At the end of "Avengers: Endgame", we saw Steve Rogers passing on his shield and the mantle of Captain America to the Falcon, Sam Wilson. Before that would come to fruition though, there would be "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" series on Disney+. Of all the initial Disney+ Marvel series announced, this is the one I was looking forward to most because of the legacy aspect, as they were no doubt setting the stage for Sam's own solo Captain America film. That in no way means "Falcon and Winter Soldier" is filler to that end though, as the series brings back the cinematic Marvel quality we've sorely been missing even more so than "WandaVision" did.
Style wise, the show is a political thriller much akin to the Russo Brothers' Captain America films with similar effects and fight choreography and even getting Henry Jackman back for the score. You really could consider the series "Captain America 3.5". On top of the political thriller though is a "buddy action film" as Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan have great chemistry in the begrudging friendship between Sam and Bucky.
Our two stars also shine in their own rights as they're able to show what makes them great characters outside of being supportive or antagonistic roles. With Sam, we finally get to see how he handles situations when he takes point with many fantastic feats throughout the series. His arc is also entertaining as he struggles with accepting the shield and if he's truly worthy of it. As the series goes on, there are many character moments where we see how similar Sam is to Steve and why he was the right choice to become the new Cap. Sam even gives a great speech in the final episode that would surely make his predecessor proud.
As for Bucky, we see him in a civilian setting for the first time since before World War II as he tries to live a normal life while also attempting to make amends for his past as a brainwashed assassin. Much like Wanda, there are a lot of issues he's still dealing with; by the end though, he seems to be in a better mindset which is a good start considering all he's gone through.
In regards to the legacy aspect, the show really does seem to have one foot in the past and one in the future.
Consequences play a big part in the show. Being set a few months after "Endgame", we see that despite the Avengers' good intentions, bringing back everyone snapped away by Thanos brought unforeseen problems. While we do see things eventually calm down by the time we get to "Spider-Man: Far From Home", it is interesting to see some real world logistics to how such events could play out. Besides that, we see ramifications still being felt from so far back as to "Age of Ultron" and even after the first Captain America film. All this together adds to the good commentary on social and racial inequality.
When it comes to the future, the show brings in many characters that Marvel appears to be setting up for the Champions/Young Avengers and Thunderbolts/Dark Avengers (I use the 'slash' because either names could be used for the type of teams that they're gearing up for).
Of course, one such new character is John Walker, played by Wyatt Russell. Even before I started watching, I knew how much hatred he was getting from the viewers, and I certainly get why. Sam had decided to retire the shield and donate it to the Smithsonian, only for the government to disregard that and give it a their own newly appointed Captain America. The government basically gave it to a guy who fits the Steve Rogers but failed to realize that Steve was great not because he was Captain America, but because he was Steve Rogers. Honestly, this MST3K clip fits their thought process and what it ultimately results in perfectly:
Now to be fair though, Walker does seem like a good guy who wants to live up to the job he was given. The problem is he lets it go to his head, acting like the biggest guy in the room and trying to buddy up to Sam and Bucky like there's no problem; it's like a self-insert fan fiction but the characters are aware he doesn't belong there. And I got to hand it to Russell; he plays the role well of the guy you hate to see show up but kind of love it when he gets his ass handed to him. While it would have been easy to have him go full villain by the end, it was actually nice to see him still teetering on the line and it will be interesting to see where he goes next.
Overall, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is a great return to traditional superheroics for Marvel. The acting, character arcs, and action pieces are all done very well throughout as they culminate in an exciting and emotional finale. And with Sam's debut as the new Captain America (with a pretty snazzy suit to boot) and his solo film officially confirmed, I think it's safe to say that Marvel has a handle of passing down the mantles of the original Avengers and that the future is bright.
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