Marvel Studios has recently been releasing another limited series weekly on Disney Plus called The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It has only released 4 episodes (minor spoilers ahead), but the series follows the heroes known as the Falcon (Sam Wilson) and the Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes). So far in the series, a new group of super soldiers have popped up and been committing crimes in the name of their cause. Sam and Bucky are trying to track them down to stop them and the possible creation of even more super soldiers. Bucky is a super soldier himself that was created by the evil group known as Hydra to be controlled and used as an assassin against his will. At the beginning of their search, Bucky takes Sam to an unknown Black super soldier, named Isaiah Bradley, that Bucky fought while being forced to work for Hydra. Sam is a very highly ranked and trusted Black superhero that works with the United States government and military, but he had no idea Isaiah even existed. Isaiah was basically a Black Captain America that came after the original Captain America, Steve Rogers. However, he is now an old man that becomes very upset by their unexpected visit and immediately asks them to leave. Before they leave, Isaiah is able to reveal that his existence was hidden from the public. The United States just used him for his abilities after Steve disappeared and was no longer able to act as their super soldier. Isaiah was even imprisoned and then tested on after they no longer needed him. This completely different treatment of Isaiah compared to Steve represents the clear systemic injustices that plague the United States. The scene after leaving Isaiah’s house also shows Sam almost getting arrested by cops for having an argument with Bucky, a white male. The officers are acting hostile towards Sam and almost arrest him until they realize he is an Avenger. I believe the story of Isaiah is included to try to show that even when Black people achieve power and use it for good to help others, they are often oppressed by the system and taken advantage of. The encounter Sam has with the police is also included to drive home this statement because Sam was only treated fairly when the officers realized he was a celebrity. These scenes are included in the overall story of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to remind viewers of the systemic injustices Black citizens encounter every day, and to encourage us to consider what we can do to counteract this flawed system.
Sam and Bucky Arguing with the Police Officers