The Marvel Cinematic Universe has its fair share of fictional places like Wakanda or Madripoor, another place like that has been mentioned a couple of times in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, the place where the Dora Milaje brought Zemo to, the maximum-security prison, The Raft.
This is not the first time we heard of such a place in the MCU as this is the same prison where Captain America's team was brought into after the events of Captain America: Civil War. It is in The Raft where Tony Stark visited Sam, Scott Lang, Clint Barton, and Wanda Maximoff were put into after siding team Cap after their face-off at the airport.
Warning! This portion may contain spoilers for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Read at your own risk!
In The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, when the Dora Milaje apprehended Zemo, they took him to The Raft. In the season finale of the canon series, it is also where the Flag Smashers are supposed to be transported into had they made it out alive. We all know what happened and who did it. It's Val all along, and Zemo had his final laugh while in the same prison.
What is The Raft?
The Raft is a maximum-security prison where the most dangerous people on the planet existing in the MCU get thrown into. Such a prison holds the most notorious people, especially those who are powered in one place. The whereabouts of The Raft is strictly confidential, of course, and is only known by a few people as it is considered as a top-secret location, the only hint is that it goes underwater to keep being undetected.
In the Sokovia Accords, it is stated that super-powered individuals who break the said law shall be imprisoned in The Raft. This is the reason why team Cap was imprisoned there as one, they broke the accords by acting without the permission of the government, and two, they are considered as powered individuals.
In Marvel Comics, The Raft is located near another fictional place called the Ryker's Island, a prison in New York City, where other characters got imprisoned in like the Punisher/ Frank Castle. It is also the same facility where Hank Pym, Reed Richards, and Tony Stark kept superhumans who are not registered for containment during the Civil War arc in the comics.
In the MCU, The Raft is supposed to be a highly guarded facility but when Steve went there, he was able to take out all of his team and have their very own version of a prison break where they escaped successfully.
What does The Raft mean in the MCU?
The Raft has been featured in some Marvel series that could possibly be made canon once they make their MCU debut like Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher. Now that Marvel holds the rights over these series, they could now bring into the story these characters and continue the expansion of the universe.
With the Dark Avengers seemingly starts to form with Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and John Walker's US Agent, The Raft's involvement seems to be an inevitable one as it houses another mastermind connected to Val, Zemo, who is currently imprisoned there, having his last laugh when the Flag Smashers were eliminated.
Considering that Phase Four of the MCU continues to expand, the possibilities are endless and it could be hinted that this would not be the last we'll be hearing of The Raft.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Finale is now available on Disney+.
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