The Falcon and Winter Soldier star Sebastian Stan compares the tone of the upcoming Disney+ series to that of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Set to premiere later this year, Falcon and Winter Soldier reunites the two MCU heroes, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Stan), for a six-episode adventure that picks up after the events of Avengers: Endgame. The show will explore what it is Sam does after receiving the Captain America shield from Steve Rogers.
Joining Mackie and Stan for the MCU's first Disney+ show is also Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, Daniel Brühl as Baron Zemo, and newcomer Wyatt Russell as John Walker aka U.S. Agent. Filming is mostly wrapped on The Falcon and Winter Soldier, but there is some additional shooting that still needs to take place overseas and that has been put on hold due to the shutdowns brought about by the pandemic. As of now, it doesn't appear this halt in production will delay the show's Fall 2020 premiere, but there's still time for the situation to change. Assuming Falcon and Winter Soldier does release as planned, then the MCU looks to be packing a one-two punch of spy thriller action between this Disney+ show and November's Black Widow.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Stan teased The Falcon and Winter Soldier, describing the show as being similar to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This isn't at all surprising seeing as Mackie's Sam, VanCamp's Sharon, and Brühl's Zemo all made their MCU debut in that film. Not to mention, it's the movie where Stan first reprised the role of Bucky and became the Winter Soldier. Additionally, the little we know about Falcon and Winter Soldier's plot suggests a story where Sam and Bucky are forced to team up and work against the United States government, which is reminiscent of Cap's fight against the HYDRA-infested SHIELD. Read Stan's full comments on Falcon and the Winter, below.
What I loved about it was that, tonally, it was very much in the same world that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was, which was one of my favorite experiences that I’ve ever had, period. So, in a sense, it was grounded and very much in the world as we know it. But, it’s also really jam-packed with a lot of massive, massive action scenes mixed with deep focus on character. That’s what’s really exciting about this. We’re getting to keep it in the world of the movies, so it’s recognizable that way, but at the same time, these characters are getting so much more mileage for all of us to explore them. We can put them in situations that we’ve never been able to put them in before because you now have six hours as opposed to two. It’s always a discovery.
In the final minutes of Endgame, Steve gives his shield to Sam, signifying that he will be his successor as Captain America. In The Falcon and Winter Solider, though, Sam may have the shield, but the U.S. government does not appear to recognize him as the new Captain America. Instead, they create their own super soldier, U.S. Agent, a character who in the comics (under his original name Super Patriot) was intended as a dark mirror of Cap, representing the evil side of patriotism. Chances are good The Falcon and Winter Soldier are using U.S. Agent in a similar way, positioning him opposite Sam's Cap so that the show will have that "deep focus on character" Stan has praised.
Having this conflict also be what leads Bucky and Sam - who, by the way, aren't exactly friends at the start of the show - to team up is another way great way to really explore their characters. Though both Mackie and Stan have appeared in multiple MCU movies, it's always been as secondary character to the main Avengers. Even in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the movies Stan likens to The Falcon and Winter Solder, the main focus is on Steve and to a lesser degree Bucky (who isn't really himself for most of the movie anyway). But thanks to Marvel continuing to tell MCU stories on the small screen as well the big, fans are getting the chance to know these secondary characters better, preparing them to be the next stars of the MCU.
Source: THR