In its six-episode run, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier brought with it intense, high-flying action, a heaping dose of shocking and thrilling moments, and more than a few emotional punches to the gut. And with a leading cast that includes the likes of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, one additional thing was a key ingredient to the show’s success: humor.
Perfectly-timed and well-written comedic remarks to balance out the action and drama have always been a cornerstone of what makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe so great. Leading up to the series, Mackie and Stan had years worth of on and off-screen banter between both themselves and their characters that developed after Captain America: The Winter Soldier. They readily brought this dynamic with them to The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and the creative team behind the series held back no punches when it came to fully leaning into that potential.
Join us now as we take a look back on some of the show’s funniest moments.
“Battlestar? STOP THE CAR!” — Bucky
Sam and Bucky weren’t quite eager to take John and Lemar up on their offer to hitch a ride after the battle on top of the transport trucks, though the fact that the airport was 20 miles away may have swayed their decision in the end slightly. Bucky looked less than impressed for the duration of the conversation, but learning that Lemar’s alias was Battlestar finally put him over the edge. He’s a Super Soldier, he can walk. It’s fine. (As seen in “The Star-Spangled Man”)
“Looking strong, John!” — Bucky
When the Dora Milaje were effortlessly wiping the floor with Walker and Lemar in Riga, Sam remarked to Bucky that they should do something. Unphased, Bucky crossed his arms as he called out to Walker in a show of mock support. (As seen in “The Whole World Is Watching”)
“A sorcerer is a wizard without a hat.” — Sam
After dodging his messages (and receiving a scolding from Dr. Raynor for doing so), Bucky finally sought out Sam when he found out that he had given up the shield. The two quickly returned to form with their trademark bickering, and Sam eventually revealed that he was hunting down the Flag Smashers because he had a feeling they might be a part of the Big Three. What’s the Big Three, you ask? Aliens, androids, and wizards. After initially throwing Sam off by knowing who Gandalf is — Bucky read The Hobbit … in 1937 — Bucky was quick to correct him in saying that Doctor Strange is a sorcerer. But Sam, ever quick on his feet, had a response that left the other man momentarily speechless. (As seen in “The Star-Spangled Man”)
“Why didn’t you use the metal arm?” — Sam
“Well … I don’t always think of it immediately. I’m right-handed.” — Bucky
Bucky paid Sam a surprise visit in Louisiana, and while the two were talking on the dock, one of the boat’s pipes came loose and steam began pouring out of it. Sam quickly went to fix it and struggled to do so. Bucky took the wrench and showed him how to tighten it properly … forgetting that he could have just accomplished it by hand with his vibranium arm. (As seen in “Truth”)
“Look at you. All stealthy. A little time in Wakanda and you come out White Panther.” — Sam
When Bucky began to quietly slink through the building to look for the Flag Smashers, Sam began teasing him in his earpiece, referencing his time spent recovering in Wakanda. Bucky, however, took this moment to correct Sam as he said, “It’s actually White Wolf.” (As seen in “The Star-Spangled Man”)
“He’s just going to extort you and do that stupid head tilt thing.” — Sam
Sam and Bucky weren’t impressed that Zemo was keeping the location of Donya Madani’s funeral a secret as leverage so they wouldn’t turn on him. Furious, Bucky walked up and got in Zemo’s face, aggressively throwing his cup of tea across the room. Sam intervened, warning Bucky of Zemo and his tendencies for extortion and head tilting. Zemo immediately straightened out his posture upon hearing Sam’s comment. (As seen in “The Whole World Is Watching”)
A Super Soldier without a parachute
When Torres informed Bucky that hovering 200 feet above the ground was too low for him to use a parachute, Bucky did what any rational-minded Super Soldier would do — he dramatically ripped the sleeve off of his jacket to reveal his arm and jumped from the plane unassisted. After hitting many tree branches along the way, Bucky landed on the forest floor with a loud thud. Sam was quick to pipe up in his earpiece, informing Bucky that Redwing had caught everything on camera. Bucky was not impressed. (As seen in “The Star-Spangled Man”)
“You’re not gonna move your seat up, are you?” — Sam
After making a narrow escape from the hoards of bounty hunters in the container yard, Zemo pulled up to pick up Sam, Bucky, and Sharon in the sleek, supercharged getaway car that he had just pilfered. Bucky made his way into the front seat without hesitation. As Sam squeezed into the back, he realized that he was finally getting a taste of his own medicine after the seat debacle in Civil War. (As seen in “Power Broker”)
“I always wanted to do that.” — Bucky
When Bucky and Sam were fighting the Flag Smashers on top of the transport trucks, Redwing suffered a fatal casualty at the hands of Karli. Despite the fact that he was in the middle of being forcibly restrained by two of the Flag Smashers, Bucky momentarily voiced his jealousy over someone else finally getting to take down his drone nemesis. (As seen in “The Star-Spangled Man”)
Dr. Raynor’s soul-gazing exercise
Dr. Raynor wasn’t impressed when Walker told her that he authorized a change in Bucky’s strict therapy schedule, and she insisted on one last mandatory session before he could leave. She also forced Sam to join in. The two failed to take her questions seriously, and so Dr. Raynor had no choice but to move on to … the soul-gazing exercise. Sitting as close as humanly possible within their two separate chairs, Bucky and Sam began to have a staring contest, much to her dismay. “Just blink. Sweet Jesus.” (As seen in “The Star-Spangled Man”)
And finally, a seconds-long scene that came and in went in the blink of an eye and yet still garnered so much viewer support that Marvel Studios had to release the entire unseen cut of it …
Dancing Zemo
Seeing the dangerous, scheming Baron Helmut Zemo let loose on the dance floor at Sharon’s party in “Power Broker” was singlehandedly one of the most entertaining and amusing moments from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. While he already proved himself to be an intriguingly human villain in Captain America: Civil War, this series fleshed out the colorful side of the Baron’s personality.
However, bathrobes, Turkish Delights, cherry blossom tea, and fabulous coats aside, this unforgettable moment was actually entirely improvised by Daniel Brühl. And once he shared that there was a longer cut of his dance moves, it was only a matter of time until fans pestered Marvel to hand over the goods.
All six episodes of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier are now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Check out all of our extended coverage on the series here.
