Countdown to Infinity War: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Programing Note: They've moved up the date of Infinity War by a week!!
Gonna have to squeeze in some extra viewing time!

---

This is one of the movies I've been really looking forward to watching since starting the Countdown. The Winter Soldier is not just a good Marvel movie, but it's a really good spy movie in the same vein as one of those Tom Clancy techo-thrillers, only with super-soldiers!



Seeing Captain Rodgers deal with the world he's in, trying to be a good soldier in an organization like SHIELD... it's not a natural fit. Captain America can be counted on to do one thing in any situation: whatever it is he thinks the right thing is. Working with spies, and running up against that fact over and over... it takes a toll, and inevitably he pushes back against it.

At his side is the ultimate spy, Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow. For the longest time, this was the closest I thought we'd get to a Black Widow movie. According to recent reports, Black Widow will actually get her own movie... finally... But until then, this gives a lot of screen time to Natasha, which she uses to help Cap avoid the agents of a corrupted SHIELD that is being controlled by HYDRA! Not to mention all the asskicking...



Also joining the cast of characters is Falcon, aka Sam Wilson, a retired soldier who helps Black Widow and Cap hide out, and then helps them take out the Project Insight Helicarriers.

And then there's the Soviet asset, the Winter Soldier himself... By now everyone knows it's Bucky, but that moment, when the mask is ripped away, and Steve gets a good look at him? Great moment! Having them have to fight it out? Steve having to try to stop HYDRA while his best friend stands in the way? Wonderful bit of conflict there.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of SHIELD, let's circle back around to Agent Phil Coulson, last seen dead on the floor, stabbed through by Loki... Turns out after he went to visit Tahiti.

Agents of SHIELD came to the air a couple of months before Winter Soldier was released, and there was a weird feeling in the show, knowing that there was something big that was going to happen in the movie, but not being able to tip their hand. Once the movie came out though? Things got really interesting for a while there!

Back to the movie - the scenes with Steve and Bucky visiting the Captain America exhibit in the Smithsonian? Another great touch. All in all, this is one of my favorite movies in the series.

Next Up: Guardians of the Galaxy!!