The first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has landed on Disney Plus, bringing with it a whole host of Easter eggs and theories – one of which could reveal the series' villain.
Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, portrayed by William Hurt in the MCU, hasn't appeared in the show yet, but his name cropped up in the closing credits of the season premiere – could this hint at a physical appearance in further episodes?
The credits at the end of the episode show parts of the Sokovia Accords, a treaty first introduced by Ross as US Secretary of State in Captain America: Civil War, which requires all "enhanced individuals" to be supervised by the United Nations. The text from the document is interspersed with slides featuring the show's characters.
On the slide for John Walker, AKA the new government-sanctioned Captain America (played by Wyatt Russell), the text says: "According to Thaddeus Ross, all information regarding the Enhanced Humans Act has been reported to be classified by Major Donavan of Special Unit..."
Ross next pops up in the MCU in Avengers: Infinity War, where he orders the arrest of Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson, and Wanda Maximoff. We last saw him at the end of Avengers: Endgame at Tony Stark's funeral, and he's set to appear in the upcoming Black Widow movie – none of which rules out a possible role to play in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
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