Warning! Contains SPOILERS for The Falcon & The Winter Soldier episode 1, "New World Order."
The Falcon & the Winter Soldier episode 1 is absolutely packed with MCU Easter eggs and references to Marvel Comics. There's a sense in which the MCU was a TV series long before Marvel began producing content for Disney+; each movie can be compared to the next episode in an ongoing TV series, granted the biggest-budget one in the history of the world. Marvel dine out on the idea that everything is connected, and as a result their new Disney+ shows are packed with references, Easter eggs, and callbacks.
WandaVision was Marvel's first Disney+ series, an unusual superhero sitcom, but Falcon & Winter Soldier feels more like standard MCU fare. The first episode kicks off with a stunning action sequence that's been heavily teased in trailers, but then follows a slow-burn approach in taking the time to set up its protagonists' new status quos. There's a strange sense in which both Falcon and the Winter Soldier are still living in the shadow of Steve Rogers' Captain America, meaning episode 1 is particularly notable for its Captain America references.
Aside from Cap, there are also nods to other areas of the MCU's past, and deeper cuts from the comics. So here are all the MCU Easter eggs in Falcon & Winter Soldier episode 1.
The Opening Quotes From Avengers: Endgame
Viewers last saw Sam Wilson in the closing scenes of Avengers: Endgame, when he was unexpectedly approached by an older Steve Rogers, who passed on his shield and appointed him the next Captain America. It seems that conversation has haunted Falcon these last six months, and he still feels unworthy to wield the shield. The opening scenes include dialogue lifted straight from Avengers: Endgame, when Steve asks Sam how the shield feels on his arm. "Like it's someone else's," Sam replies. He still feels that way, and it's soon revealed why he isn't using the shield himself.
Joaquin Torres Is A Nod To The Comics
Sam is working with First Lieutenant Torres, a name that will be familiar to many comic book readers. Joaquín Torres was an Arizona boy who became drawn into the world of superheroes, captured and experimented on by a twisted genius named Karl Malus; he was transformed into an avian hybrid, and became the second Falcon during Sam Wilson's stint as Captain America. It's worth noting Malus went by the codename "Power Broker" at some points in his supervillain career, and there have been reports the Power Broker will indeed appear in Falcon & Winter Soldier; the name crops up in the posters shown during the end credits, so it may be safe to assume those reports are accurate. That means Torres may well go on to be an important secondary character in this show.
The Return of Batroc the Leaper
Sam's mission sees him go up against a "high-powered" terrorist organization named the LAF. They don't have any equivalent in the comics, although interestingly they sport traditional Hydra colors, but they do have one direct reference to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This particular cell is led by Georges Batroc, known to comic book fans as Batroc the Leaper, and he previously tangled with Steve Rogers when he led a Hydra group to capture a ship called the Lemurian Star. It's great to see Batroc return, even if Falcon does struggle to take him on a lot more than Captain America did.
The Smithsonian Exhibit
Falcon & Winter Soldier episode 1 returns to a familiar location in the MCU, the Captain America Smithsonian Exhibit. Steve Rogers himself visited the exhibit in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and it's still packed with memorials to his time with the Howling Commandos, as well as a replica of his costume from Captain America: The First Avenger. It briefly winds up hosting the shield, before the US Government take it back in order to appoint their next Captain America. Keep an eye out for:
- A photograph of Steve Rogers training at Camp Hammond before he became a super-soldier, and another of Project Rebirth.
- Photographs of Steve Rogers and Bucky that are actually lifted from Captain America: The First Avenger.
- Promotional artwork associated with Captain America's PR campaign before he became active on the Front in the Second World War, including the famous comic book cover of his punching Adolf Hitler.
- Three key newspaper headlines, one pertaining to a mystery man saving a child from Nazis in New York; another celebrating "400 prisoners liberated," clearly about the moment Captain America went behind enemy lines to rescue Bucky and other soldiers from Hydra experimentation; and a third recounting the SSR's campaign against Hydra, bearing the headline "U.S. bombers hit Hydra factories."
