Will The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Finale Satisfy or Disappoint Fans?

As The Falcon and the Winter Soldier prepares to drop its much-anticipated finale episode this week, there's one big question looming over it: Will Falcon and the Winter Soldier's finale stick the landing and satisfy fans? Or will it leave them feeling disappointed? With only six episodes in its run, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier does feel like it's come to the ending a lot faster than fans were prepared for, and there is a long list of story and character arcs that need to be tied off by the end of episode 6.

On the most recent episode of the ComicBook Nation podcast, we tackled the question of whether or not TFATWS' ending can truly satisfy (most, if not all) Marvel Fans.

As show host Kofi Outlaw points out, there's a long list of things that fans have marked down as "must have" developments for Falcon and the Winter Soldier's finale to feel truly satisfying:

"I just made a list here: We've gotta figure out what happens with John Walker. We know the new Captain America costume is coming. What the hell is going on with Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina and whatever larger thing she's a part of? We still don't know who The Power Broker is. We all want to know where Zemo is going to be, and if there's something more teed up for him? Are we going to get that Thunderbolts project teed up, which we've all been kind of waiting for with this show? Or are the Thunderbolts the new Mephisto? There's Isaiah Bradley and his grandson Eli - who... becomes a young Avenger, hopefully soon. And what's next for this Captain America franchise? Like, is there a new movie? Another series? What's going on? How is this new Captain America at the end of this show goign to fit into the MCU and where the hell is Steve Rogers? Let's add that to the list.

So we have to wrap up all of those things up to make a lot of fans satisfied. Plus there's a whole big fight at the GRC the relocation program thing in New York where Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Walker and the Flag Smashers are and Batroc are all going to collide. And you know, we got to see that whole thing go down. So guys, do you think they can stick this landing?

As a casual fan of Marvel, Janell Wheeler hasn't been as impressed with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as she was with the previous Marvel Disney+ series, WandaVision. In that sense, Janell is letting her hopes about the finale run wild:

"I hate being negative but this is the show I have not gotten into. I haven't gotten into the show. [Episode 5] is the first time that I was moved and excited and wanting to really like see more and really looking forward to the next episode which is the last episode. So for me it definitely feels rushed, no matter what... I'm hopeful but I'm also not getting my hopes up because I was so fulfilled by... WandaVision... that's just a hard act to follow for me personally. This show has been hard for me to follow..."

Finally Matt Aguilar tried to find some middle ground between the anxiety of disappointment, and the slight indifference of not being all that invested in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's story:

"I am in between you guys, I think... I don't think they will be able - - I don't think this is going to be completely satisfying for me. Just going off the finale for WandaVision, and seeing that we have so many plots to - not even close but at least address before we move forward. That's a lot... maybe there should have been one more episode of this series to really get some of those rounded up. I feel like there's going to be a couple of things where we go like, 'Huh, that's disappointing.' Like we didn't really get that addressed or they left that completely off the table for the next movie."

In the end, Matt Aguilar identifies one primary goal for this The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale that should make every Marvel fans happy:

"To answer Kofi's other question, you know, I feel like all I want to see from this is just set up Sam's movie. That's it. That's all I care about. Like if we get from point A to point B, the ride will be worth it. If Sam's next step as Cap is solidified, and launched, I will come away happy."

What are you looking for from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale and its ending? Let us know in the comments!

You can stream The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+.