🚨Warning: There are MASSIVE spoilers ahead for Episode 5 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+!🚨
1. First, Sam, Bucky, and John Walker fight in a similar formation as when Bucky and Steve fought Tony in Captain America: Civil War.
2. John repeatedly saying "I am Captain America" in this episode is like Tony's iconic "I am Iron Man" line, and it further highlights the differences between the heroes and John.
3. Also, John continuously referring to himself as Captain America is something Steve rarely did. Steve was always himself first and Captain America second. Again, this just shows how different John and Steve are.
4. We saw it in Episode 4 when John killed the Flag Smasher, but John's go-to move to injure someone with the shield is similar to how Steve hurt Tony in Civil War.
5. Sam tells Joaquin to keep the Falcon wings. This is massive, because in the comics, Joaquin eventually takes up the Falcon mantle.
6. I also just love the image of Sam taking the shield and leaving Joaquin the wings, considering that in the comics, Joaquin becomes Sam's sidekick when he becomes Captain America.
7. Julia Louis-Dreyfus showing up as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine might be one of my favorite things to ever happen, and it's HUGE. In the comics, Val is a Russian sleeper agent for Leviathan who also becomes an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and works closely with Nick Fury.
8. In the comics, Val eventually secretly joins Hydra and goes by the name Madame Hydra. She's basically one of the most well-known spies, and her appearance probably means that Hydra is still out there somewhere.
9. Also, in the comics, Val works closely with Sharon Carter, and the duo become part of the Femme Force, an all-women assault team for S.H.I.E.L.D. Do you see why I am yelling NOW?
10. Basically, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is supposed to be setting up multiple upcoming MCU projects, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus's arrival is definitely leading to some important storylines.
11. Zemo visits the Sokovia memorial, which he first mentioned to Bucky and Sam in Episode 3. Of course, Zemo lost his wife and son in the Sokovia attacks from Avengers: Age of Ultron.
12. When Bucky chooses not to shoot Zemo, he's following his therapist's second rule for making amends, which we heard about in Episode 1.
13. Ayo tells Bucky that the Dora Milaje are taking Zemo to "The Raft," which is the underwater prison that was first seen in Captain America: Civil War, and it's where Wanda, Sam, Clint, and Scott were imprisoned.
14. We catch another glimpse of Isaiah's grandson, Eli, when he talks to Sam, and I know I've talked about it before, but I just love Eli so much.
15. Isaiah mentions the "Red Tails" and "the famous 332," which were other names for the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of Black military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II.
16. Isaiah says that his fellow soldiers who took the serum died, which happens in the comic books. Isaiah is the only survivor of the 300 Black soldiers who were used as test subjects.
17. Isaiah tells Sam that some of his fellow soldiers were captured and he decided to go save them, which is similar to when Steve went and rescued Bucky and the Howling Commandos in Captain America: The First Avenger.
18. This episode is called "Truth," which is a nod to the 2003 comic book series Truth: Red, White and Black, which focused on Isaiah Bradley and his story.
19. Okay, I keep thinking about director Rian Johnson revealing that Apple doesn't let "bad guys" have iPhones on screen, and Sharon is out here calling Batroc on a non-iPhone.
20. Sam opening the box to see what I assume is his new Captain America suit is very similar to what happened in WandaVision Episode 8, where we were teased Wanda's Scarlet Witch suit before it debuted in the finale.
21. And finally, in our first post-credits scene, John Walker trying to make his own Captain America shield mirrors Tony building the Iron Man suit in Iron Man.
