The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: 5 burning questions for episode 2

4. Will Joaquin Torres become the next Falcon?

Marvel Comics fans quickly sat up and paid attention when they heard the name Joaquin Torres – the reason being that, in the comic books, the character ultimately ends up becoming the next Falcon. Granted, it’s quite different from Sam Wilson’s iteration of the character and the MCU almost probably won’t go down that route, but it doesn’t mean he won’t become the Falcon.

After all, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will tell the story of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes honoring the legacy of Captain America and that story is expected to culminate in Sam becoming the next Cap. And if that is the case, the Falcon mantle would become vacant.

We’re in an all-new, all-different era of the MCU, so it’s not surprising that Marvel Studios is looking to All-New, All-Different Marvel for a little inspiration. The question is: Is Joaquin destined to become the second Falcon in the MCU?

3. Can superheroes live normal lives in the post-Blip MCU?

Thanos’ world-changing actions in Avengers: Infinity War and the aftermath of that in Avengers: Endgame shaped the events of WandaVision and they are already shaping The Falcon and the Winter Soldier too. From that, it’s pretty clear that the impact of the Blip will continue to be felt throughout the remainder of Phase Four and no doubt beyond that.

One of the themes that both this premiere and the preceding show tackled was the question of whether superheroes could live normal lives. It’s an interesting question that isn’t explored enough in the genre but it’s all the more interesting in this post-Blip world Marvel Studios has created.

Just like Wanda struggled to move on to a life without Vision, Sam is struggling to reintegrate himself back into a world that had moved on without him. From his family’s financial troubles (and the bank’s refusal to help his sister) to his refusal to accept the Captain America mantle, he is dealing with a lot of conflict and facing a number of situations that continue to raise some interesting questions that the MCU has not tackled before.

Then there’s Bucky who is just struggling in general, unable to forget the heinous crimes that he was forced to commit during his time as the Winter Soldier and desperately attempting to atone for them – all while punishing himself with a life of solitude.

When all is said and done in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, will Bucky or Sam find that inner peace neither one is able to obtain right now?