"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" Episode 3 features several blasts from the past. Previously announced cast members Daniel Brühl and Emily VanCamp finally return to the MCU as Baron Jimo and Sharon Carter, respectively.
And another familiar face showed up for the ending. Who is Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) following and why?
Spoilers follow for Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 3. Be warned!
In the last scene, Bucky, Jimmo, and Sam (Anthony Mackie) head to Riga, Latvia to investigate the relationship between the deceased Mama Donya and Carli Morgenthau. Bucky leaves the other two for a "walk" but in truth finds a small round metal ball on the ground.
He finds another and goes in search of whoever is following them. Bucky calls out, "You dropped something." That person is right behind him."
"I was wondering when you would show up," he says, and turns around to find Ayo (Florence Kusumba).Ayo is Dora Milaje's second-in-command, an elite squad of Wakandan warriors tasked with protecting the royal family. He appeared in Captain America: Civil War and was last seen in Avengers: Infinity War: Infinity War.
Ayo states her purpose clearly: she is there for Zemo.
It may need reaffirming, but Jimoh is at the top of Wakanda's most wanted list. He was responsible for blowing up the UN conference to sign the Sokovia Accords and for the murder of Wakanda's King Tichaka. And Wakanda clearly wants Zimo to answer for his crimes.
It is not surprising that Ayo first approaches Bucky. This is because he spent several years in Wakanda trying to break his brainwashing as a Winter Soldier. During his rehabilitation, he was given the nickname "White Wolf" and the robotic arm he has today.
So while Ayo wants to bring Zemo back to Wakanda for justice, Bucky and Sam still need Zemo to find Carli and Flag Smasher (and destroy any remaining serum before it is used to create any more super-soldiers). And I can't imagine that Zemo would want to go back to Wakanda or prison.
Marvel was up front about Wander Vision's connection to the "insane multiverse" of Dr. Strange, but boss Kevin Feige was not as forthcoming about how The Falcon and The Winter Soldier would tie into the larger MCU, and how a second He's tight-lipped about whether there might be a season (though I think it would work perfectly well as a serialized show).
Ayo's appearance indicates that at least part of "Falcon & Winter Soldier" may comprise the "Black Panther 2" storyline. Not much is known about the sequel, including how it will deal with the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman. Marvel has said that the casting for the role of T'Challa will not change, but everything else seems to be undecided. What happens to Ayo and Jimo in the next three episodes may be the first clue to the future of "Black Panther 2" and the MCU.
Comments