Anthony Mackie promises The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will reveal the full backstory of Sam Wilson. With WandaVision taking its final bow this week, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is preparing to take flight soon after. The Marvel Disney+ series was once slated for release in August 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic forced a delay. Luckily, the extra-long wait is almost over, and audiences will soon be able to pick up with Sam (Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame as they embark on a new mission.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will find Sam in an interesting place. When audiences last saw him, he just received the greatest honor of all: Captain America's shield. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), having chosen a quiet life with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) in the past, chose Sam as his successor for the role of Cap. However, while fans have eagerly awaited Sam's debut as the MCU's newest Captain America, the transition won't be so simple. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will also introduce the US government's pick for Captain America, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), leaving Sam's role unclear.

Related: Why Falcon & The Winter Soldier Is Hiding The New Captain America

This will likely help pave the way for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's exploration of Sam's characterization. In the spring 2021 issue of Disney's D23 magazine (via The Direct), Mackie opened up about why it's so easy for fans to connect with Sam, which boils down to how he's simply a regular guy. Most excitingly, Mackie promised the series will reveal Sam's backstory, thus showing  "how he became Sam Wilson." Mackie's full comments are as follows:

“I think a big part of why people like him is that Sam is a regular guy. He doesn't have superpowers. He doesn't have a super serum. He doesn't have a super anything. He's just a regular guy who found himself in a crazy situation.

"I think people see that, and they enjoy that because they can look at Sam and see themselves in that character. Like, we can't be the Incredible Hulk—he's the Incredible Hulk! The Falcon is a regular guy who just happened to meet Captain America and volunteered as a fellow soldier to try and save the world. Sam is always Sam. The way it's written and the way they've been playing it is he's always going to be Sam. The great thing about the series is you get to learn his entire backstory, his life, who he is, and how he became Sam Wilson.”

Sam Wilson holds the Captain America shield in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Sam has been a part of the MCU since 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but his story has always revolved around either Steve or some greater conflict within the universe. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will be the first project to explore Sam on his own on a deeper level than some passing comments. For fans of the character, this is thrilling; he's been a supporting player for so long, but now he'll step into the spotlight. And in case it still isn't quite clear just how in-depth the series plans to go, recent Falcon and the Winter Soldier images revealed Sam's sister Sarah (Adepero Oduye), so expect to learn about his family life.

One of the benefits of Marvel's Disney+ shows is that they offer the chance to go deeper into characters than ever before. WandaVision revealed just how far things can go with last week's episode and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and it'll be great to get the same treatment for Sam. He's a great character, but one who hasn't really been given the chance to shine. Luckily, that will change when The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finally premieres.

More: How WandaVision Ties To Falcon & Winter Soldier

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres on Disney+ on March 19.

Source: D23 Magazine (via The Direct)

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