Falcon and the Winter Soldier first reactions are in, tease big action and surprise character reveal

India — The embargo on social media reactions to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Marvel Studios’ second streaming series, was lifted on Friday. Critics who’ve seen the first episode tweeted positive reactions, highlighting the action, the political undertones, and a return to more traditional Marvel storytelling following the mind-bending WandaVision.

Hindustan Times has also seen the first episode, and can concur with the general consensus. The first episode is tonally similar to Captain America: Winter Soldier, and explores many of the themes that were addressed in that film.

Collider’s Liz Shannon Miller tweeted, “The first episode of #TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier feels like the first 15 minutes of another solid exciting Marvel adventure. (With credits, it’s 47 minutes long.). That said, I’m hyped to see what’s next, especially once the title characters actually start to mix.”

Pete Sciretta of SlashFilm tweeted, “First episode of Falcon and The Winter Soldier feels like a Marvel movie in a big way, a lot more so than Wandavision (not a knock). The opening action screen feels like a huge MCU action sequence (and not a tv fight), story feels like it has significant MCU consequences.”

Fandango’s Erik Davis tweeted, “I’ve watched the first episode of #TheFalconAndWinterSoldier & it’s solid. Definitely more somber & dramatic at the start than I was expecting (which is a good thing), but also features the best Falcon action we’ve seen yet. Good mix of fights & story. I’m sold & hungry for more.” He continued, “What I love most about this series & #WandaVision too is that you just get to know these characters on a level that instantly brings you closer to them than you’ve ever been before. Both Falcon & Bucky are going through some heavy stuff in this one, that’s for sure.”

Mike Ryan of Uproxx wrote, “Saw the first episode of FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER. So far so good? Tough to tell after one episode, but I’m a huge Falcon fan so I’m glad this exists. Also there’s a character that shows up that is a definite, ‘Ohhhh, so that’s what this series is about’ moment.”

Here are some more reactions:

Malcolm Spellman serves as head writer, with Kari Skogland directing all six episodes of the miniseries. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan play Falcon and the Winter Soldier, respectively.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres on Disney+ Hotstar Premium this Friday in India. Stay tuned for the HT review on Thursday.