Captain America: The Winter Soldier review: How does it impact Infinity War?
By Mike McNulty
Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; from Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
How will the events of this movie play into Infinity War?
The big question coming out of Winter Soldier is this: did Steve do the right thing in dismantling S.H.I.E.L.D. to stop Hydra? Indeed, Hydra integrated itself into too many institutions, fomenting conflict in the name of creating order, and set on murdering millions of innocent people in the name of peace. Clearly, Cap had to stop them. Yet considering what happens in later movies, was Cap’s call the right one?
Remember, the Avengers started off as a special unit created by S.H.I.E.L.D. under Nick Fury. Without them, the Avengers policed themselves. Naturally, that makes people and governments very nervous. Had S.H.I.E.L.D. still been in place, there wouldn’t be any Sokovia Accords, much less a “civil war” which fractures the Avengers.
Likewise, S.H.I.E.L.D., along with the Avengers, was one of the few organizations defending the world from potential extraterrestrial threats. We see this in earlier films such as Thor (2011) and The Avengers. Moreover, Fury, in Winter Soldier, explains Project Insight was approved because of what happened in New York during The Avengers. Like or not, the dismantling of S.H.I.E.L.D. made Earth more vulnerable, especially for the likes of Thanos.
Consider, too, what Cap, and the audience, learns about Bucky. If you pay close attention to Armin Zola’s monologue, there’s a hint at what really happened to Tony Stark’s parents, something which Civil War later confirms. It’s something which will later come back to haunt Cap, and cause the divide between himself and Tony Stark to widen even further. At the very least, this shows just how much foresight and planning Marvel Studios puts into their movies.
Next: Thor: The Dark World review: How does it impact Infinity War?
Next time, we had deep into space, with five unlikely Guardians of the Galaxy…with lots of music, dancing, and “I am Groot.”