Easter Eggs You Missed In The Falcon And The Winter Soldier

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a pretty busy place. "Avengers: Endgame" changed the landscape forever, "Spider-Man: Far From Home" provided a solid epilogue, and "WandaVision" offers a few tantalizing hints about what the future holds. And then there's "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," which hurls itself forward at breakneck speed into an MCU of entirely new heroes, villains, and crises.

"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is full of everything that makes Marvel so special. Like the movies, this Disney+ series has pulse-pounding action scenes, loveable characters played by some of the most charismatic actors in the business, and a heaping pile of Easter eggs. From references to past movies to homages to the comic books that inspired the MCU to teases of stories yet to come, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is bursting with small details for die-hard Marvelites to pore over. Here are a few you might've missed.

In "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Bucky Barnes isn't Sam Wilson's only partner-in-crime-fighting. As he tracks down those who would do the country harm, the Falcon also teams up with a young American GI named Joaquín Torres. In "New World Order," Torres provides Sam with operational support while he's tussling with Batroc's forces. He later infiltrates a Flag Smasher rally in order to figure out what the terrorist organization is up to.

Joaquín's connection to the Falcon goes much deeper than mere friendship, though. Torres made his comics debut in 2015's "Captain America: Sam Wilson" #1. He emerges during a period in which Sam Wilson has taken over Steve Rogers' superhero identity. As a Mexican-American living in Arizona, Torres is concerned about the well-being of the immigrant community. Unfortunately, Joaquín's good intentions attract the attention of the Sons of the Serpent, a racist terrorist group that capture him and ship him off to Dr. Karl Malus for experimentation.

Malus uses the DNA from Wilson's avian partner Redwing (in the comics, Redwing is an actual bird and not a drone) to mutate Torres, giving him wings and the same psychic link with Redwing that Wilson enjoys. Eventually, Wilson rescues Torres, but the mutations are permanent. Thus, Torres takes on the mantle of the Falcon, and becomes the new Captain America's faithful sidekick.

Chris Evans' Steve Rogers isn't in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," but his legacy looms large over the entire series. After donating Steve's shield to the Smithsonian Institution (before that same shield is handed to John Walker, creating a new, government-controlled superhero), Sam Wilson and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) take a walk through the museum's Captain America exhibit.

The fictional exhibit is dominated by Steve's World War II exploits. The motorcycle and the prop shield he used during USO shows, as seen in "Captain America: The First Avenger," figure prominently, as does his original WWII combat uniform. Look a little closer, and you'll also see a picture of the 4F classification that originally kept Steve Rogers from enlisting, a photo of Steve receiving the Super-Soldier serum, and a shot of Steve holding the door of a taxi cab, among other doo-dads and mementos.

The most important artifact, however, is "Captain America Comics" #1. This item is much bigger than the MCU, of course — it exists in our world as well. This 1941 comic, written by Joe Simon and drawn by Jack Kirby, contains Captain America and Bucky's debut. Its cover, which depicts Cap punching Hitler in the jaw, was considered particularly bold at the time: The comic came out a year before America officially entered the war, and its overtly political message inspired so much public anger, Simon and Kirby were assigned police protection.

Just before Bucky Barnes and Sam attempt to jump the Flag Smashers, the two have one of many hilarious exchanges in an abandoned warehouse. Bucky's stealthy behavior prompts Sam to call him the White Panther as a joke, referencing the time Bucky spent in Wakanda after the events of "Captain America: Civil War." Bucky quickly corrects him, saying, "It's actually White Wolf." This confuses Sam for a moment, but the scene moves on without further discussion.

We first see Bucky referred to as the White Wolf in the second post-credits scene from "Black Panther." Some village children refer to Bucky by this name while he is residing in Wakanda under the watch of Shuri (Letitia Wright) and T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman). T'Challa later calls Bucky this name during "Avengers: Infinity War," before giving him a new vibranium arm for the impending battle against Thanos' army. "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" marks the first time we've heard Bucky refer to himself as the White Wolf.

In the comics, the Winter Soldier and the White Wolf aren't actually related. According to Marvel, the White Wolf is Hunter, T'Challa's adopted white brother. King T'Chaka takes Hunter in as an infant after he crash-lands in Wakanda with his parents, who don't make it out of the wreckage alive. He eventually becomes the leader of the Wakandan secret police, and takes on the White Wolf moniker.

As an angry Sam and Bucky walk away from their highway battle defeat in "The Star-Spangled Man," Walker and Hoskins ride up on them. Bucky tells Walker that holding the shield doesn't mean he's Captain America, and asks if Walker has ever jumped on top of a grenade. Walker says he has four times, but he uses his helmet to protect himself, unlike our friend Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) does in "Captain America: The First Avenger."

