Ep 101: Falcon and the Winter Soldier Review

Topic: Falcon and the Winter Soldier Review

 

New Characters

 

Jonathan F. "John" Walker – Captain America / US Agent – Protrayed by Wyatt Russell

In the comics, at one point in time, Steve Rogers gives up the title of Captain America a number of missions that seem corrupt to Steve, including being called upon for the ‘Commission on Superhuman Activities’.  The US appointed John Walker as the new Captain America for a period of time, embodying the spirit of a more militant and conservative America, in contrast to Steve Roger who was seen as been more progressive for the time.  The stress of being Captain America however becomes too much for John Walker, which forces Steve Roger, who has been known as just ‘Captain’, to take back the Captain America role. 

 

John Walker later takes on the identity of the US Agent, donning a similar costume to Captain America, and is appointed by the US Government to various teams and mission, acting as heads of the West Coast Avengers and other teams.  He’s described as a loose cannon version of Steve Rogers, but still a relatively good guys in many cases.

 

Similar to Captain America, he was experimented on by a character known as the Power Broker, which gave him super strength, to match his Olympic level athletic skills.  He is similar trained as Steve Rogers, and possesses similar skills and abilities.

 

Lemar Hoskins – Battlestar - Clé Bennett

The Bucky to John Walker’s Captain America.

 

Karli Morgenthau – Flag Smasher - Erin Kellyman

In the comics, Karl Morgenthau was the son of a wealthy Banker turn Diplomat, and even dreamed of becoming a Diplomat himself, until his father was killed in a riot.  He believed that nationalism made people they were superior to others unnecessarily, and that removing nations would make everyone happier, removing the unnecessary barriers between everyone.  He was a frequent villain of Captain America.

 

In the MCU, this is the 9th character to be gender-swapped.  Others include The Ancient One, Mar-vell, and Morgan Stark.

 

Isaiah Bradley - Carl Lumbly

Elijah "Eli" Bradley - Elijah Richardson

In the comics, following the events of Dr. Erskine’s death, the secrets of the Super Soldier formula were lost, and only within Captain America.  Still wanting the army of Super Soldiers, in the 1940s, they forcibly recruited 300 black men and began experimenting on them with a new Super Soldier formula.  Only a few men survived, and were placed on the front line in WWII.  On his last mission, after learning he was the sole survivor and meant to go on a suicide mission, Isaiah stole a Captain America Costume and shield, and then went in to battle.  Though his mission was successful, he was captured, but eventually freed by German revolutionaries.  Upon his return to America, he was imprisoned for life, and placed in solitary confinement for 17 years, prior to a presidential pardon.  After leaving prison, he led a relatively quiet life, though met with several notable Black Civil Rights members, aiding them.  His grandson, Elijah, in the comics, goes on to become Patriot, a young Captain America, after he partly inherited the flawed Super Soldier Formula.

 

The story is an allegory for the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, where black men were forcibly experimented on to develop a cure for Syphilis.

 

 

Baron Zemo – Previously of Captain America Civil War - Daniel Brühl

 

 

 

Sharon Carter – Evil? - Emily VanCamp

In the Comics, Sharon Carter is also known as Agent 13, where she often has dubious moral leanings that can affect various parties.  While usually on the good guy side, her lack of morality that don’t otherwise affect her tend to get individuals either hurt or tend to hind her on opposite sides of heroes.

 

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine - Julia Louis-Dreyfus

In the comics, she was a SHIELD agent, who was in many cases a double or triple Spy for organizations.  She ultimately, rose to deputy director of SHIELD under Nick Fury, before falling back to be a spy once again.