Falcon and the Winter Soldier ramped up the stakes during episode 4, and a trailer for episode 5 and 6 suggests we won’t be losing that momentum. In fact, we may see the showdown fans have been clamoring for.
Editors' note: Spoilers ahead.
The new trailer doesn’t have a lot of new footage, but it’s clear that Sam and Bucky will be going head to head with Jon Walker - aka the new Captain America. And Steve Rogers’ iconic shield is at stake.
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The last episode ended with Jon Walker, enraged at the death of his comrade Lemar Hoskins, using his shield to brutally kill a member of the flag smashers in public. Not only did Sam and Bucky see it, the whole world got a glimpse at the new Captain America's dark side.
Walker had a bad few days, and was clearly dealing with plenty of issues, but you never would have seen Steve Rogers kill someone in that fashion. In fact, the scene also parallels the climax of Civil War, where Steve used the exact same technique to defeat Tony Stark. But instead of dealing a killing blow, the shield disabled the Iron Man armor.
Needless to say, Sam and Bucky will be having a few issues with the way Walker’s actions just trampled the legacy of Steve Rogers. Which is why the duo seem to be intent on taking the shield from Walker, despite Sam previously shooting down the idea.
What the trailer doesn’t show is that episode 5 is also rumored to include a big cameo. The only question is who could it be? Marvel has already ruled out an appearance by the late Chadwick Boseman. While Black Panther appearing could make sense, given the Wakandan elements of the show, it’s not to be.
I’d also guess that Chris Evans isn’t likely to reappear as Steve Rogers, though stranger things have happened. Plus, having the old Captain America pop up would detract from the journey Sam is on to claim the mantle for himself.
Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 5 arrives on Disney Plus on Friday April 16.