Don't recall that moment? Here's a refresher. While training in boot camp, Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) tosses a dead grenade at a group of his recruits to see how'll they respond. Without hesitation, Rogers, still weak and skinny at this point, dives on top of the grenade to absorb the explosion and protect those around him. It's one of the character's most memorable and moving heroic deeds, and Bucky's subtle invocation of it speaks volumes.

Founded by Curtiss Jackson, Power Broker is both an organization and a man, first appearing in 1978's "Machine Man" #7. Jackson aims to profit from making super soldiers, despite the extreme riskiness of the process.

In the comics, the Power Broker transforms both John Walker and Lemar Hoskins into super soldiers, though this isn't the case in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." The Power Broker is, however, responsible for the Flag Smashers' superhuman abilities. But he's not happy with them: One of the group's members mentions "the Power Broker's men" are the ones coming after them during the private plane escape scene. Will the MCU introduce Curtiss Jackson in the future? Only time will tell. Monikers are fluid in this universe — multiple people can take on a single title, and sinister organizations (cough, HYDRA) can live for years, carried on by a variety of faces in a whole lot of different places. 

Most Marvel Comics fans are well aware of Madripoor, a Southeast Asian island. While a lot of exciting stories have gone down here, Madripoor is most closely associated with something we've yet to see in the MCU: mutants. Namely, Wolverine.

Madripoor is first mentioned in 1985's "New Mutants" #32. Wolverine spends a decent amount of time here, going by the name of Patch. Even beyond Wolverine, though, the X-Men's connections to Madripoor are endless. Mystique attempts to set up an X-Men haven there in 2015's "All-New X-Men" #37. Magneto uses the island as a temporary holding zone for time-displaced mutants in 2017's "X-Men Blue" #1. With Madripoor now canon in the MCU, we can expect several visits to the island moving forward — possibly led by mutant characters.

"Power Broker" also contains subtle nods to Madripoor's Lowtown, including brief shots of local businesses made famous in the comics. The Princess Bar and the Brass Monkey Saloon (AKA The Bronze Monkey), where Sam, Zemo, and Bucky meet Selby (Imelda Corcoran), are iconic Lowtown hotspots. In the comics, the Princess Bar is owned by a man named O'Donnell, and offers entertainment to residents of both Hightown and Lowtown. But O'Donnell doesn't run the show on his own: He has help from his silent partner, Wolverine. Given Wolverine's stature in Marvel canon, this is an homage that shouldn't be taken lightly.

Just before diving into Lowtown, Sam is given a very brief history of the man he is supposed to be impersonating: Conrad Mack, AKA the Smiling Tiger. Luckily, Sam resembles Conrad, whom he notes has a "bad nickname." First appearing in 1992's "New Warriors" #19, Conrad is the son of a Vietnam veteran and a cult member who deals in magic. 

Conrad is also affiliated with the Thunderbolts, a team of reformed criminals led by Helmut Zemo himself. Other heroes in the group include Goliath, Moonstone, Beetle, Fixer, and Screaming Mimi. Smiling Tiger doesn't have an extensive history in the comics, and we likely won't see much more of him moving forward in the MCU. But his mention does open the door for the Thunderbolts, also occasionally known as the Masters of Evil, who have a long and fascinating history. The group has further ties to the Winter Soldier and Black Widow, who have both led the team during different moments in its history.

In the first act of "The Whole World is Watching," Sam, Bucky, and Zemo try to get information on Donya Madani, Karli's deceased adoptive mother. It's a dead-end for Sam and Bucky, as the duo seem to scare off everyone they come in contact with. Sam does manage to have one brief conversation with a refugee, but he refuses to give up any information on Donya.

Then we see Zemo outside, approaching a group of children while singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep." He dumps a pile of candy in front of them — the same Turkish delight he mentioned to Bucky and Sam, inside the Latvian apartment. He tells the group of kids that the candy was his son's favorite. Zemo uses the sweets as a way to dazzle the youngsters and get information out of them. It works like a charm: The little girl reveals when and where Donya's funeral will be. 

While this seems like the sort of simple, clever tactic you might see on an episode of "Law & Order," Zemo's use of the candy actually has a connection to another fictional universe. Turkish delight is the candy the White Witch uses in "The Chronicles of Narnia" to get information out of Edmund Pevensie. It's Edmund's favorite candy, but the White Witch's sweets are also enchanted, making them impossible to resist.

In "The Whole World is Watching," Walker kills a Flag Smasher by driving his shield into his chest. This gives us one of the series' most eerie shots: John Walker seen from below, as he holds a bloody shield. This specifically invokes a prior moment in Steve Rogers' history, making it all the more clear how dramatically the old Cap differs from the new Cap.

