For the longest time, the MCU had a problem with crafting memorable villains that the audience could get behind. Later, with Erik Killmonger, Thanos, and Baron Zemo, the franchise got better at making their villains stand out. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier features a new threat in the shape of an army of superpowered beings called "Flag Smashers", who are carrying out acts of terrorism all over the world.

Erin Kellyman, who plays the Flag Smasher's Karli Morgenthau, explained why her character chooses to go against the government. According to the actress, it all has to do with Thanos' snap, which removed half the planet's population for five years, and the fallout of that incident, known as the "blip".

"The people who remained [after the blip] kind of came together and supported each other lot more because of the traumatic event - half of the population disappearing - and the borders were open, and people came together, and there was more unity. That's what she's trying to replicate that again but with everybody this time."

Before The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, WandaVision had hinted at how completely the world had been thrown into disarray due to Thanos' snap. Based on Kellyman's comments, it seems the return of half of the planet's population after five years was not without its own complications, and there are at least some people who want things to go back to the way they were after the mass disappearance when there were no borders between countries.

Of course, this motivation behind the actions of the Flag Smashers does not excuse the acts of terrorism that they have committed, which puts them in the direct crosshairs of Falcon, the Winter Soldier, and the new Captain America, John Walker. In the last episode, a run-in with the Flag Smashers had cost Walker dearly, forcing him to snap and murder one of Morgenthau's teammates. While the fallout of that encounter will doubtless be a violent one, for now, Kellyman believes her character's priorities go beyond personal vendettas.

"She thinks that she's fighting for the people that go unheard and unseen, the displaced people, so she's against what he's fighting for. But also, he's not her main focus. She has bigger priorities, and I think the main one is making sure that everybody that's been affected by the Blip is safe and in warm places and have medical supplies and food to eat."

The world of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is proving to be a lot murkier than MCU fans are used to. Hopefully, the series will eventually resolve the pain and loss experienced by the various central characters in a satisfactory manner. Directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Adepero Oduye, Florence Kasumba, and Daniel Brühl. New episodes debut Fridays on Disney+. This news originated at TVLine.