed to be the story it could have been.
