Episode 5 ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierdelivered what might be the most important MCU cameo of 2021, revealing a new potential villainwhose impact on this franchisemay extend well beyond this one show. But in front of our eyes this whole time, there’s been a massive clue that things might not end there — and like most Marvel Easter eggs, it shows up during the credits.
Literally, in this case. Hollywood in general but for the world of Marvel in particular, discussions about which actor gets mentioned in what order and in what context can be incredibly complicated —it’s rarely talked about in detail, but even just a glance at the poster forAvengers: Infinity Wargives you a dizzying sense of the dozens of agents and managers who fought to ensure that their client wasn’t just one of a long list of other stars. And this isn’t exclusive to the world of film — bothWandaVisionandFalcon and the Winter Soldierchose to acknowledge the named characters in both titles by alternating each week who received first billing.
But let’s go deeper. So far,Falcon and the Winter Soldierhas made a point of giving every major actor* to make an appearance on the show a solo title card during the final credits, often accompanied by a character portrait — the first two episodes even had a placeholder card ready forEmily VanCamp, even though she didn’t make her first appearance until Episode 3.
*The one glaring exception to this statement isCarl Lumbly,whose appearances as Isaiah Bradleydeserve more than just small print mention. (Honestly, they deserve an Emmy. Have some respect for anAliasseries regular, Disney+! The man wasM.A.N.T.I.S.!)
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The point is, since the first appearance of Zemo in Episode 2, the credits have ended on “WithDaniel Brühl,” something which sticks out like an incomplete sentence to any savvy TV fan. After all, truly nerdy viewers that watch the title sequences of their favorite shows week after week always have some level of awareness that getting the “And” slot in the credits is a big deal. The actor mentioned last, with this designation, isn’t necessarily the star, but getting the “And” implies a level of respect and seniority which distinguishes them as a series regular. (Remember whenAnthony Stewart HeadleftBuffy the Vampire Slayeras a series regular andAlyson Hannigangot the “And” slot? I think about that a lot.)
Much like it did for VanCamp, the closing credits sequence feels like it’s been holding space for one more big-name star to take that final position, and now’s the part where we get to guessing about who that might be.
To be clear, this could all be fallacy:WandaVisionviewers, of course, got badly burned after spending most of the season coming up with theories about a massive cameo appearance in the final episode.Al Pacinoas Mephisto might have been the wildest one, but there were plenty of others, including the very reasonable belief thatBenedict Cumberbatchcould have stopped by to cement that show’s connection toDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
While those theories did givePaul Bettanythe opportunity to troll us all, and bless him for it,WandaVisiondidn’t ultimately deliver a big cameo. But I’m clinging onto that lack of an “And” in theFalconcredits to support my belief that someone big will be dropping by next week.
The big obvious answer is, of course,Chris Evansreturning to the role thatconflicting reports say he may or may not one day play again— perhaps in a flashback, perhaps as the well-aged modern-day Steve Rogers seen at the end ofAvengers: Endgame. Technically, Evans has already been included in the show, not only in still photos but in a snippet of dialogue heard in Episode 1 — and given that so much of the show is about his two best friends mourning his absence, his inclusion in some way would make the most narrative sense.
But let’s acknowledge some other theories! I’ve never been one to thumb my nose at the chance to seeSamuel L. Jacksondo literally anything on screen, and so it’d be fun to see Nick Fury or the Skrull impersonating him drop in. (Yes, that means I am also very open to the idea of aBen Mendelsohnappearance.)
UPDATE:As pointed out by Twitter,Don Cheadlereceived the “And” credit in the season premiere. It’s very likely that he could return for the finale.
And while we’re throwing around big names, I have no idea how aScarlett Johanssoncameo would work (sinceBlack Widowhasn’t come out yet, but was originally supposed to premiere beforeTFATWS) but sheisthe Avenger with the most direct connection to both Bucky and Sam and fits well into this particular corner of the Marvel universe…
Point is, whatever might happen in the finale, it will certainly be a must-see for MCU fans — the ones trained by this franchise since 2008 to always, always pay attention during the credits.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldieris streaming now on Disney+.
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