Marvel Studios’ second TV series created for Disney+, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, comes home with the second wave of physical media Disney+ releases. Serving as a segue between the Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson eras of the Captain America character, the series is required viewing ahead of next year’s Captain America: Brave New World. This release is confusingly labeled as “Season 1,” despite reports that there won’t be a second season.
(Marvel Studios)
Six months after the blip, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, aka The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, are paired back up against a terrorist group called the Flag Smashers, whose members seem to be using a new type of super soldier serum. With both heroes grappling with the loss of Steve Rogers, and with Sam having passed on accepting the role of Captain America, they are both forced to reckon with the past when John Walker gets involved, the U.S. government’s new Captain America.
The physical media release of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier includes the Disney+ making-of documentary, plus a small assortment of exclusive bonus features. While it doesn’t deliberately tease Captain America: Brave New World, the “Cap’s Shielf” feature is certainly a good primer for where the story is heading next.
Bonus Features
Disc 1
- Assembled: The Making of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (59:30) – Embark on the making of this high-flying, globe-trotting action series with the cast and crew in Assembled: The Making of Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
Disc 2
- Cap’s Shield (5:04) – Sometimes a shield isn’t just a shield. Anthony Mackie and the creative team behind The Falcon and the Winter Soldier discuss what Captain America’s iconic accessory ultimately represents — along with the numerous challenges of capturing the cumbersome prop in action once cameras started rolling.
- Gag Reel (2:40) – Watch the hilarious outtakes with cast and crew.
- Deleted scenes (2:26)
- Flight Lesson (1:04) – Sam and Rhodey have a heart to heart and bond over flying.
- Still Not Funny (1:10) – Bucky brings a treat to Sam's family gathering.
Video
The 4K-Ultra-HD presentation of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is glorious, particularly thanks to its handling of fast-motion elements. On Disney+, the Falcon air chase in the first episode felt off to me, possibly the result of the stream trying to keep up with the action. Here, it felts like a scene out of the best-made Marvel Studios films, and the rest of the series follows suit.
Audio
The Dolby Atmos mix is truly immersive, filling your rear channels with score and sending sound effects whizzing over your head. The sequence where Sam and Bucky toss the shield around is particularly fun, with the shield sounding like it’s pinging around your home theater. Additional audio options are a stereo descriptive audio mix, and plush French and Spanish 5.1.
Packaging & Design
Uniformly packaged like the rest of the Disney+ Marvel series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier comes home in SteelBook packaging with artwork by Attila Szarka. Both discs are navy blue, with stamped out pieces creating logos for Captain America and Patriot. Both discs have the same menu, which features animated key art set to score.
Final Thoughts
My favorite Marvel Studios film is still Captain America: The First Avenger, and this is the franchise I follow most closely. I view The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as the fourth Captain America film, albeit a long 6-hour one. The ability to add it to my home video collection makes me happy, and the icing on the cake is the excellent picture and audio quality.
Purchase Options
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