The next big Disney+ series within the Marvel universe should be The Falcon and the Winter Soldier . We say "should" because the current coronavirus pandemic raises serious doubts about its release. Will its launch be delayed? When will we see it on the platform? What do we actually know about the plot? It's time to take a good look at everything we know (and expect) from this superhero series.
Falcon and Winter Soldier in the comics
Falcon and the Winter Soldier was supposed to be the first Marvel series created for the Disney+ platform. As we mentioned, its release is currently up in the air due to the coronavirus—we'll talk about that a little later—but that doesn't stop us from exploring and learning exactly what we can expect from this new project.
As with the WandaVision series , here too we have two main Avengers whose comic book origins are very different. The Winter Soldier is arguably the most complex in terms of development or progression. He first appeared as "Bucky," Captain America's sidekick—a kind of Robin to Batman—first appearing in Captain America Comics #1 in March 1941.
The character was later resurrected from his supposed death (he had been frozen) as a brainwashed assassin or antihero known as the Winter Soldier . This occurred not so long ago, in January 2005, in issue #1 of volume 5 of Captain America, written by Ed Brubaker. He eventually assumes the mantle of Captain America when Steve Rogers is presumed dead, beginning with issue #34 of volume 5 of the Captain America comic—published in January 2008.
As for Falcon, whose real name is Sam Wilson, he is also closely linked to Captain America. The character, created by Stan Lee, first appeared in issue #117 of the aforementioned superhero's comics, in September 1969. He also eventually assumed the mantle of Captain America in the comics, although much later than the Winter Soldier: in issue #1 of the January 2015 edition of the series.
Falcon is tremendously important culturally within the Marvel comic book world: he is the first genuinely African-American superhero to appear in its comics (his name doesn't even reflect his skin color), two years after Black Panther, the publisher's first black superhero in history.
Regarding the alternating ownership of Captain America's shield, in the movies it's Falcon who takes the prize. As we all saw in Avengers: Endgame , when Steve Rogers decides to "retire" and go back in time to reclaim his life with his beloved Peggy, the Avenger hands his shield to Sam (and not Bucky), who accepts it with surprise and gratitude.
And it is precisely from this narrative license that the MCU storyline is taken from which the new Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , is based.
Synopsis and chapters of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
We have little information about the plot of Falcon and the Winter Soldier at the moment, although one very valuable detail we do know is that, as mentioned above, the events begin immediately after the end of Avengers: Endgame . We can therefore expect to see how Falcon adapts, among other things, to his new responsibility as Captain America.
It is rumored that this choice could cause some discomfort in the US government, thus causing the character of US Agent to appear on the scene , whom a sector of the country prefers in the superhero position left by Steve Rogers - you have an image from the filming in which this character appears right below.
Wyatt Russell spotted filming 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' series https://t.co/6slFw5Z9U8 pic.twitter.com/cONEQhatVo
— Page Six (@PageSix) January 21, 2020
We also have evidence of the appearance of the villain Baron Zemo —pictured below—whom the Winter Soldier will have to face, presumably with Falcon's help. Zemo would introduce the Thunderbolts into the scene (and this is currently an unconfirmed theory), a group that also appears, of course, in Marvel comics, formed primarily of redeemed villains who pose as superheroes to gain access to defense and security secrets.
As for the number of episodes, at the moment we have evidence of one season in the form of a mini-series with six episodes.
Cast of the series
One of the best things about this series, without a doubt, is that Marvel and Disney will be able to count on the same actors who have already given life to the characters in the movies. Thus, we return to have Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan on the screen together with at least three more confirmed characters from the cast:
- Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon: Trained by the military in aerial combat using special wings and partner of Captain America. Wilson was given the Avenger's Shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame to take over his role in the fight against evil.
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier: The best friend of Steve Rogers / Captain America. After a period of time in which he was controlled by Hydra, he returns to do good.
- Daniel Brühl as Baron Helmut Zemo: Villain responsible for breaking up the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War.
- Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter: Former SHIELD agent and Peggy Carter's niece.
- Wyatt Russell as John Walker/US Agent: Formerly known as Super Patriot, he is the Captain America that the US government prefers over Sam Wilson.
We all got together to Welcome Wyatt Russell to the cast, then it got weird… why can't we all be as beautiful as Emily VanCamp! #DisneyPlusDays #MarvelCrew pic.twitter.com/Vlh3EvwJCV
— Anthony Mackie (@AnthonyMackie) September 1, 2019
As for the direction, it is handled by Kari Skogland, known for her work on individual episodes of House of Cards , The Handmaid's Tale , Fear the Walking Dead , The Punisher or Banshee - the latter in its entirety.
Official trailer
Falcon and the Winter Soldier doesn't yet have an official trailer, but during the last Super Bowl, Disney released a teaser featuring the first glimpses of WandaVision, Loki , and this new series. These are very (very) brief scenes, but they help to set the scene and give us a taste of what to expect.
When it premieres Falcon and Winter Soldier?
The million-dollar question, without a doubt. Disney+ had planned to launch the Falcon and the Winter Soldier series in August of this year, thus kicking off this new Marvel TV format on the platform – WandaVision is scheduled for December 2020 and Loki for 2021.
However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought all sectors to a standstill , including the film industry, and therefore the filming of this series, which was still underway. This will undoubtedly affect the streaming service's schedule, which will have to readjust the project once things return to relative normality and filming can resume.
Its premiere is therefore more in the air than ever at the moment, although it is expected to continue at least in 2020. We'll see.