Marvel Studios knows what they're doing. When they started with Iron Man, they knew they were taking a risk but they had faith in the franchise. They also had faith in a plan that would create an ever expanding universe. A universe that saw Steve Rogers become Captain America in Captain America: The First Avenger. That film was more of a war period piece, taking place during World War 2. As we all know, Rogers would be kept on ice, and finally found and awoken in present day New York. He'd join up with the Avengers with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D., who he would learn to not trust. Which brings us to Winter Soldier.

Captain America: Winter Soldier, was almost less of a superhero movie, and more of a political thriller filled with spies and conspiracy. You saw Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce a member of the World Security Council, senior leader within S.H.I.E.L.D., and Nick Fury's friend. His ambition and driving goals throughout the film are to control the most powerful people in the world (Bruce Banner and Stephen Strange)...by killing them with advanced technology and satellite tracking systems aboard three new Helicarriers. As it turns out, HYDRA has been controlling S.H.I.E.L.D. for the past 70 years through the actions of captured Nazi scientist Arnim Zola, who we last saw in the first Captain America working for Red Skull. Being 70 years later, in that time with S.H.I.E.L.D. he's downloaded his brain into a computer system deep within S.H.I.E.L.D. facilities.

This movie was fantastic. They introduced both Falcon and the Winter Soldier in amazing and very real ways. They added a lot of depth to both Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff's characters while giving Nick Fury some much needed action screen time. You also saw Maria Hill getting into the violence as well. The car chase scene with Fury and HYRDA, the final fight aboard the three Helicarriers, this film had a lot of action and some well done fight scenes. This was a very fast paced and high energy movie that will keep Marvel fans guessing as to who exactly they can trust.

The ending left a few things open, as to the whereabouts of the Winter Soldier and the status of all of our favorite S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives but in the credits scene it introduced two characters who will next be seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Scarlett Witch and Quicksilver, locked up in HYDRA cells and referred to as "The Twins."

Something we haven't had before, but was introduced with this film, was the extreme and elaborate way they twisted the story into Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the ABC television show. The episode that followed the release of CA: Winter Soldier, pretty much picks up during the events of the film and also leaves us wondering what will happen with Agent Coulson and his crew. Throughout the episode, aptly titled "Turn, Turn, Turn" you are left wondering who within S.H.I.E.L.D. is trustworthy and who has been working with HYDRA. It made for some compelling television and is a must watch, along with its preceding episode, "The End of the Beginning" which leads into Winter Soldier.

You can tell we liked it, here at Atomic Geekdom, but we want to know what did you guys think of Captain America: Winter Soldier? Did you get to watch it with the companion episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Leave your opinions below! Hail HYDRA!