I would absolutely consider myself a huge Marvel fan. And with my favourite Avenger being Captain America, this made me highly expectant of the new Falcon and the Winter Soldier series starring friendly rivals Sam Wilson (The Falcon) and Bucky Barnes (The Winter Soldier). I wasn't disappointed.
Set roughly six months after the box office hit Avengers: Endgame, Marvel picks up right where it left off and answers questions fans have been asking for almost two years.
The episode opened with the Falcon (portrayed by Anthony Mackie) on a rescue mission with US military forces. Jam-packed with action and some explosive (literally) fight sequences, the premiere feels like a true return to conventional form after the WandaVision series.
For a premiere, the direction of the show still seems pretty open-ended. We know from trailers the protagonists pair up to become a duo, but the first episode places them in two completely different walks of life.
Whilst we see Bucky struggling to find his place in the modern world, we see Sam unable to take up the symbol of the shield. The episode didn't reveal much plot-wise (until the closing scene!) but instead chose to focus on two characters who haven't had as much chance to develop.
I liked the direction Marvel took for the premiere. The show combined intense action with deep character development - after one episode we know more about Sam than we ever have before.
Moving on to the rest of the series, I think the show will contain as much friendship as it does fury. Although the path ahead isn't too clear yet, I'll definitely be watching next week to see where this journey goes.