With two episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in the books, the Flag-Smashers' role as the primary antagonists appear to be the wrong choice. Set in Phase 4 of the MCU, the Disney+ series follows Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) in the post-Blip world. While coming to terms with the fact that their dear friend Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is no longer Captain America, the duo is currently dealing with an anti-patriotism group known as the Flag-Smashers. Consisting of super soldiers has raised eyebrows, but the choice of making the Flag-Smashers central villains is drawing questions heading into the midpoint of the miniseries.

Introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere titled "New World Order," the Flag-Smashers were described as a radical terrorist organization that opposes all forms of nationalism. By spreading their beliefs on online forums, the group was able to attract supporters from all over the world. Essentially, they favored the world's open-border policies before the Blip brought a large portion of the population back. As revealed in episode 2, "The Star-Spangled Man," the Flag-Smashers included several members with enhanced super strength, including their leader, Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman). Karli and the Flag-Smashers are a nod to Marvel Comics' supervillain Karl Morgenthau, who went by "The Flag-Smasher."

Related: How Many Super Soldiers Are In The MCU?

With the return of Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl) confirmed for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, there was hope he would serve as the show's antagonist after the mess he caused in Captain America: Civil War. His involvement is finally teased at the end of episode 2, but it now seems more likely that Zemo will aid Sam and Bucky rather than fight against them. Still, the Flag-Smashers don't feel fitting enough to deserve the label as the show's primary antagonists. Their central focus as the core threats don't fully work, considering the terrorists exist as a generic amorphous group with a vague agenda. Instead, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier needs to stop wasting time and present a more engaging threat.

Falcon and Winter Soldier Baron Zemo super soldier serum flag smasher

The Sam and Bucky-centric solo series is only six episodes, and with only a handful of episodes left, the series has failed to present a full-fledged villain with a clear motive. The Flag-Smashers would work better as secondary threat running around in the background, carrying out the agenda of a central villain. Having Zemo fill the role as the one pulling the strings from prison certainly works, seeing as he already established himself as a dangerous adversary. The character also has the appeal from his dark history in the MCU, giving viewers a reason to remain enthralled by his involvement.

If Zemo doesn't turn out to be the big bad in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the series could also bring in Power Broker, a Marvel villain hinted at in episode 2. Still, if a powerful force is supplying the super-soldier serum, the series would be better off presenting a central villain rather than focusing on the Flag-Smashers. Having an unclear threat this far into the miniseries is convoluting the plot, especially with the rumor of Captain America's replacement, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), predicted to fall to the dark side. Hopefully, episode 3 will step away from the Flag-Smashers to establish the bigger threat involving the existence of super-soldiers before it's too late.

More: Every Civil War Callback In Falcon & The Winter Soldier (So Far)

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