Why Falcon & The Winter Soldier Is Captain America: Civil War 2

Falcon & The Winter Soldier sees Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) figuring out how to carry on Captain America’s (Chris Evans) legacy, but it will also continue a story from Captain America: Civil War. As with WandaVision before it, the show’s plot has stayed largely under wraps leading up to its first full-length trailer. But its Super Bowl spot revealed an important plot point for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Zemo is back to complete his mission against all superheroes.

Ever since Sam was introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, he and Bucky have developed a fun rivalry that has only intensified over the course of the MCU. Their individual bonds with Cap are what tethered them together. But the Marvel series is set in a post-Avengers: Endgame world, meaning that the two have to navigate life without Captain America. But with the government installing their own version of Captain America named the U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Sam and Bucky have to put their differences aside to work together to fight the reappearance of Zemo.

The new Falcon & Winter Soldier trailer includes an ominous voiceover from Zemo stating that superheroes cannot be allowed to exist, and he goes on to state that he has no intention to leave his work unfinished, insinuating his mission against the Avengers in Civil War will continue in some form. Given that Zemo framed Bucky Barnes with the UN bombing, it makes sense for him to be involved with bringing Zemo to justice once and for all, if that’s indeed what’s happening in the series; since this is Marvel, anything could be a trick to keep spoilers at bay.

Zemo is known to have lost his family during the Battle of Sokovia, which the Avengers were responsible for. So he decided to go after Captain America, Iron Man, and the Winter Soldier for revenge, and when he attempted to kill himself after his plan failed, he was stopped and taken into custody by Black Panther. With his appearance in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, audiences will finally see where Zemo has been since Civil War and what he’s up to now. It’s clear he’s not let his hatred for the Avengers wither, and in fact may be seeking a new strategy to defeat them. With Iron Man and Captain America both gone, this could be Zemo’s ideal chance to strike, thus leaving his defeat up to Falcon and Winter Soldier, both of whom have a history with this villain.

The events that Zemo set into place in Civil War defined the entirety of Phase 3. And while the coronavirus pandemic forced some shifts in Marvel’s Phase 4 schedule, Falcon & Winter Soldier is an ideal way to bridge the gap between leftover stories from the past and setting the stage for new stories down the line. Zemo finishing what he started in the Marvel series will essentially turn The Falcon and the Winter Soldier into Civil War 2, particularly as a sequel to that story and not a second war between superheroes. The thing is, Zemo tore the Avengers apart once, so there’s no telling what he might do with a second chance at taking them down.

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