10 Easter Eggs from Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 2

There has been a number of new characters that have been introduced during Falcon and The Winter Soldier and a number of Easter Eggs to boost. This has only added to the show’s drama and excitement. With 4 episodes left we expect there to be more hidden references and cool character traits which relate to the comics and previous Marvel titles. As for episode 2 the plot began to become clearer and Easter Eggs regarding all the characters were dropped around. So let’s begin and talk about our top 10 Easter Eggs from Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 2.

John Walker and Lemar Hoskins:

Two of the new characters that we met in episode 2 were the new Captain America John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and his high school and military partner Lemar Hoskins (Cle Bennett). The show follows the comic book history of the characters as both men were army men, which is where they actually met in the comics. The show has made them friends since High School which is a slight difference but what their relationship mirrors is that of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan).

Since John Walker has been named the new Captain America, the Bucky and Steve comparison is even clearer as Lemar Hoskins is the partner of Walker in battle just like Bucky was during World War 2 to Steve. Moreover, when Lemar Hoskins reveals himself as Battlestar which is his comic book alias Bucky is annoyed and gets off the truck which was transporting everyone.

Also, when Walker speaks to Good Moring America they bring up his accolades and skills. Walker has received a record of 3 medals of honours. Bringing up this gives off similarities to Gilmore Hodge (Lex Shrapnel) in Captain America: The First Avenger as he was the one which Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) wanted to take the serum. The difference this time is that the standout candidate was chosen to be Captain America not the man who holds up America’s values.

Sam and Bucky’s Plane dive:

A scene which has become synonymous with the MCU is that of a hero diving out of a plain. We have seen this in Captain America: The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier and also Iron Man has done this in The Avengers and Iron Man 2. As such it was nice to see both Sam (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky follow in their footsteps.

This scene also had a nod to Bucky and Steve’s relationship as when Sam called Bucky ‘Buck’, he got annoyed as that is what Steve called him. He also says that Steve had a plan which links to how in The Avengers movie Iron Man jumped out of the plane with no real plan which annoyed Captain America.

When Bucky dives out of the plane we get to see some more of his powers on display. At 200 feet Bucky dives out of the plane without a shoot and survives. This is something Steve has done in the past and seeing Bucky doing it was a nice touch. However, Bucky felt the effects of this as he was winded by the impact.

White Wolf:

While Bucky and Sam work there mission tracking the Flag Smashers Sam jokes with Bucky that while in Wakanda he became the White Panther. Bucky responds by saying he was the White Wolf. This is the name that the children of Wakanda gave Bucky while he rested in hiding there. However, the name White Wolf also has some relevance to Marvel Comics.

In the comics the White Wolf name was given to a man called Hunter who was adopted by King T’Chaka. Due to being a foreigner he was never going to be looked on in the way as T’Challa. This is something Hunter knew, so he instead focused on being a good citizen which didn’t go unnoticed. His work led him to be appointed the head of the Wakandian secret police which was when he then was given the name White Wolf.

The fact that Bucky was given this name is a cool reference but also asks the question whether Bucky worked with the secret police in Wakanda. There are lots of secrets that Bucky has and the fact he calls himself White Wolf could suggest it was more than just a nickname given to him.

John Walker jumping on a grenade:

It’s fair to say that John Walker has not got best reputation to Marvel fans and he doesn’t help his case when talking with Sam and Bucky. When asked if Walker ever jumped on a grenade, he responds by saying he has done it 3 times. Alone this presents Walker as smug and annoying, but the link to Steve increases these traits.

In Captain America: The First Avenger Steve jumped on a grenade in order to save everyone and sacrifice himself. This grenade was a fake, but the sacrifice Steve was willing to make was important to understanding that Steve would be willing to sacrifice himself to help save everyone, rather than save himself while letting others suffer.

On the contrary, Walker misses this point and makes the question into one of ability rather than sacrifice. He discusses how he stops a grenade with a reinforced helmet. This implies that he hasn’t jumped on the grenade to sacrifice himself; instead he jumped on the grenade because he has the skills to protect everyone. The differences between Steve and John are starting to show and how they respond to a grenade is a big sign.

Global Repatriotzation Council:

The GRC was introduced during the episode and while not being a major part of the episode the organisation is key to the story and motives of the main characters. After the events of the blip, Walker discusses how the GRC was created to help those who were displaced and who have suffered from the blip.

Walker also goes onto say that the GRC are trying to help while he and Hoskins keep everything stable. This once again tells us how the events of the blip have caused the world to crumble into chaos and how the legacy of Thanos will be felt for many years to come.

