Anghus Houvouras with some rampant speculation on Captain America: The Winter Soldier….
Every week I spend an almost improbable amount of time discussing comic book themed TV shows and movies. It’s by choice, mind you. I might be one of the last media writers still watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. by choice rather than some kind of occupational mandate.
Sometimes my penchant for comic geekery extends beyond mere facts and I begin speculating based on hunches and instinct. While most websites are pleased as punch to present you wacky theories and conjecture as potentially true based on the ethereal inside sources who are about as real as the rabbit in Harvey, I’m content to wildly speculate on a wide variety of topics based on nothing other than a gut feeling. With that, i present to you the newest baseless theory based on ideas that have popped into my head.
The Movie: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Rampant Speculation: Alexander Pierce is the Red Skull
What’s that you say? Alexander Pierce, the new head of S.H.I.E.L.D. played by Robert Redford is in fact, Red Skull? How on Earth did you come to that conclusion.
It’s a reach. I’ll give you that, but there’s obviously something about Pierce that they’ve been hiding. He’s always shown for a handful of seconds and spouting out platitudes of nationalism and the importance of iconography. We know the movie is called “The Winter Soldier” as he’s heavily featured in all the promos, but who is pulling the strings? Who has brainwashed Bucky and turned him into this killing machine?
Given the fact that is has to be someone we already know from the Marvel Universe, that means it has to be Arnim Zola OR the Red Skull. And wouldn’t it be just like the Red Skull to hide in plain sight, taking on the guise of a smooth talking politician like Alexander Pierce?
I know the objections: he died at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger. Absorbed by the Cosmic Cube never to be seen again. However, with the events of the Avengers and the tesseract opening doorways to other worlds, is it impossible to think that perhaps the Skull crossed back over just like Loki?
I know Armin Zola is going to be involved in The Winter Soldier. Though I can’t see him being the architect of the whole maniacal plan. His technical genius was practically unparalleled in the original Captain America and his mad science is no doubt a major contributor to the events of this star spangled sequel. However, I think there are greater forces at work. Whoever is running the show and controlling these events has a personal vendetta against Cap. Someone wants him to suffer.
This baseless theory was somewhat bolstered by the sightings of Red Skull action figures with the new Winter Soldier toys. It could be a total coincidence, but I have this weird feeling that Alexander Pierce might be little more than a mask that is peeled away for an awesome third act reveal.
So, Alexander Pierce is the Red Skull?
What do you think?
Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker. His latest work, the novel My Career Suicide Note, is available from Amazon.
Originally published March 20, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
