The answer was a resounding “yes.” In the opening moments of episode 6, Sam soars into battle with hybrid Falcon-Captain America look straight out of the comics.
Could Falcon really become Captain America after everything that had happened? After training with the shield all episode, what was in the box was both obvious and an unnerving twist. Karli Morgenthau’s planned attack on a GRC conference in New York City forced the duo back into action - and forced Sam to suit up with an un-revealed new set of armor. With John Walker out of commission after slaughtering a Flag-Smasher in episode 4, Sam and Bucky spent most of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s fifth hour reflecting on the state of the world while building a boat. Falcon’s new Captain America costume is familiar to Marvel fans Image: Marvel Studios The episode tried to address all of the issues raised over the season’s run, but the clearest message was directed at Marvel’s most prickly Twitter followers. Episode 6 made room for a classic Marvel Comics reference and, in the spirit of the show, a barrage of other ideas. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale, “One World, One People,” Sam’s struggle came to an end, although maybe not a conclusion. Abrams playbook.Ĭould it actually take a stance in the end? Could any character come out of a situation like Sam’s, in which a soldier fills the role of both Avenger and moral philosopher, with a clearly defined place in the world? Did the world need a new Captain America? Questions, not answers, seemed to be Spellman’s priority, but the ambiguity of the politics bared down on the drama.
But by episode 4, the Disney Plus series had asked so many questions, it felt like an ethical Mystery Box out of the J.J. Creator Malcolm Spellman made clear, even before the first episode, that his series would grapple with race, heroism, and the dark side of American history. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier defined itself in the Marvel Cinematic Cosmos through big ideas and blunt interrogation. The Falcon Captain America & the Winter Soldier's entire first season is available now on Disney+.“He ain’t a Falcon anymore. It was a lot of work, but in his eyes, it all paid off. Wrinkles in the cowl or separation from his face? The team had to touch those up so the cowl would look snug on Mackie's face. To compensate for this, the costuming department built the costume as close as they could, and the effects team stepped in when needed. For Sam's Captain America suit, Leven and his team had to step in, since the fabrics to make his cowl are " really, really hard to get in real life," in his words. Smaller details require visual work as well, such as eliminating zippers and seams, which Leven jokes don't exist for superhero costumes. The big action scenes were some of Leven's favorite on the show, having worked on them for over a year, but the VFX doesn't just stop there. VFX rigged up the convoy in a way for Mackie to "push" the convoy, while the pit was shot at a realistic parking garage before being touched up on a computer to make the fall look more dangerous than it actually was. Though the scene where Wyatt Russell's John Walker tries to stop a convoy of government officials from plummeting to their death was done via blue screen staging, Sam's subsequent rescue was done mostly practically. Mackie's no Tom Cruise.) And during close ups of Sam's face, to simulate the feeling of flight, Mackie had an action cam put in front of his face while the rest of the world moved around him.ĭelving further into the series, Leven talks about how the VFX crew worked to make Sam's official debut as Captain America feel heroic in the series finale, something specifically desired by series creator Malcolm Spellman. (The plane was on solid ground, of course. Blending digital backgrounds with real actors wasn't terribly hard, and any time they had a chance to do something for real, like having Mackie fly behind a plane and land on it, it was done for real. In breaking down the debut episode's action scene, wherein Sam goes up against Batroc the Leaper and his wingsuit-wearing crew, Leven shows how much of that combat was real versus CG.