The MCU has already altered the superhero origin of Sam Wilson compared to the Marvel comic character. Captain America's new best buddy is a military veteran who quit after a mission gone wrong. Left with no small amount of battlefield trauma, Sam founded a group for other ex-military types, and met Steve Rogers while the pair were out running, with Wilson getting more and more annoyed each time the Avenger lapped him. During his time with the U.S. Air Force, Wilson was involved in testing an experimental set of portable hi-tech wings, and when Rogers calls for aid against HYDRA, the gear is dusted off ready for a new lease of life - MCU Falcon is born.
Sam's movie origin is already far removed from comic book lore, but Falcon & Winter Soldier makes even more source material deviations. The new Disney+ series stars Mackie alongside Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, and gives an opportunity to explore both heroes in greater depth. The premiere episode does exactly that, but while there are major differences compared to the comics, these make sense within the socioeconomic climate of the modern day.
Sam Wilson's Origin In The Marvel Comics (& Why It Changed)
Sam Wilson's original background will be almost unrecognizable to MCU fans. Hailing from Harlem, New York, young Sam actually has more in common with DC's Batman than Captain America. Sam's father was a member of the church, killed trying to prevent gang violence, while his mother was murdered by a mugger two years later. Marvel's comic continuity changes how old Sam was when these tragedies occurred, but the character was a teenager at most, and the deaths affected him deeply. As a young man, Sam was left with little choice but to turn to crime as a means of making money, becoming the kind of gangster he always loathed, but this darker chapter in Falcon's backstory was later retconned as a ruse by Red Skull. Captain America's arch-nemesis brainwashed Sam Wilson and gave him bird-based superpowers in hopes of creating a soldier to bring down Steve Rogers but, fortunately, Cap was able to break the illusion and a lifelong partnership was forged. Although Red Skull's Cosmic Cube gave Sam his ability to communicate with birds, it was Black Panther who stepped-up with the hi-tech wings.
Clearly, none of this happened in the MCU. Without a solo story of his own, there was never cause to explore Sam Wilson's youth or family life, and since the newcomer needed to establish himself immediately as an ally of Steve Rogers, the quickest solution was turning Wilson into a modern military man, creating a foundation of shared experience between himself and the Avengers' most patriotic member. MCU Red Skull was defeated in the 1940s, ruling out that particular component of Falcon's comic origin, and the idea of Captain America fighting a brainwashed ally was already being used for Bucky. Even when it comes to his wings, Black Panther had yet to be introduced in the MCU, necessitating a different creation for Sam Wilson's flying tech.
How Falcon & Winter Soldier Changes Sam Wilson's Background
The MCU had already gone off-piste with Sam Wilson's origin, and Falcon & Winter Soldier continues to make full use of that creative license. Fresh from defeating Batroc's new bad guy team, Wilson heads back to Delacroix, Louisiana where his sister and nephews still live. Delacroix serves as Sam's hometown in the MCU, rather than Harlem, but the comic version of Falcon does have a widowed sister called Sarah raising two sons alone, creating a rare thread of continuity for Anthony Mackie's character. Rather their father being a minister, the Wilson family own a seafood business in the MCU, fishing on their own boat to make ends meet. The dilapidated old sea vessel has the names of Sam's parents ("Paul & Darlene") written on the bow, and while their occupations may differ, their names at least line up with the Marvel comics. According to Falcon, he and Sarah grew up on the fishing trawler, which rules out the family setup from the comic books.
Sam and his sister have since inherited the boat, but keeping the business alive throughout the Blip (and without her brother) has been a near-impossible job for Sarah, who's ready to sell up, much to Sam's frustration. However, Sarah and Sam's argument does reveal that their father is already dead in the MCU, and although Falcon & Winter Soldier opts against providing a cause of death, his violent comic ending could still be used. Judging by the tension between Sam and Sarah, there's more to the death of Falcon's father than has been disclosed so far. With no sign of the family's mother, she too could've followed the source material and fallen victim to a fatal street attack. The circumstances surrounding Paul and Darlene's deaths may become clear in a later episode.
Falcon & Winter Soldier keeps the faces and the names, but overhauls the circumstances, locations and tone of Sam Wilson's personal history, but these changes aren't without good reason.
Why Falcon's New Backstory Is Relevant For The Modern Era
As different as Sam Wilson's background might be on the big screen, the meaning and social commentary remains more or less true to his printed adventures. When Marvel debuted the Falcon character in 1969, the real-world Harlem was struggling at the mercy of federal and local government. In the wake of World War II, living standards, economy and education were all in dire need of aid, and residents campaigned for change, fighting relentlessly for investment. Those who could afford to leave Harlem did so, triggering an exodus of citizens looking for better opportunities, but many had no choice but to remain and endure years of substandard educational facilities, high unemployment combined with low income, and the rise in youth crime that inevitably follows in impoverished communities. At the same time, America was undergoing a radical change in race relations, and Harlem's African American community was at the forefront, with Malcolm X particularly prominent in the area.
Even in the old days, Marvel would tackle genuine social issues, and Falcon's origin story was representative of Harlem's situation in the 1960s, and the overwhelming feeling that the town had been abandoned by government. Sam Wilson wouldn't just take on supervillains in his early tales, but also stood up for his fellow Harlem residents against corrupt landlords and the like, reflecting issues more pertinent at the time.
By moving the action from Harlem to Delacroix, Falcon & Winter Soldier modernizes those same social issues for a 2021 audience. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, depriving thousands of their homes, businesses and loved ones. Relief efforts organized by the Bush istration have since come under intense criticism, with central government accused of not doing enough in the immediacy, and then abandoning the victims of Katrina long before recovery was underway. Over 15 years later, the effects of the hurricane are still being felt, and the 2005 tragedy remains a grim example of inequality and an institutional failure to help communities in need.
In this sense, Delacroix shares much in common with 1960s Harlem, and changing Sam Wilson's place of birth allows Falcon & Winter Soldier to explore the same inspirations that underpinned the character in Marvel's comics. Even in the premiere episode, these themes are starting to emerge. Taking time out from boxing up dinners, Sam and Sarah approach a bank to keep their ailing family business afloat, only to be rebuffed by the most self-centered of employees. While Sam is disgusted that being snapped by Thanos can somehow affect his credit score, Sarah is resigned to the outcome, highlighting the prevalence of poverty in Delacroix - even for hard-working folk.
While Baron Zemo, the Flag-Smashers and Captain America in the MCU.