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Updated March 25th, 2021 at 12:29 IST

'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' to explore PTSD through Bucky Barnes's anguish?

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier may explore Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, ot PTSD through Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes. Read for more details on the same.

Reported by: Ganesh Raheja
Source: A still from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
| Image:self
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The Falcon And The Winter Soldier's plot, as many have come to expect from Marvel Studios, has been kept under wraps by the eponymous production house. The series, as is evidenced by its premiere episode, titled New World Order, will explore what life is like for Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier and Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson/Falcon post the reversal of Thanos' snap, which is colloquially known as "The Blip". It will also see the two lead characters trying to find a way to live a life post-Steve Rogers' exit from the MCU. But, ScreenRant reports that The Falcon And The Winter Soldier plot may explore Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, through Sebastian Stan's storyline, which will see him reeling from his deeds as the Winter Soldier and working through them with a therapist. This is the second adverse mental condition that Marvel Studios will be seen exploring, with the first time around being their attempt to explore loss and grief through Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch through the recently-concluded WandaVision.

The signs of PTSD that Sebastian Stan showed as Bucky Barnes

New World Order revealed that Sebastian Stan is experiencing nightmares about the time he spent as the infamous assassin, is socially withdrawn and is extremely aware of his surroundings, which he is clocking constantly as if anticipating an imminent threat. These are, as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses, Edition 5, are tell-tale signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. ScreenRant opines that the depths of the psychological condition will be explored through the eyes of Stan's Bucky, and The Falcon And The Winter Soldier's plot will try to normalize Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, much like they did with loss and grief through WandaVision.

If there is any truth to the report, it will be the third time that MCU will be seen exploring the illness. The first time they attempted the same was during Iron Man 3, which basically showed that Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark is reeling from the events of the first Avengers film. The PTSD that Stark was suffering from all along was confirmed when Stark, during Avengers: Infinity War, confessed to Dr. Strange that Thanos has been in his head for the better part of a decade. The second time around, the MCU explored PTSD and Survivor's Syndrome through Chris Hemsworth's Thor, which saw an over-weight god of thunder setting up a miniature version of Asgard on earth and locking himself up in one of the residential establishments in it along with his new friend, Korg (played by Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi). Marvel Studios, however, is yet to confirm, deny or comment on these reports.

What is PTSD?:

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illness, Edition 5 describes PTSD as "A disorder characterised by failure to recover after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. The condition may last months or years, with triggers that can bring back memories of the trauma accompanied by intense emotional and physical reactions.". Those reactions, as displayed by several MCU characters time and again, are nightmares, intrusive thoughts, over-sensitivity to the external environment, irrational behaviour, and personal isolation.

About 'The Falcon And The Winter Soldier':

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier was supposed to be one of the very first MCU Disney+ spinoff shows to be released by the makers, but the production of the same had to be put on halt due to the still on-going coronavirus pandemic. As a result on the same, the Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen-starrer WandaVision officially became the first show that inaugurated MCU's Phase 4. The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, which made its streaming debut on March 19th, stars the likes of Emily VanCamp, Georges St-Pierre, Daniel Brühl, Adepero Oduye, Miki Ishikawa, and Danny Ramirez, amongst others. The premier episode of the same, titled New World Order, is available for streaming.

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Published March 25th, 2021 at 12:29 IST

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