'The Falcon And The Winter Soldier' gets trigger warning, here are two shocking theories about Disney+ move
Ahead of the second episode of Marvel's 'The Falcon And The Winter Soldier' (TFATWS), Disney+ has made a small change to the show's description. First spotted by a fan account on Twitter, the small edit adds a trigger warning label to the show. Disney has used trigger warnings before, but this is the first time a Marvel property is getting the description.
If you open the show on Disney+ now, you'll get an added paragraph that says, "though it is fictional and set in the comic-book world, the series contains violent scenes that may be viewed as triggering or unsettling to some viewers, particularly in light of recent real-world tragic events."
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Since the change was discovered, many users have begun speculating why Disney added the warning. Some believe it is a spoiler for what's to come ahead in the show, while others think it could refer to what happened in Episode 1. We won't know for sure till Disney addresses the warning, but that hasn't stopped fans by sharing wild theories.
Warning linked to Asian hate crimes?
Right now, there are two theories for why the warning was added. The first has to do with a scene in Episode 1 'New World Order'. In the episode, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is on a mission as the Winter Soldier. He then shoots an Asian man who witnessed the assassination. Some people believe that the warning was added to address this particular point, in light of the rising crimes against Asian Americans. "Must be Bucky shooting that Asian man, I saw a bunch of people upset about that" one person tweeted.
Must be Bucky shooting that Asian man, I saw a bunch of people upset about that.
— Mie (#Stony #Lawrusso #Hannigram #Azicrow) (@mieroth1) March 24, 2021
That theory was backed up by a few Reddit users. One person posted, "I could see it being related to that and Disney just wanting to get ahead of it... somebody could reasonably say they just don't want to see portrayals of Asian-descended folks reacting to or being victims of gun-related tragedies right now, and now they have that warning." Another person replied, "Yeah pretty sure this is about Bucky’s victim."
However, it doesn't seem to be a very popular theory. Most people believe that the warning is not meant for episode 1, but for future episodes. Specifically, the theories have to do with Wyatt Russel's John Walker, or 'US Agent', who could be a bit of a racist.
Walker's racist attack
The popular theory now is that the warning is for a scene in future episodes, where the new Captain America will reportedly beat up a Black person. We've had two set leaks showing Walker beating up people, but none of the footage gives a clear indication of who the victims are. It is possible that the victims are indeed Black, but we have no confirmation yet. That hasn't stopped some people from speculating that Walker is indeed "a racist".
"Some time ago i saw two different sources mentioning a scene where John Walker beats the shit out of Elijah Bradley, who's a black teenager. This might be the scene that led to the warning. Understandable, i would say" one user tweeted.
Some time ago i saw two different sources mentioning a scene where John Walker beats the shit out of Elijah Bradley, who's a black teenager. This might be the scene that led to the warning. Understandable, i would say.
— Lucas Albuquerque (@LucasIntoxicado) March 24, 2021
Another user said that the racist attack would be a key plot point. In a Reddit thread, the person commented, "Well, that could be the catalyst to get him to step down and hand over the shield to Wilson". Another commented, "honestly, if US Agent beats up a Black kid, I will applaude Disney for trying to show what some people experience on the base of their skin colour, but I'm also maybe not watching that scene."
That was backed up by another person in the thread, who said, "I think it will but not in the sense that you mean. Not that US Agent will turn out to be a KKK member or anything like that but I have a feeling the optics of having a Black superhero turn over the shield he was given and then creating a new white hero instead of asking Sam to take up the shield again is just the beginning of addressing the systemic racism of the USA we're going to see."
There are others who don't believe that Walker will be involved in a racist attack. In the comics, the character is known to be a conservative figure, but not a racist. Walker never engages in an attack or threatens someone based on their skin in the comics, so it would be a huge change for the character if he did in the show. Given Disney's past apprehension for controversial and politically-charged storylines, it would also represent a major change for the company if they did go with the 'Walker is a racist' story.
Whatever the reason, Disney's wordings and reference to "real world tragic events" are a clear indication that this is a pretty big deal. The cast and crew have widely talked about how the show deals with themes like racism, patriotism, and being Black, so both of these theories make absolute sense. The only question is what is the actual reason? The only way to find out is to watch the show.
