Though it had been a solid year and a half since the last dose of MCU goodness, the universe returned in weird ways in WandaVision. But following that, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier hit Disney+ with the predictable MCU fix that audiences were craving.
Between the explosive action, the rapid-fire one-liners, and the buddy team-up of Sam and Bucky, it was almost as if the MCU never left. But there are still some Redditors who had a problem with that. Whether it's confusion over the Flag Smashers' agenda, the main characters lacking any chemistry, or the problematic TV format, there's no pleasing some people.
The Supporting Characters Could Be Better
Bucky and Sam were once supporting characters, and they both had such a strong presence on-screen, often at the same, that they stole the show on multiple occasions. And now that they have their own show, Wayne8827 doesn't think any of the supporting characters are repeating Bucky and Sam's success story.
While complaining that the show isn't as good as WandaVision, the Redditor claims that "the supporting characters aren't very well fleshed out." Though there are certain characters that seem a little underdeveloped, they're clearly going to get more interesting in later entries in the MCU, such as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. It also introduced John Walker, one of the best supporting characters of phase 4.
There Was Too Much Action
One of the biggest appeals of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is all of the explosive action. Between the martial arts in Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings and the web-slinging in the Spider-Man movies, the action is always refreshing and new. There was a lot of great action in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier too, especially when John Walker brought his more brutal approach to the fights.
However, in a complaint that is rarely ever brought up amongst fans of the MCU, Ackner thinks that there was actually too much action in the show. The Reddit user argues that "it felt like the action occupied like half or more of every episode." And while there could have been more couples therapy, as they were some of the funniest scenes, there were so many introspective scenes regarding the titular characters, almost too many, in fact.
Bucky Already Found Peace In Infinity War, So The Show Is Pointless
The show might not have had as much at stake as WandaVision or Loki, but it still feels like an essential moment in the MCU. However, Ohnorepo thought it was a little weird that the show focused on Bucky's issues. They argue that they "haven't been touched on since Civil War, so suddenly focusing on them now and resolving them seems pointless."
But as is the case in real life, PTSD can come and go, and just because it hasn't been brought up in the couple of movies he's been in since Civil War, it doesn't mean his personal issues no longer exist. His emotional trauma is still there, and that isn't exactly hard to believe considering he was essentially a brainwashed prisoner of war for decades.
The Winter Soldier Was Underused
Though the Disney+ series is titled Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ejdebruin reckons it was more Falcon than the Winter Soldier. The Redditor posits that it "was extremely disappointing how little the show does to develop him and include him in the narrative."
In fairness, the show focused a lot on Sam and, if anything, the series was all about Sam's transformation from the Falcon to Captain America. But it still featured a ton of Bucky's best moments, such as the deprogramming flashback, and Sam couldn't have come to terms with the shield if it wasn't for him.
The Plot Was Disjointed
Marvel Studios has been on a winning streak when it comes to the Disney+ TV shows, and between them, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the most typically MCU. But despite the lack of the complex and fantastical narratives that Loki and WandaVision have, official_bagel still thinks the plot of the Sam and Bucky show is the most disjointed.
Comparing it unfavorably to the other shows, the user claims that "where WandaVision felt like a breath of fresh air, Falcon and the Winter Soldier felt stale and sloppy." It's a wild accusation in most people's opinion, as the show was mostly straightforward and much easier to follow than its peers.
Sam Is Not Worthy Of Being Captain America
A select few Redditors believe that Sam should have never gotten the shield because he doesn't have any special abilities and that he simply doesn't deserve it. Some even think that Steve Rogers should have given the shield to Bucky. Reddit user Dci_mos3 wholeheartedly agrees, as they say Sam isn't worthy.
They argue that "it seems his only correlation so far in the MCU is that they were friends." But if anything, the fact that Sam doesn't have any superpowers makes him even more special, more heroic, and more deserving of the shield than Bucky. And the moment the transformation is complete in the final episode is one of the most exciting moments in the series.
It's The Worst Entry In The MCU
When it comes to the general reception of the MCU, both fans and critics have overwhelmingly positive things to say about the universe. The first two Thor films are generally considered the worst entries in the MCU, and even those still have a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It took the studio 25 movies to churn out its first rotten film with Eternals.
However, AirborneAce1 thinks the six-episode miniseries is the worst entry in the MCU. The Redditor specifically points out that "the chemistry is non-existent." But the boat montage alone, along with the training sequence with the shield, is proof enough that that statement is completely untrue to most people.
It Should Have Been A Movie
The series was already fairly short compared to Loki and WandaVision, and the number of episodes was largely criticized by the fanbase at first. However, Miragen125 actually reckons that six episodes were too many and that the show was too long. The Redditor believes that Marvel was "stretching this story as much as they could and I am sure we could make a pretty good 2.5-hour movie out of it."
However, the show was more of a transitional phase for Marvel and a movie would have felt out of place in the canon of MCU movies. Not to mention that between the Flag Smashers, John Walker, Sam becoming Captain America, and Bucky coming to terms with his past, it's a lot to cram into one film.
There Was No Real Villain
User Azius20 makes one of the most outrageous statements about the show, claiming that there was no real villain and there it was "just a load of going back and forth scenes that lead nowhere." But if anything, it couldn't be more opposite, as it had more villains than any other MCU entry.
There were the Flag Smashers, and even though the Flag Smashers had valid points, they were legitimate terrorists. It introduced Valentina too, the Nick Fury of bad guys. And then there was John Walker, and while his future is up in the air, as his redemption arc was hinted at, it could go either way. On top of that, Zemo made a return too, even if he was more of an anti-hero this time around.
It Was Too Cheesy
Some Redditors thought the show was a little too corny, especially Aklitty, who said "the writing was so cheesy, Anthony Mackie’s acting was so forced in parts, and I still don’t know what the Flagsmashers’ cause was." To be fair, there are some moments that come off cheesy when they're not supposed to be, such as Sam's final speech to the senator.
However, it's unfair to call Falcon and the Winter Soldier cheesy, especially by MCU fans. At this point down the line, cheesiness is just part and parcel of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are so many cheesy one-liners in the MCU, and a lot of the characters like Thor, Star-Lord, and many others are much cheesier than Sam and Bucky.