The Falcon and the Winter Soldier shines a light on America’s dark past
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier may be a hilarious buddy-cop comedy-like series but it hasn’t shied away from tackling relevant topics plaguing today’s society.
Wandavision set the tone for the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s miniseries with its magical, nostalgic, stylish romantic comedy approach. Underneath the witchy awesomeness was an underlining narrative about struggles with mental health; proving in more ways than one it was the right choice to kick off MCU’s Phase 4. Well, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier epically followed its predecessor.
The two series could not be more different, with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier being a slower series with a much more grounded approach. Early on, we knew what type of show we were getting. This series was the continuation of Captain America’s story between two characters that represented why he wasn’t exactly on board with the country he swore to protect. We saw early on the struggles plaguing Bucky and Sam and the creative team behind the series as well as director Kari Skogland deserve major credit for not being afraid to tackle a number of issues relevant today.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier followed two financially-strapped heroes dealing with internal struggles. Buck, a former soldier suffering from PTSD, was struggling to cope with the wrongs he was forced to commit as The Winter Soldier. Sam, on the other hand, dealt with the reality of being a Black man in America (despite his heroic accolades), including racial profiling.
Sam’s story drives the show as he faces the responsibility of becoming the symbol of America. As he initially declined the shield, this allowed the U.S. government to choose a new hero, John Walker. And amid all of this, an eco-terrorist group forced Bucky to reveal that Steve Rogers wasn’t the only super-soldier during World War II.
The history of Marvel’s Black Captain America
Marvel fans know the story of a WWII soldier Isaiah Bradley who, like Steve Rogers, was injected with the Super Soldier Serum. Skogland admirably convinced Disney to allow her to not only tell Isaiah Bradley’s story but expand on it. Writer Malcolm Spellman also deserves praise for what he did on episode five, “Truth”.
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It was clear, Spellman and the creative team drew inspiration from a dark reality, the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male. History buffs know about the 40-year study to observe the natural history of untreated syphilis.
In 1932, 600 black men were being treated for “bad blood,” a general term used to describe syphilis and other conditions at the time. 399 men had the disease while 201 did not. Unbeknownst to the men who agreed, they were injected with the disease while those who had it were left untreated. “Truth”, like the comics, takes some inspiration from that harrowing real-life story to shine a light on America’s dark past.
The Truth
Sam returned to Isiah (Carl Lumbly) to figure out why he was so angry with America, the shield. Isiah makes reference to the Tuskegee Airmen before diving into his story. That’s the direct nod to the sad truth that drives Isiah’s backstory.
We learn he, along with 300 other African American men, were unknowingly experimented on. They were injected with the Super Soldier Serum under the assumption they were being treated for tetanus. Despite his heroics, America didn’t accept Isiah. Instead, they jailed and tortured him while burying the truth.
This scene, and by extension the relationship between Isaiah Bradley and Sam, is one of the most impressive uses of subtext in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. These are two men that represent two different generations of the Black man in America. And it’s this that ultimately drives Sam to make his decision on who he will be going forward, Falcon or Captain America.
dark. Next. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale review
If you haven’t checked out the series, you should. All episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are available now on Disney Plus.