Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan reprise their respective roles as Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes from the film series, with Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Danny Ramirez, and Daniel Brühl also starring.

It also introduces Isaiah Bradley (guest star Carl Lumbly), a veteran super soldier who was imprisoned and experimented on by the United States government and Hydra for 30 years.

Viewership for the series was estimated to have been higher than the previous week, and the episode was well-received by critics who praised its racial commentary and dialogue, the chemistry between Mackie and Stan, and the introduction of Bradley.

A disappointed Bucky Barnes confronts Sam Wilson about his decision to hand Captain America's shield to the United States government.

Walker and Hoskins request Barnes and Wilson join them in aiding the Global Repatriation Council (GRC) to quash the ongoing violent post-Blip revolutions, but they refuse.

[4] Kari Skogland was hired to direct the miniseries a month later,[5] and executive produced alongside Spellman and Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Nate Moore.

[13] The episode stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russell as John Walker / Captain America, Erin Kellyman as Karli Morgenthau, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, and Daniel Brühl as Helmut Zemo.

[14]: 44:12–44:46  Also appearing are Clé Bennett as Lemar Hoskins / Battlestar,[7] Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley,[15] Desmond Chiam, Dani Deetté, and Indya Bussey as the Flag Smashers Dovich, Gigi, and DeeDee, respectively, Renes Rivera as Lennox, Tyler Dean Flores as Diego, Ness Bautista as Matias,[14]: 45:21  Amy Aquino as Dr. Christina Raynor,[16][14]: 45:21  Elijah Richardson as Eli Bradley,[15] Noah Mills as Nico,[14]: 45:21  Gabrielle Byndloss as Olivia Walker,[7] Mike Ray as Alonso Barber, Neal Kodinsky as Rudy, and Good Morning America journalist Sara Haines as herself.

She did not know about the MCU prior to her casting, and was given information and advice on the franchise from her co-star Titus Welliver who portrayed Felix Blake in the Marvel One-Shots short films and the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

[22][23] Scenes in Isaiah Bradley's house were filmed in 66 Hogue Street NE in Atlanta, a block away from Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthplace.

[28][29]: 40:05–40:55 For the series' first episode, "New World Order", Dillon differentiated the cinematography for Barnes ("cold and austere") and Wilson ("warm and inviting").

[17] Aquino said the therapy scene was largely improvised by Mackie and Stan,[34] and it took around 4 to 5 takes to film the humorous moment in which Wilson and Barnes's legs are interlocked.

[33] For a central action sequence that takes place on moving trucks, Skogland wanted to contrast Wilson and Barnes's incompatibility with Walker and Hoskins being a "well-oiled machine".

[39] Rodeo computer-generated imagery (CGI) supervisor Loïc Beguel created a method for the team to track the position of the trucks across the digital highway during edits, making editorial updates easier.

Rodeo visual effects supervisor Sébastien Francoeur said a digital double was present for around 95 percent of shots featuring Barnes's Winter Soldier arm.

[38] The episode opens with a drumline rendition of the song "Star Spangled Man", which was written by Alan Menken for the MCU film Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

[51] Nielsen Media Research, which measures the number of minutes watched by United States audiences on television sets, listed The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as the most-watched original series across streaming services for the week of March 22 to 28, 2021.

The site's critical consensus reads, "New political intrigue and a healthy dose of emotional stakes are great, but what really makes 'The Star-Spangled Man' sing is the return of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan's delightfully antagonistic chemistry.

Holub enjoyed seeing the Flag Smashers expand upon the idea that there were some benefits to the Blip and compared the group to the Red Lotus from the animated series The Legend of Korra.

Purslow said the main action sequence's focus on super soldiers tied it into the Captain America mythology that that rest of the series is centered on, and he spoke highly of the scene with Isaiah Bradley.

He felt that scene was a huge moment for Wilson and said it was "a good sign that the writing team intends to continue exploring the issue in a serious way that is smartly woven into the larger-than-life world of superheroes".

[57] Alan Sepinwall at Rolling Stone said the episode was "even busier" than the previous one, but found it to be more satisfying given Wilson and Barnes share scenes which "significantly boosts the energy level of the show and injects some badly-needed humor".

Wilson and Barnes's counseling session was one of the highlights for Sepinwall along with the various running gags throughout, though he did criticize the episode's set piece which he felt was repetitive and had questionable visual effects.