- Captain America's World War II motorbike, complete with the original (non-circular) shield.
- A list of "The Vanished" and a discussion of the Blip, meaning the exhibit has been updated to represent Captain America's heroism as recently as Avengers: Endgame.
- Steve Rogers' costume from Captain America: The First Avenger, now with the shield placed beside it.
The Flag-Smashers
Falcon & Winter Soldier introduces viewers to a new force in the MCU, a terrorist group who believe the world was better during the Blip. The so-called "Flag-Smashers" dream of creating a world without borders, and they're lifted straight from the comics. There, two people have gone by the codename in the past, terrorists opposed to nationalism who launch attacks on what they call "symbols of world separatism." It's not hard to see why they have traditionally been enemies of Captain America, given he literally embodies the American dream.
A Secret Base On The Moon
The Internet is a hotbed of ill-sourced rumors, conspiracy theories and fake news – even in the MCU. According to Torres, there are persistent rumors Steve Rogers is not dead, but rather now lives on a base on the Moon, looking down on the Earth. It's nonsense of course, although the truth – that he travelled back in time to claim his "Happily Ever After" with Peggy Carter – is no less surreal. In the comics, there are several groups who do live in secret bases on the Moon. The most famous of these are the Inhumans, but this particular Easter egg is probably referencing the Watcher. A powerful alien who is forbidden from interfering in human affairs (at least in theory), the Watcher is soon to make his MCU debut as the presenter of Marvel's What If...? series.
Bucky Can't Sleep On A Bed
Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers first met in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, when Sam was running a Veterans Association group in Washington, DC. There, Sam noted how strange it is for a soldier to settle down to civilian life. "It's your bed, right," he observed. "Your bed, it's too soft. When I was over there I'd sleep on the ground and use rock for pillows, like a caveman. Now I'm home, lying in my bed, and it's like..." Steve completed the sentence himself, agreeing. "Lying on a marshmallow," he confirmed. "Feel like I'm gonna sink right to the floor." No surprise, Bucky struggles to sleep on a bed too.
Bucky's Notebook
Falcon & Winter Soldier episode 1 goes to great lengths to set up Bucky as a sort of twisted mirror of Steve Rogers, struggling to figure out how to live in a world that has changed so much since the 1940s. One of the more visible nods to this is the fact Bucky keeps a notebook, just as Captain America did in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. But where Steve's book was filled with the names of films he needs to watch, Bucky's is a list of wrongs he must put right in order to seek redemption. Some of the names listed in the book are former Hydra figures he helped during his time as the Winter Soldier, others are innocents whose family members were killed because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some of the names will be familiar to comic book readers, notably:
- A Rostov, a.k.a. the Red Barbarian, a former General in the USSR who briefly ran a gulag where Bucky was imprisoned; he was assassinated by the Winter Soldier.
- PW Hauser, likely a reference to a Nazi called Wilhelm Hauser who fought Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos in the comics. Interestingly, another character with the surname "Hauser" was a thorn in Sam Wilson's side during his time as Captain America, a radio host who wanted Sam to give up the shield to John Walker, the US Agent.
- Helmut Zemo, the main villain of Captain America: Civil War, destined to become a force to be reckoned with in Falcon & Winter Soldier.
- L Kaminski, a Marvel comic book writer and editor whose work included stories featuring Sam Wilson and John Walker.
- C Kusnetsov, probably a reference to a scientist in the comics who created a sentient robot for the USSR.
- S Whitaker, one of the most important Marvel writers who also wrote several Captain America stories.
Bucky Is Still Rescuing People In Alleyways
Bucky is attempting to gain redemption, and part of that is providing friendship to a man named Yori whose son he murdered during his time with Hydra. Amusingly, Yori is introduced in a scene where Bucky rescues him from a confrontation in an alleyway, which seems like an amusing reference to how he used to do the same for his weak friend Steve Rogers - the man destined to become Captain America.