The Flag Smashers also mention the GRC and how they believe that the council is more interested in those who have returned than those who remained. They even steal supplies which they want to distribute to those who suffered during the blip. This is something the GRC don’t seem to tackle, so it makes the role of the council much clearer as they are focusing on the people who returned.

Isaiah Bradley:

Easily the most emotional scene in the episode was when we met Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly). When Bucky and Sam want some information about the history of super soldier serums, Isaiah talks about how for being a hero and beating Bucky in combat he was put in prison for 30 years. This is similar to the comics as Isaiah despite fighting for America was placed in prison and was not acknowledged as a hero. Falcon and The Winter Soldier looks like it will follow the comic story as the legacy of a black super soldier has been ignored.

Also, Isaiah talks about how while in prison people would come in and take his blood. Like in Captain America: The First Avenger the blood of Steve was needed in hopes of replicating the serum. With Bradley surviving his experiments we know the government would be desperate to keep improving on it. The series looks likely to dive further into the dark history of the super solider serum and we expect Isaiah may have some part to play in that.

Another point to note was the grandson of Isaiah whom opened the door for Sam and Bucky. He was credited as Eli Bradley (Elijah Richardson) and in the comics he becomes a member of the Young Avengers under the alias Patriot. With the MCU seemingly setting up the Young Avengers Eli Bradley looks like a perfect fit for the team.

The Staring contest:

One of the main parts of the trailers for Falcon and The Winter Soldier was the staring contest between Bucky and Sam. The constant death staring from Bucky is one of the funniest aspects of the series especially when Sam teases him about it. This begins the buddy cop dynamic they have which is a joy to watch.

When the pair have therapy together this dynamic it’s developed as they have a staring contest. Playing on Bucky’s intense stare the duo let their eyes melt. Ultimately it’s nice to see their dynamic grow as comparisons start to be made to movies like Bad Boys and Ride Along where the buddy cop dynamic was on display.

John Walker’s turn:

Throughout the episode despite being smug and annoying we didn’t really have a reason to hate John Walker because he was just doing his job. However, when he gets Bucky released from prison we start to see a turn for Walker which may see him develop some of his more aggressive characteristics that he has in the comics.

Firstly he doesn’t seem to care about Bucky’s wellbeing as rather irresponsibly he allows Bucky to be set free from prison and his court mandated therapy. Even though we like this, it would have made more sense for Bucky’s mental health if he kept with his therapy and continued trying to make amends in his own way. Also, Walker is smug when he uses his power to achieve this which a trait you wouldn’t associate with Captain America.

We get to see a darker turn from Walker when he tries to recruit Bucky and Sam for the final time. After Sam tells him no, Walker in an aggressive manner tells him to stay out of his way. This was the first time we got a glimpse of anger from Walker which is natural for him in the comics. A line earlier in the episode from Lemar Hoskins also teased an aggressive side of Walker when he tells Walker he can’t just punch his way out. This now leaves the question open of where Walker will go from here and if he will turn darker and more aggressive.

The Power Broker:

Despite appearing in the credits after episode 1 we hadn’t had any reference to the Power Broker in the show. This changed with episode 2 when it was revealed that the Flag Smashers had stolen something from him. What they stole is the serum which enhanced the members of the anarchist group.

In the comics the Power Broker is someone who sells versions of super soldier serums to paying customers. This is why it is obvious that the serum has been stolen by the Flag Smashers. What is also made clear in the episode is that the Power Broker wants to kill Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman) for stealing the serum which has made the character seem very dangerous and a secret villain for the show.

With the super soldier serum being a main part of the series we expect that the Power Broker may come into the series more and develop as a target of Sam, Bucky and maybe even Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) especially when Zemo’s goal is to eradicate superheroes.

Zemo:

We got our first sighting of the villain from Captain America: Civil War at the end of episode 2. Zemo was imprisoned after the events of Civil War and this is where he remains after the Blip. The tease for Zemo in the upcoming episode was very exciting and the opera music playing definitely hyped up his character as a major villain.

Moreover, we see Zemo playing chess in prison which was a nice subtle nod to Sir Ian McKellen’s Magneto who played chess in prison against Charlies Xavier. Comparing Zemo to Magneto is a big statement and in my opinion justified after what he did to The Avengers in Civil War.

When Sam and Bucky discuss visiting Zemo they reference how he knows all of Hydra’s secrets. We didn’t get to see this fully in Civil War but the fact Zemo learnt about Siberia suggests he would know all about the dark secrets Hydra has, which is a perfect introduction for his character in the show.

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