The Falcon and the Winter Soldier review – sturdy start to Marvel's latest

Disney's Avengers spinoff series offers up a patchy yet encouraging combination of exhilarating action and soapy drama

There was every legitimate reason to feel a little daunted and wearied by Disney's glut of small screen streaming announcements back in 2019 that was then compounded last year during another migraine-inducing investor day, an overlong list of shows expanding universes that were already stretched beyond necessity. But after The Mandalorian brought a surprising new edge to the Star Wars universe and, more recently, WandaVision found a certain offbeat creativity within the overly straitlaced world of Marvel, exhaustion was replaced with intrigue as Disney+ insisted itself as more than just a digital dumping ground.

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