Captain America: Winter Soldier was a revolution for the MCU. Not only did it showcase Captain America’s life post-Battle of New York, but also delivered a powerful commentary on privacy, innocence, and trust. If that wasn’t enough, it was also a twisting/turning political thriller, and beautiful cinematic creation. The day Winter Soldier came out, the MCU grew up.

 

           Up until Winter Soldier, Feige and Marvel had told stories about relatable characters with interesting arcs, heroic actions against dastardly villains, and they built the basis for an epic story. Winter Soldier did all of this while also moving on from the innocence that its predecessors tended to employ.

 

           This is showcased in three ways, the action, the plot, and the hero. The action in Winter Soldier was graphic for the MCU. In the opening sequence, we saw a lot of blood and gritty action. The plot at its core was about the maturation of society during the post-9/11 encroachment on privacy by both public and private institutions. Lastly, the hero, Captain Steve Rogers, the essence of purity and innocence, learned that every person and every institution is untrustworthy, a complete 180 from his deontological upbringing in the 1940s. Natasha, Sharon, Fury, and Director Pierce were all deceitful, no matter their status of ‘good guy’ or a ‘bad guy’. Like the MCU, Steve Rogers grew up during the events of Winter Soldier.

 

“For as long as I can remember I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I’m not quite sure what that is any more” – Steve Rogers

 

           Not only did Winter Soldier change the titular hero, but also Natasha Romanoff. The Russian spy turned S.H.I.E.L.D agent. When we met Natasha in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers, she was in it for herself, looking for an excuse to be on the side of good. But during Winter Soldier, we see a shift from a lone wolf assassin to someone who starts to view her peers as a family. Winter soldier introduces a partnership between Rogers and Romanoff that has major impacts on Age of Ultron, Civil War, Black Widow, Infinity War, and Endgame.

 

           During this movie, we saw a struggle between the ideas of freedom and safety. Preservation and duty. How much freedom do we yield in the name of safety? During the conversation between Fury and Rogers, we heard that Project Insight “[holds] a gun at everyone on Earth and [calls] it protection” If we could prevent the next 9/11 by encroaching on privacy, should we do it? Should social media companies be able to collect information on their users and sell it to whoever comes asking? Should police be allowed to use facial recognition software to prevent crimes? The themes in Winter Soldier were and are real conversations happening during the information age.

 

“The world is at a tipping point between order and chaos.” – Director Alexander Pierce

 

           Winter Soldier presented a new [future] Avenger in this movie. From his bond to Steve to his incredible suit, Sam Wilson gets the introduction his character deserves. Anthony Mackie did a brilliant job of delivering the falcon to the MCU for the first time.

           

The Russo brothers also had a brilliant first outing in the MCU. While many questioned Marvel’s choice, the Russo’s delivered a complex story while also honoring and maintaining character arcs.

 

Overall, the Winter Soldier is an all-time favorite of many MCU fans. We can relate to Steve, while also being conflicted about the ambitions of Pierce. We are quick to distrust but long for a safe and free community. They hit us with questions that we already struggle with, and gave us no tangible answers, leaving us curious and questioning.

 

“Yes, the world is a vulnerable place. And yes, we have a hand in making it that way. But we are also the ones best equipped to defend it.” – Natasha Romanoff