Next year, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will kick off a string of Marvel original series on Disney+ that will tie in with the MCU’s Phase Four. The series will see Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes pairing up in a post-Endgame world to once again take on Baron Zemo, the Sokovian villain who tore apart the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan’s palpable and as-yet underused on-screen chemistry will surely serve this series well.
Confirmed: Malcolm Spellman is the head writer
Marvel has hired Malcolm Spellman to act as head writer on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Kevin Feige, the head honcho behind the MCU and producer of all of its movies, has said that he’ll be taking a hands-on approach with the series as he figures out how to integrate the Disney+ series into the world of the movies. But Spellman is the guy in charge of the storytelling and world-building and character development, so his contributions will make or break the series. He previously worked as a writer and producer on Empire, so he knows what he’s doing.
Fan theory: It’ll be retitled Captain America and the White Wolf
It makes sense that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was given that name in the press before the release of Avengers: Endgame, because it preserved spoilers. But we’re well past the grace period for Endgame spoilers now, and the movie ended with Sam Wilson being given the mantle and shield of Captain America. Plus, Avengers: Infinity War showed that Bucky Barnes has relinquished the name Winter Soldier (which Hydra used as his assassin codename when they brainwashed him to kill their innocent targets) and now goes by “White Wolf.” So, some fans are waiting for Marvel to change the title of the show to Captain America and the White Wolf. Of course, the title The Falcon and the Winter Soldier could easily stick.
Confirmed: It’s a buddy cop story like Midnight Run and 48 Hrs.
Sebastian Stan has said that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will be in the vein of buddy cop movies like Midnight Run and 48 Hrs., in which two mismatched characters are forced to work together. This sounds like a lot of fun, especially since Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes’ love-hate relationship has been well-established in prior MCU entries. The writers have said that they’re committed to making the show about the characters, as opposed to the set pieces. The action will be built around the characters, not the other way around, and that’s the case with all the best buddy cop stories.
Fan theory: S.H.I.E.L.D. is being rebuilt
Ever since S.H.I.E.L.D. was revealed to be a front for Hydra in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the MCU hasn’t really addressed it. The twist put Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in an awkward spot that it basically ignored for a few seasons. Maybe after Thanos has arrived and Earth has been united by feeling tiny in the face of a devastating cosmic threat, S.H.I.E.L.D. can be rebuilt. Based on the post-credits scene from Spider-Man: Far From Home, Nick Fury appears to be establishing S.W.O.R.D. in outer space with some Skrulls. This could be part of a wider plan to reintroduce S.H.I.E.L.D., and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier could be the perfect jumping-off point.
Confirmed: Baron Zemo, Sharon Carter, and John Walker are all appearing
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will see Daniel Brühl return as Helmut Zemo. This time, he will actually have his supervillain alter ego Baron Zemo and he’ll even be wearing his purple mask from the comics. Emily VanCamp will also reprise her role as Sharon Carter, finally escaping from the trappings of her creepy romance with Steve Rogers.
Wyatt Russell is playing John Walker in his MCU debut. When the U.S. military feels that Sam Wilson isn’t a worthy successor to Captain America, they create Walker to fill that role instead. In the comics, he’s also known as U.S. Agent.
Fan theory: John Walker will be a villain
In the comics, John Walker has had a complicated life. He grew up in his brother’s shadow and, determined to prove his patriotism, became an America-themed superhero. This led the U.S. government to appoint him their new Captain America when they were on the outs with Steve Rogers. However, Walker has also been portrayed as unstable and violent, and has often turned to villainy. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it seems like the government will reject Sam as Cap, despite getting Steve’s blessing, and recruit Walker instead. Then, Walker will turn on them and they’ll reluctantly enlist Sam’s help to stop him.
Confirmed: It’s set to premiere in late 2020
None of the Marvel series coming to Disney+ have been given release dates yet, but there is an announced release window for each of them. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is set to be the first MCU original series to premiere on Disney’s popular new streaming service, due to arrive in late 2020. It will be followed by WandaVision, the unusual ‘50s-style domestic sitcom revolving around Scarlet Witch and a somehow-alive Vision, and Loki in early 2021. What If...?, the exciting anthology series exploring hypothetical scenarios in the Infinity Saga, will arrive in mid-2021, and Hawkeye’s solo series is coming in late 2021.
Fan theory: Baron Zemo will form the Masters of Evil
There have been a number of superhero teams featured in the MCU so far – the Avengers, the Revengers, the Defenders, the Guardians of the Galaxy, even the Masters of the Mystic Arts could fall into this category – but the franchise has yet to feature a team of supervillains. In the comics, Baron Zemo belongs to a team called the Masters of Evil.
In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Zemo could be forming the MCU version of the Masters of Evil (that is to say, similar to how the team is presented in the comics, but tweaked to fit into the world of the MCU).
Confirmed: It’s about society’s difficulties accepting a black Captain America
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will focus heavily on the world’s reaction to a black man becoming Captain America, after both the mantle and shield were given to Sam Wilson by Steve Rogers at the end of Avengers: Endgame. This was confirmed by Derek Kolstad, the creator of the John Wick franchise (and writer of all three films), who has been recruited to join the show’s writing staff. When a fan asked him on social media if social attitudes towards the new Captain America being an African-American man would factor into the series’ drama, Kolstad replied, “Oh, yeah. And then some.”
Fan theory: Baron Zemo escaped from the Raft during the Snap
The MCU’s Phase Four should have a lot of fun with the effects of the Snap. It was a universe-wide event, and just because the Avengers saved everyone in Endgame, the ramifications will still be there. One example of this that could play into The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is how it affected prisons. If the guards turned to dust, what would happen to the prisoners? Baron Zemo could’ve used this situation to escape from the Raft. At the end of Captain America: Civil War, we saw Zemo locked in a maximum-security cell. By the time The Falcon and the Winter Soldier picks up, he’s managed to escape his captivity. This could be how.