Spoilers ahead for Season 1, Episode 6 “One World, One People” of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier**.**
Now that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has aired its finale, leaving the doors open for multiple characters, fans are starting to wonder about the future of everyone. One actor, who is pretty much The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s most underused, got fans hyped about his character’s future with a post on social media.
Elijah Richardson, who plays Eli Bradley on the Marvel and Disney+ series, teased that it might not be the end for his character. In the comics, Eli becomes a superhero known as the Patriot, a star-spangled adventurer and founding member of the Young Avengers. This wouldn’t be the first hint at the potential of a Young Avengers team. Cassie Lang, a.k.a. the size-shifting Stature, was part of the Ant-Man movies and appeared in Avengers: Endgame. Adding on to that would be Tommy and Billy from WandaVision, who grow up to become Speed and Wiccan, Kate Bishop from Hawkeye and dimension-hopping America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Eli Bradley first came into the picture when it was revealed that Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), a Korean war vet, was forcibly given the super soldier serum by the United States government. Isaiah was the first black super soldier, but there was no news about it. He and Sam (Anthony Mackie) struck up a special bond throughout the season, but Isaiah’s grandson is who fans were also interested in. With the introduction of Eli, the aspect of the Young Avengers being introduced into the MCU doesn’t seem so far-fetched, as he’s only the latest potential member to be introduced. Elijah Richardson’s Instagram post gives hope to fans that this is only just beginning for the kid, and who knows where it could go from there.
Another character’s future that is up in the air is that of John Walker (Wyatt Russell). The military vet-turned Captain America-turned disgrace had his story left open-ended. Walker was recruited by Contessa Valentina to start a new team with a brand new costume. He was revealed to be U.S. Agent, and depending on whether or not The Falcon and the Winter Soldier gets another season, he could prove to be a formidable enemy for Bucky and Sam.
With The Falcon and the Winter Soldier essentially building up the Young Avengers even more, and with the introduction of U.S. Agent and the reveal of the Power Broker, as well as Sam fully becoming Captain America, Season 2 is a huge possibility. The storyline possibilities are endless and even though fans didn’t get to see too much of Eli, hopefully that will change sometime in the future as this potential team is getting bigger.
All six episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are streaming now on Disney+.