Yori Tries To Set Bucky Up On A Date
Yori clearly believes Bucky needs to get a love-life, and prompts the Winter Soldier to go a date (that, naturally, doesn't go well). Again, this seems like part of the show's attempt to portray Bucky as a twisted mirror of Steve Rogers in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. There, Black Widow kept trying to get Captain America to start dating, suggesting he should go out with a girl from accounting named Lillian.
Tony Stark Pays For Stuff
Sam Wilson and his sister Sarah meet with the bank in an attempt to get a loan for Sarah's business, which leads to a rather amusing conversation about just how the Avengers' wages were paid. The bank's representative suggests Tony Stark probably used to pay the Avengers, an amusing callback to Stark's own comment in Avengers: Age of Ultron. "Uh, actually, he's the boss," Stark observed, pointing to Captain America. "I just pay for everything, and design everything and make everyone look cooler."
The Return of WHiH News
As Falcon & Winter Soldier episode 1 comes to an end, Sam Wilson watches a news broadcast by WHiH News. They're a recurring presence in the MCU, covering events such as the Hulk's rampage in Harlem, the Avengers' disastrous mission to Lagos in Captain America: Civil War, and Scott Lang's criminal misdemeanors. Marvel briefly ran a YouTube and Twitter account associated with WHiH News as a smart meta way of promoting their films, but sadly they haven't been reactivated for Falcon & Winter Soldier.
The New Captain America
The first episode ends with the official debut of the new Captain America, John Walker (played by Wyatt Russell), best known to comic book readers as the US Agent. Just as in the comics, Walker has been chosen not by Steve Rogers but by the US Government, who believe he's the best man to represent their ideals. Unfortunately, in the comics Walker was actually corrupt, and he became increasingly violent, until Steve was forced to take the shield from him - the hard way. Nick Spencer's Captain America run, which saw Falcon become Captain America, saw Sam and Walker continually clash over what Captain America should represent.
Falcon & Winter Soldier's Credits Reference The Power Broker
Keep an eye on the stunning credits sequence at the end of Falcon & Winter Soldier episode 1, which seem to tease a lot of major plot twists. One of the most interesting moments is a reference to the Power Broker, a villainous scientist in the comics who creates super-soldiers. He has ties to both Joaquin Torres and the US Agent, and it's long been rumored he'd appear in this show; the credits appear to confirm this. The Power Broker could well be conducting super-soldier experiments, explaining why the leader of the Flag-Smashers appeared to demonstrate superhuman abilities. His story may well have to be switched up a little for the mainstream MCU, though, because technically he already appeared in Jessica Jones. Notice the blue vial - perhaps Super-Soldier Serum?
A Reference To Madripoor
Set photos from Falcon & Winter Soldier featured the flag of Madripoor, an island nation from the X-Men comics. It is best described as the Mos Eisley Cantina of the X-Men universe, and in the comics its main city is divided into Hightown and Lowtown. Hightown has been at the center of countless criminal empires, ranging from the Hand to Hydra, and it is used as a tax haven by the likes of Kingpin and Hammerhead. Excitingly, the credits contain a reference to Madripoor in blink-and-you'll-miss-it text saying "forces from neighboring Madripoor have... committing human rights violations."
Carl Lumbly - The First Black Captain America?
The credits also feature a brief shot of Carl Lumbly, believed to be playing Isaiah Bradley, the first Black Captain America in the comics. He was introduced in a popular miniseries Truth: Red, White, and Black, by writer Robert Morales; inspired by the infamous Tuskegee Study, this story revealed the US Government secretly continued super-soldier experiments on Black Americans after the creation of Steve Rogers. Bradley was the sole survivor, but he was imprisoned after he dared to wear the colors of Captain America. Note the shot of Carl Lumbly coincides with a report taken from a "Research Log" discussing a test subject. Another part of the credits includes an intriguing line about recognizing "the patriotism of fellow citizens from all racial and religious" backgrounds, which may be linked to this part of the plot.
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- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: Jul 09, 2021
- Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)Release date: Dec 17, 2021
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: Mar 25, 2022
- Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
- Captain Marvel 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
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