Falcon & Winter Soldier Opening Scene Proves Steve’s Point In Civil War

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier‘s opening scene reaffirms Steve’s argument in Captain America: Civil War about the Sokovia Accords, proving one of his main points about the issues that following it would present. Unlike WandaVision, which was limited to the setting of Westview, New Jersey, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier continues Phase 4 of the MCU by providing a wider glimpse at an uneasy post Avengers: Endgame world after the victory at the Battle of Earth caused the Avengers to disband and Steve Rogers retired from his role as the patriotic American symbol, Captain America.

Set six months after the events of Endgame, episode 1 “New World Order” shows how The Falcon and The Winter Soldier world is plagued by instability, increasing the need for a hero like Captain America. While Steve passed down the Captain America mantel to Sam in Endgame, Sam gives the shield to the Smithsonian Museum for the Captain America exhibit, retiring the title because he felt it belonged to Steve alone. As Colonel Rhodes and Sam explore the exhibit, one of the displays depicting the major events of Steve’s life describes the establishment of the Sokovia Accords and the division it created amongst the Avengers – who became split over whether every superpowered individual should have to reveal their secret identity to the government, and whether superheroes should be regarded as weapons of their respective country’s government. In an episode that stresses Captain America’s impact within the Marvel Universe, the opening scene of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier aptly emphasizes Steve’s reasoning for opting out of the Accords.

In episode 1, Sam rejoins the United States Air Force now that the Avengers have been disbanded. Onboard a U.S. military plane, Falcon is briefed by an Air Force Major about his mission: to intercept a plane flown by the Air Force military liaison Colonel Vassant. Losing contact with Vassant after he entered Tunisian airspace, the Major suspects that he may have been targeted by the LAF, a criminal organization led by the Captain America: The Winter Soldier villain Georges Batroc. Other than rescuing Vassant, Falcon’s mission has one challenging stipulation: he’ll need to complete the mission before the terrorists cross the Libyan border or he’ll be forced to let them go, since the territory is outside of the U.S. government’s jurisdiction. While the stipulation not only makes the stakes that much higher for Falcon, it also illustrates Steve’s point about a government’s agenda interfering with the pursuit of the greater good.

In Civil War, Steve Rogers counters Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) support of the Accords by arguing that the legislation will force them to be bound to external agendas. “If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose,” says Steve. “What if this panel sends us somewhere we don’t think we should go? What if there is somewhere we need to go and they don’t let us.” In Captain America’s own past experience, as a soldier in World War II and after discovering Hydra’s infiltration of SHIELD, Steve knows firsthand that following a government’s agenda blindly can often be counterproductive and dangerous. In The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Falcon’s pursuit of the LAF suggests that Steve’s fears were justified, since Falcon was almost forced to let Batroc escape with the hostage because Falcon wasn’t free to maneuver the conflict according to his own discretion.

Apart from reinforcing Steve’s argument from Civil War, the opening scene of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier also illustrates that Falcon is already upholding Captain America’s legacy while forging his own path as a standalone superhero. While Captain America would often break directives in pursuit of the greater good, Falcon managed to operate somewhere in the middle, by chasing the LAF until the last second while maintaining U.S. jurisdiction. Since superheroes are now required to follow regulations and save the day in a post Sokovia Accords world, Falcon may be exactly the Captain America that Phase 4 of the MCU needs.