Marvel Studios has finally confirmed the release window of the Disney+ Falcon & Winter Soldier TV series. Phase 4 of the MCU will be very different, not least because Marvel Studios is producing a range of six-to-eight-episode TV shows that star actors straight from the movies. These will be available exclusively on the Disney+ streaming service.

One of the most exciting shows is Falcon & Winter Soldier, directed by Kari Skogland (The Walking DeadThe Handmaid's Tale). Starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, the plot is expected to deal with how Sam Wilson comes to accept the Captain America role he was offered at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Mackie almost made his MCU debut as Captain America in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but that idea was dropped.

Related: It's Good That Spider-Man: Far From Home Cut Falcon's Captain America

Marvel Studios has confirmed that Falcon & Winter Soldier will drop on Disney+ in Fall 2020. There's a sense in which this isn't particularly surprising, given the show isn't due to begin production until October, and will enjoy a studio-sized budget - and, presumably, film-quality CGI as well.

Daniel Bruhl as Zemo in Captain America Civil War

Marvel Studios' panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 also confirmed that Daniel Brühl will return as Baron Zemo, the villain of Captain America: Civil War. There's a sense in which Zemo was one of Marvel's most successful villains, in that he actually accomplished his goal; he managed to tear the Avengers apart. No doubt he won't take kindly to the news that Earth's Mightiest Heroes are active once again, or that the Captain America mantle has been passed to someone else.

 

That said, it is surprising to see Marvel choose to retain the Falcon and Winter Soldier title for the Disney+ show. In the comics, Falcon struggled to convince the world that he was a worthy successor for Steve Rogers as Captain America; it's possible Marvel intend to do a similar version of that plot. If that's the case, Spider-Man: Far From Home set that up quite cleverly. It revealed that the world believes Steve Rogers is dead, which means Falcon will struggle to explain just how he has earned the right to wield the shield. It's even possible the United States government will insist that they have the right to decide who the next Captain America should be, overruling what Falcon claims are Steve Rogers' wishes.

Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how the Winter Soldier settles into the post-Avengers: Endgame MCU. Bucky Barnes may have participated in the final battle against Thanos, but technically he's still a wanted man.

More: Marvel's Eternals Cast Confirmed