The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is full of everything that makes the MCU special -- including
a ton of Easter eggs. From references to past movies to homages to the comic books that inspired
the MCU, the Disney+ show is bursting with small details. Here are some you might've missed.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier opens with a stunning action set piece featuring the Falcon
performing a daring rescue. If the leader of the airborne kidnappers looks familiar to you,
there's a very good reason: That's none other than Georges Batroc, the dangerous mercenary
who Steve Rogers fights in the opening scenes of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He is
played in both the film and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier by MMA legend Georges St-Pierre.
In Winter Soldier, Captain America runs up against
Batroc while rescuing hostages aboard a SHIELD ship, which Batroc has hijacked.
Of course, comic readers know Batroc better as Batroc the Leaper, a goofy kickboxing master
who's been a thorn in Captain America's side since his debut in 1966's Tales of Suspense #75.
Putting Sam Wilson up against a classic Captain America baddie, thus showing that the Falcon is
just as capable as Steve Rogers when it comes to taking on supervillain threats,
is a canny way for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to set the stage early.
He may not believe it yet, but Sam Wilson is absolutely Steve's equal. Just ask Batroc.
In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes isn't Sam Wilson's only
partner-in-crime-fighting. The Falcon also teams up with a young American GI named Joaquín Torres.
In the first episode of the series, Torres provides Sam with operational support while
he's tussling with Batroc's forces. He later infiltrates a Flag Smasher rally
in order to figure out what the terrorist organization is up to.
Joaquín's connection to the Falcon goes much deeper than mere friendship, though. Torres
made his comics debut in 2015's Captain America: Sam Wilson. He emerges during a period in which
Sam Wilson has taken over Steve Rogers' superhero identity. As a Mexican-American living in Arizona,
Torres is concerned about the well-being of the immigrant community. Unfortunately,
Joaquín's good intentions attract the attention of the Sons of the Serpent,
a racist terrorist group that capture him and ship him off to Dr. Karl Malus for experimentation.
Malus uses the DNA from Wilson's actual falcon Redwing to mutate Torres,
giving him wings and the same psychic link with Redwing that Wilson enjoys. Eventually,
Wilson rescues Torres, but the mutations are permanent. Thus, Torres takes on the
mantle of the Falcon, and becomes the new Captain America's faithful sidekick.
"Some people, some people, they think that he's in a secret base on the Moon, looking down over us."
The conspiracy theory Torres shares about Steve Rogers is not as silly as it sounds.
In Marvel comics, all sorts of characters live on the Moon.
Most notably, the Moon is home to the Inhumans, a genetically-enhanced off-shoot of the human race.
Technically, the Inhumans are already part of MCU: They're the subject of 2017's short-lived
Inhumans series, which received poor reviews and was canceled very quickly. Uatu the Watcher,
a mysterious alien being who observes human history but is forbidden from interfering,
also lives on Earth's biggest satellite.
Most likely, however, Torres' line is a sly reference to none other than Nick Fury.
In the comics, Fury spends a few years on the Moon, where he takes over Uatu's responsibilities.
In the line-wide crossover known as "Original Sin," Fury kills Uatu and
steals one of his eyes in order to solve an outer-space mystery.
As punishment, the rest of the Watchers imprison Fury on the Moon,
dub him the Unseen, and force him to watch over Earth, helpless to assist,
as further catastrophes unfold. Thankfully for Fury, his punishment doesn't last:
Uatu eventually returns from the dead, and relieves Fury of his duties.
Steve Rogers isn't in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but his legacy looms large over the
entire series. After donating Steve's shield to the Smithsonian Institution, Sam Wilson
and James Rhodes (aka War Machine) take a walk through the museum's Captain America exhibit.
The fictional exhibit is dominated by Steve's World War II exploits. The motorcycle and the
prop shield he used during USO shows, as seen in Captain America: The First Avenger,
figure prominently. Look a little closer, and you'll also see a picture of the 4F
classification that originally kept Steve Rogers from enlisting, among other doo-dads and mementos.
The most important artifact, however, is Captain America Comics #1. This item
is much bigger than the MCU, of course — it exists in our world as well. This 1941 comic,
written by Joe Simon and drawn by Jack Kirby, contains Captain America and Bucky's debut.
Its cover, which depicts Cap punching Hitler in the jaw, was considered particularly bold at the
time: The comic came out a year before America officially entered the war, and its overtly
political message inspired so much public anger, Simon and Kirby were assigned police protection.
The first episode of the series introduces a new threat to the MCU:
The Flag Smashers. The Flag Smashers are a group of terrorists who fight for "a world
without borders" and believe that life in the MCU was better during the Blip.
As you've probably guessed, the Flag Smashers' origin comes from the comics — although the
original Flag-Smasher is a single man, not an organization. Karl Morgenthau is
a skilled martial artist who dreams of being a diplomat. When Karl's father is killed,
however, the young activist decides that violence is the only way to achieve peace.
He thus adopts the moniker Flag-Smasher and begins a one-man terror operation.
So far, that's pretty different from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's take on the
Flag Smashers. But don't think it isn't related: Erin Kellyman appears in the first episode's end
credits as Karli Morgenthau, a gender-swapped version of Karl. If you look closely,
you can tell she's the Flag Smasher handing out masks during the bank robbery in Switzerland.
If you pause the episode when Bucky pulls out his little notebook,
you'll see a couple of names familiar to fans of Marvel comics, and one established MCU villain.
Helmut Zemo is a Sokovian terrorist who first appeared in Captain America:
Civil War. He framed the Winter Soldier for the death of Black Panther's father,
which kicked off the film's namesake "civil war" between the Avengers.
Other notable names on the list include "A. Rostov", most likely Andre Rostov,
aka The Red Barbarian, an old Iron Man villain. There's also "W. Hauser", a possible reference
to Captain Wilhelm Hauser, a Nazi soldier who appeared in a Nick Fury comic in 1966. Prolific
Marvel comics writer Len Kaminski, co-creator of War Machine's armor, also gets a shout out.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus,
even more Looper videos about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.