Film guide · 2021

The Falcon and the Winter SoldierComplete Guide

The parts that are hard to follow from the film alone, explained with a story summary, a character map and key terms.

Released
2021
Runtime
6 episodes (about 50 min each)
Set in
2024

Good to know before watchingNo spoilers

It's set after Endgame

It begins after Steve hands his shield to Sam.

Ties to The Winter Soldier and Civil War

Bucky's past and Zemo return. Those films help.

It's a TV series

Six episodes, streaming on Disney+.

A scene after the finale

It reveals a surprising secret about one character.

Character mapSpoilers

Who's who in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), with Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes at the center. The new Captain America is above, the super-soldier group below, and their allies on each side.

Because of copyright, we can't use stills, posters or any other images of the characters as they appear in the film. All face photos are freely licensed photos of the actors themselves (non-human characters are original illustrations made for this site; people without a photo are shown with initials).

Drag to move, pinch (or scroll on a computer) to zoom. Tap a person to read about them.

All characters

About the images

Face photos are freely licensed photos of the actors from Wikimedia Commons, cropped to a square and resized. Non-human characters are original illustrations made for this site, and people without a photo are shown with a placeholder (initials).

StorySpoilers

Read the story (spoilers up to the ending)

Episode 1: New World Order

Sam gives the shield to a museum. Bucky tries to make amends for his past.

Episode 2: The Star-Spangled Man

A new Captain America debuts as Sam and Bucky chase a group of super soldiers.

Episode 3: Power Broker

To trace the serum, they enlist Zemo.

Episode 4: The Whole World Is Watching

The new Captain America does something that can't be undone.

Episode 5: Truth

Sam rethinks what it means to carry the shield.

Episode 6: One World, One People

The final battle unfolds in New York.

Read the detailed scene-by-scene story

Key terms

The Flag Smashers
A group fighting for a world without borders, angry at how the world changed after the Blip. Some have taken the super-soldier serum.
The super-soldier serum
The same kind of serum that made Steve strong, secretly recreated.
The GRC
The global council handling resettlement after the Blip.
Madripoor
An island nation in Asia full of criminals.
The Power Broker
The mysterious figure who runs Madripoor's underworld.

Confusing parts, explainedSpoilers

Contains spoilers about the ending.

Why does Sam give up the shield at first?

He wasn't sure he could replace Steve, or that the country would accept a Black man as its symbol.

Who is Isaiah Bradley?

A Black soldier secretly given the serum in the Korean War era. Instead of being honored, he was imprisoned for decades.

What happens to John Walker?

He's stripped of the title, but a mysterious woman named Valentina recruits him as U.S. Agent.

What happens to Sam?

He takes up a new suit from Wakanda and becomes the new Captain America.

Easy-to-miss details

Zemo's dance

Zemo's brief dance in a club in Episode 3 became a fan favorite.

Bucky's notebook

Bucky keeps a notebook of the people he hurt and is making amends one by one.

Sam's family

The family boat of Sam's sister Sarah and her sons in Louisiana is an important setting.

The ending and post-creditsSpoilers

After the end credits

The finale's mid-credits scene reveals Sharon Carter's secret identity as the Power Broker.

What to watch next