Review: 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' is a Big-Screen Epic on the Small Screen

Legacy is everything.

...and heroes are forever. The world has changed a great deal since the Avengers saved New York City from an alien invasion. Our greatest protector, Captain America (Chris Evans), has earned his rest, and after the "endgame" of the Infinity War, a new generation must pick up the mantle from those valiant warriors. In the new Disney+ Original Series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Cap's most trusted allies are thrust into a dark conspiracy.

Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is back in the game. As the airborne avenger the Falcon, he's able to take on threats at an unprecedented altitude and easily navigate the skyways as one of the Air Force's most nimble agents. But after "the blip" stole five years of his life, the world Sam has returned to has outpaced him, and the wind isn't always in his wings. He may have saved the world from the intergalactic menace of Thanos (see "Avengers: Endgame") but back home his family has been struggling, and being a super-hero doesn't exactly pay the bills.

James "Bucky" Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is mustering all the mettle he can to keep his own world from spiraling out of the control. As the Winter Soldier, this World War II veteran was brainwashed and turned into a relentless assassin. Now Barnes is doing his best to make amends for all the hurt he's caused. It's difficult enough trying to fit the pieces of his life back together again (and live with the guilt of all the innocent lives he's destroyed), but Bucky has never felt more out of place – and it's not just because he's over 100.

With their friend Steve Rogers gone, but not forgotten, Sam and Bucky are living (somewhat) in the shadow of the First Avenger's legacy. They are determined to live up to his example, but when a clandestine underground spy ring begins to emerge on the global scene, it won't be long before these two will find themselves at the center of a mission to save the world's fragile democracy from the tentacles of a new enemy that may have already taken root in their backyard.

As epic as any Marvel Studios theatrical release, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" continues the established expanded cinematic narrative and doesn't skimp on production values. The first episode opens above Tunisia, as The Falcon hunts his quarry and learns that there is a lethal new terrorist agency working to bring the world to its knees. Meanwhile, a world away, Bucky is working on his own inner demons after coming to terms with his long history as the Winter Soldier. Gritty and seeped in cool visuals, the show feels like a Cold War thriller.

Fans can expect more familiar faces from the worlds of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to show up, including Emily VanCamp reprising her role as Agent Sharon Carter, Daniel Brühl as the treacherous Zemo, and the introduction of Wyatt Russell as John Walker – better known to comic book readers as the USAgent. There are six episodes in the series, and with a premiere that is as explosive as a blockbuster, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is already living up to the promise of being the next big chapter in the MCU.

"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" begins streaming on Friday, March 19, only on Disney+.