‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’: Who Is Isaiah Bradley?

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Ep. 2 revealed another new Captain America, contending with the other characters who stand as possible candidates at the moment. Even though Rogers might have passed on the shield to Sam, he is not the first person of color to helm the role. 

Enter Isaiah Bradley, the first Black Captain America and a super soldier like Rogers from the 1950s. 

The first episode of the show previously confirmed that Sam had denied the mantle passed on to him by Rogers following the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. Feeling that the shield doesn’t belong to anyone but Steve, he returns it to the U.S. government. 

However, it seems they had a different plan altogether. U.S. Agent John Walker was made the new Captain, which visibly upsets Sam, but will put things in motion as the show will explore the history behind the shield and its honorable title. This will undoubtedly end with Sam becoming MCU’S new Captain America.

But with the show dropping another worthy contender in Isaiah Bradley, the Falcon’s path to taking back the title might get more long-drawn and difficult. In episode 2, Sam and Bucky go to Baltimore, Maryland, to visit Isaiah, where the latter explains how the older man was HYDRA’s most feared enemy when Rogers was under ice.

Bucky also recounts that their fight in 1951, in which Bradley wrecked his robotic arm, led the super soldier to be put in prison for almost 30 years, during which time tests were run on him. Isaiah’s introduction to the franchise was teased even before the show dropped, with many sites reporting the news. It was finally confirmed in last week’s episode’s end credits with the character being referred to as Subject #07656.

Bradley was first introduced to Marvel Comics in 2003’s Truth: Red, White, and Black, which narrated the story of the U.S. military’s secret project of running tests to recreate the Super-Soldier Serum. The story also reveals that 300 Black soldiers were forced to become experiments, like Isaiah. 

Being amongst the few survivors, Bradley was granted a pardon after serving jail time at the behest of keeping the incident a secret. When Sam asks Bucky why he never told anyone about this, Bucky tells him it was to protect Isaiah as he had been through enough. 

However, with the show’s inclusion of Bradley as a former Captain America, things sure are about to get very interesting as him, Sam, Bucky, and Walker will butt heads over Rogers’ former title.

About The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is an American television miniseries created by Malcolm Spellman for Disney+. It is based on the titular Marvel Comics characters Sam Wilson aka. Falcon and Bucky Barnes aka. The Winter Soldier.

Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan reprise their roles as Falcon and Winter Soldier respectively. They are joined by an ensemble cast including Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Danny Ramirez, Georges St. Pierre, Don Cheadle, Daniel Bruhl, Emily VanCamp, Florence Kasumba and guest star Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Following the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” Sam and Bucky team up in a global adventure to fight an anarchist group called Flag-Smashers while setting to protect the legacy of Steve Rogers (Captain America).

Source: Hotstar