Marvel recently shared a behind-the-scenes video of The Falcon & The Winter Soldier. This hit new MCU show is only the second entry of a long line of new Marvel shows coming to Disney+. Back in December 2020, Disney announced their plans to rapidly ramp up the production of original content for their streaming service. This is in an effort to maintain dominance against competitors like Netflix. These plans included 10 new Marvel shows, starting with WandaVision, which just finished airing at the beginning of March. According to Kevin Feige, each of these new shows plans to expand upon the MCU lore, giving more backstory and screen time to less explored characters. For example, WandaVision focused on Vision and The Scarlet Witch. Meanwhile, The Falcon and The Winter Solider will focus on Sam Wilson, a.k.a., The Falcon and Bucky Barnes, a.k.a., The Winter Soldier.
The last time we saw either of these characters was in Avengers: Endgame. Sam, most notably, was the one who called out, "On your left" to Captain America during the final battle scene. Other than that, neither character was really focused on in the movie and did not have much screen time. The last time we got an actual storyline for either Bucky or Sam was in the 2016 movie, Captain America: Civil War. In this film, Bucky was on the run from the US government for crimes he committed while under the influence of Hydra. Sam assisted Steve Rogers (Captain America) in finding and saving Bucky against the government's wishes, leaving them outlaws by the end of the movie. However, the last time both Bucky and Sam spent a large amount of time together was in the 2014 movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The two characters have a tense relationship with neither really trusting each other. The events of The Falcon and The Winter Solider will force the two of them to work together, this time without Captain America there to keep the peace.
Following the events of Endgame, both characters are now fully pardoned by the law and have to adjust to normal life outside of being a superhero. In a new featurette posted by The Falcon and The Winter Soldier's official Twitter account, Anthony Mackie (Sam), Sebastian Stan (Bucky), director Kari Skogland, head writer Malcolm Spellman, and executive producer Nate Moore all discuss these new challenges the characters must go through. Moore mentions that the two superheroes are united by their sense of purpose, or rather, lack thereof. Bucky has to build his life from scratch while Sam struggles with his identity and whether or not he is worthy of the Captain America title. Both actors express gratitude that they finally get to explore their characters in more depth. Check out the video below:
If Sam ever accepts the shield that Steve gave him at the end of Endgame, then the MCU could see a new Captain America going forward. This would be a Black Captain America, as well, which would be a major win for representation, as a Black man would be the new symbol of America in the MCU. If Bucky can adjust to normal life and atone for his violent past, then we may never see him as the evil Winter Soldier again.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is already off to a strong start with the pilot episode receiving a positive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. WandaVision was well-liked by critics as well. If Marvel can continue to maintain their high quality throughout their tv shows, then they could soon dominate the small screen as they do the box office.