In the final battle of "Captain America: Civil War," Steve uses his shield to smash Iron Man's (Robert Downey Jr.) helmet. Instead of landing a blow to the head, as the audience expects, Cap digs his shield into Tony's arc reactor, which puts his suit out of commission. Steve easily could have killed or seriously injured Tony in that moment, but that's not who he is. He uses his shield as a way to subdue his opponent, instead of killing him.

"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" employs cinematography reminiscent of what's used in that "Civil War" scene, making for a unique and potent Easter egg. Walker doesn't have a personal history with this Flag Smasher, as Steve does with Tony, but he also doesn't have the ability to stop himself and assess the situation, which makes him highly dangerous. There's a darkness inside of Walker, which has been emphasized by the Super-Soldier serum running through his veins. Steve doesn't have that darkness in him, making him a much better Captain America on all fronts.

We first see the Raft in "Captain America: Civil War": General Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) imprisons some of our favorite heroes there for going "rogue." In the comics, however, the Raft is generally known for housing supervillains.

Ayo mentions to Bucky that she'll be taking Zemo to the Raft, and we don't suspect he'll lay low upon arrival. If Zemo's comics history is any indication, he might assemble the Thunderbolts while at the Raft. First appearing in 1996's "Incredible Hulk" #449, the villainous group is originally assembled by Zemo and disguises itself as a superhero team. Thought the Raft serves as home base for the Thunderbolts for some time, the group has since been stationed all over the world.

Over the years, more than a handful of famous figures have joined the Thunderbolts. The founding members consist of Goliath, Moonstone, Beetle, Fixer, and Screaming Mimi, though they change their names to Atlas, Meteorite, Mach-I, Techno, and Songbird, respectively. Whether or not these will be Zemo's prospective recruits remains to be seen. It was rumored that Erin Kellyman would be playing Songbird before the series started, but that was debunked when she was revealed to be Karli Morgenthau. The future is unwritten, however — who knows who Zemo might meet behind bars?

When Sam revisits Isaiah in Baltimore, the latter man briefly mentions his wife. She died while he was in prison, and believed Isaiah to be dead. This story is slightly different from the one told in the comics: There, Isaiah's wife, Faith Shabazz, is instrumental in getting him out of prison. First appearing in 2003's "Truth: Red, White & Black" #1, Faith marries Isaiah in 1940. Isaiah joins the Army shortly afterward, in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attacks. The two conceive a child before he leaves, and Faith gives birth to their daughter, Sarah Gail, while he is away. After Faith begs the government to pardon Isaiah for years, Isaiah is finally released and sworn to secrecy about his life's events. 

Faith is also a grandmother to Eli Bradley, Sarah's son, who currently resides with the MCU's Isaiah in Baltimore. Eli, sometimes known as Patriot, is a founding member of the Young Avengers, having gained superhuman strength through a blood transfusion from his grandfather. Faith is still around in the comics, and has occasionally worked as a professor of comparative religion.

In the beginning of "One World, One People," we learn that Sharon has traveled back to the United States when she shows up at the GRC to aid Bucky and Sam against the Flag Smashers. She approaches Bucky as a strange man who asks if he's in the right place, and is soon revealed to be Sharon in a very expensive face mask. This kind of tech would make Ethan Hunt jealous, and is also a major callback to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."

We first see this face-swapping tech in that "Captain America" sequel, when Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) impersonates Councilwoman Hawley of the World Security Council. Hawley is in support of Project Insight, an initiative shut down by Steve Rogers and company, thanks in part to Natasha impersonating the Councilwoman.

Sharon's mask is nearly identical to the one Natasha uses. This is a little shocking, given that it implies the tech hasn't progressed in nine years. But hey, with a nearly perfect mask like that already in existence, maybe there isn't much to improve upon.

If you weren't paying attention to the final title card for "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," you might have missed a crucial detail. As the letters slowly appear on the screen, the card is revealed to read "Captain America and the Winter Soldier," solidifying Sam's new mantle.

While this does confirm Sam's new role in the MCU, it could also be a hint about the show moving forward with a second season, perhaps under a different name. Season 2 has not been confirmed at this time, but executive producer Nate Moore has given fans hope by saying the end of the first season could offer hints as to what stories might now be told "in a subsequent season."

Some fans on Twitter were a little upset that the end title card didn't read "Captain America and the White Wolf," since Bucky's Wakandan nickname is mentioned multiple times during the series. It doesn't look like this is the end for Bucky, though — he might very well enjoy a transformation of his own in the future. Here's hoping.