Sam Wilson’s words in episode 2 of Falcon and Winter Soldier, about aliens, androids, and wizards, aren’t true and it is actually the other way around.
Towards the end of the 2nd episode of Falcon and Winter Soldier, Sam tells Bucky that both of them are fated to face the “big three” villains- Aliens, androids or wizards.” The three words may sound a lot true at first but when you think deep, they aren’t that true.
Sam Wilson states that “free agents” like them always have to face the big three- androids, aliens, and wizards. To this, Bucky appears skeptical. And if we too give the words some time to sink in, we will turn skeptical too. This is because it is not really true. It is rather ironic.
Aliens, Androids and Wizards Are Allies
Think about it for a minute. Thor. Loki. Vision. Doctor Strange. Rocket Raccoon and other Guardians; All of them come under the umbrella, in one way or the other, of the “big three”. And the list will go on. All of them have helped defeat Thanos who was a threat to the universe. And to speak frankly, the original Avengers, all human other than Thor, would clearly have died or have been defeated had it not been for them.
On the other hand, right from the beginning of the MCU i.e. The Incredible Hulk to Falcon and the Winter Soldier, humans have always been the main villain. It is us who were responsible for everything right from the start, and so it is within the MCU. And Falcon and Winter Soldier is perhaps the second, after Captain America: Civil War, which delves into humans and their thought process, although deeper. By focusing on human antagonists, this show has the potential to explore the human psyche.
Watch: Exclusive Clip – “The Big Three” | Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier | Disney+
Here’s an A-list of the villains in the MCU. See for yourself:
MCU Phase 1
Obadiah Stane- Iron Monger (Iron-Man)
Again a human, he wanted to acquire Tony’s Arc Reactor technology and almost ended up killing Tony with his Iron-Monger suit.
Emil Blonsky- Abomination (The Incredible Hulk)
Emil Blonsky wanted Bruce Banner’s abilities and he got them too. But it didn’t go down as he had expected. His nature as the rage monster was uncontrollable. After wreaking havoc throughout the film, in one way or the other, Hulk eventually brought him down. He was “just” a human.
Watch: THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008) Abomination Scene [HD] Tim Roth
Ivan Vanko – Whiplash (Iron-Man 2)
Ivan Vanko planned to kill Tony as revenge, decades after his father Howard turned his back on Ivan’s father Anton. Even the other bad guy in the movie, Justin Hammer, was also a human.
Johann Schmidt- Red Skull (Captain America: The First Avenger)
Johann Schmidt is an enhanced human just like Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner. But his intentions were cruel to the very core.
MCU Phase 2
Aldrich Killian (Iron-Man 3)
By all means human, his Extremis genetic experiment is what gave him his abilities. No matter what ability he owns, he has a human mind.
James Bucky Barnes-The Winter Soldier (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
One of the two main protagonists of Falcon and Winter Soldier, James Bucky Barnes has his own share of villainy. Although he was made to do things, he was still a human. Moreover, it was humans who made him do it. Remember Alexander Pierce?
Darren Cross – Yellowjacket (Ant-Man)
Just because you can shrink to the size of an ant doesn’t make you an ant. You are still human, Darren, and a very bad one at that.
MCU Phase 3
Baron Zemo (Captain America: Civil War)
The greatest rift among superheroes in the MCU was the result of the wicked plans of a mere human, Baron Zemo. And the same guy will cause more problems for Sam and Bucky in Falcon and Winter Soldier as well.
Adrian Toomes- The Vulture (Spiderman: Homecoming)
The Vulture is one of the most humane villains in the MCU as well as Marvel history. No superpowers, yet evil, only humans can achieve this feat.
Erik Stevens- Killmonger (Black Panther)
A human motor-boated by revenge. Nothing can be more dangerous.
Ava Starr- Ghost (Ant-Man and the Wasp)
Just like Daren Cross, Ava Starr starred in the second installment of the Ant-Man franchise. Human all over again, although she is more of a victim rather than a villain.
Quentin Beck- Mysterio (Spider-Man: Far From Home)
A deceitful villainous intelligent human whose anger is based on revenge and who merely escaped being detected because nobody ran a scan on him in the Stark Industries database. God knows why. Therein lays the fallacy of human beings.
Why Sam said what we said can be understood. Although it was the last fight in Endgame which seems to be the basis of his words, he has come across a fair share of aliens, androids, and wizards in recent years. This includes Thanos and his alien army. He knows Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff, both wizards. He was also present during Ultron and knows Vision, both androids.
The Upcoming Foes of Sam and Bucky
However, things are about to change as Falcon and Winter Soldier will have not one but three villains, all of them humans; John Walker (more of a cause of concern), Baron Zemo, and Karli Morgenthau. Although all of them seem to have morally ambiguous motivations, the past of MCU is proof that humans can give superheroes a run for their money, who, in this case, are Sam Wilson and James Bucky Barnes.
