The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: Who is Isaiah Bradley and Why is He Important to the MCU?

The second episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier introduced us to a character who has been in the comic books but has never been brought to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But why did it take so long for Isaiah Bradley to make his MCU debut and what role will he play in the series?

In The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 2, Bucky Barnes tells Sam Wilson that he shouldn't have given up the Captain America shield since it was given to him by Steve Rogers. Sam responds by stating that he didn't know what the government will do with the shield. However, Bucky goes out of his way to make a point.

Bucky takes Sam to Baltimore to meet Isaiah, a soldier who served in the Korean War. Additionally, it is revealed that Isaiah was a test subject that the government used to recreate the Super Soldier serum. In fact, Isaiah was known as the Black Captain America before he ended up being imprisoned for decades.

Isaiah's comic book origins are tragic considering that he was captured by the Nazis and experimented on relentlessly. He was even used to try and create more Super Soldiers. In the comics, this resulted in Josiah X, who is actually Isaiah's son.

But are we going to see more of Isaiah in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier? Sadly, the man refuses to work with Sam and Bucky because he still sees Bucky as the Winter Soldier. However, the visit to Isaiah's home may have teased at the future of the MCU.

The episode also featured Isaiah's grandson Elijah "Eli" Bradley. The boy eventually becomes Patriot, a member of the Young Avengers in the comic books. Elijah initially believes that he has superhuman strength from a blood transfusion from his grandfather but it is later revealed that his powers come from mutants.

For now, it is unclear if both Isaiah and Eli will play larger roles in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Nevertheless, we're hoping to see more of them in the next few episodes.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 2 is now streaming on Disney+.

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