Every Marvel Character Who Could Return In Falcon & Winter Soldier

Numerous MCU characters could return in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The upcoming Disney+ series is already bringing back a handful of familiar faces, and even more could be hidden somewhere in the story. It’s already been stated by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier writer Derek Kolstad that “characters from the earliest Marvel movies” are coming back for the show, but their identities haven’t been discussed.

Aside from the two title characters, it’s been confirmed that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will feature appearances from at least three characters from the Captain America trilogy. Georges St. Pierre will reprise his role as Batroc the Leaper from Winter Soldier, Emily VanCamp will be back as Sharon Carter, and Daniel Brühl will finally get to play a comic book accurate version of Baron Zemo, who is Captain America’s second biggest villain after the Red Skull. Plus, the show will introduce Marvel Comics superhero U.S. Agent as the new Captain America. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s take on U.S. Agent will be played by Wyatt Russell.

As a six-episode series, it makes sense that a show like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier can make use of rarely seen or forgotten MCU heroes and villains from previous movies. Marvel can only pack so many characters into one two-hour movie, but Marvel will have a lot more opportunities to bring back old fan-favorites with its Disney+ shows. In some cases, they can receive much more significant roles. Here’s every Marvel character who could return to the MCU in Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Nick Fury

Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury could be important to Marvel’s plans for Phase 4. It was revealed through a post-credits scene in Spider-Man: Far from Home that Fury is involved with SWORD, an organization from Marvel Comics put together to protect the planet from extraterrestrial threats. Where Marvel is going with this isn’t altogether clear, but SWORD is going to have a presence in at least one Disney+ show – WandaVision. Fury (and possibly SWORD) could also factor into the story of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. As a character who fits seamlessly into its world of espionage and secret government plots, it shouldn’t be that surprising if Marvel gives the former Avengers handler a role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier ahead of the debut of Nick Fury's own Disney+ show. It could be that he’ll be around to provide Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie) with some invaluable intel on Zemo and his schemes.

Maria Hill

With or without Nick Fury, Maria Hill (Colbie Smulders) could return in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. At this point, she’s been a part of several Marvel projects (with her latest appearance coming in Far from Home), but she hasn’t really received a considerable amount of focus as of yet. A guest-starring spot in an episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier could remedy that by sending her off to fight alongside Bucky and Sam.

Thunderbolt Ross

General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) established a connection to the world of Captain America when he played a crucial part in the creation of the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War. Ross could appear in a similar capacity in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as a character who gives orders to U.S. Agent. It’s no secret that the series will deal heavily with the government’s decision to ignore Steve’s wishes and replace him with John Walker. When telling Walker’s story, the show is sure to show him interacting with the government officials overseeing him. One of them could be an existing MCU character like General Ross. If so, there’s a possibility that Ross will be involved in three MCU projects in Phase 4. He’s already set to appear in Black Widow, and he feels like a logical choice for She-Hulk as well.

War Machine

Falcon may not be the only MCU hero providing representation to the Avengers in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Don Cheadle’s War Machine is one remaining Avenger whose post-Endgame fate hasn’t been revealed yet. Marvel has clear plans in Phase 4 for Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Also, Mark Ruffalo is reportedly returning as Bruce Banner in She-Hulk. On the other hand, War Machine has a much more uncertain future. A good opportunity to reveal what comes next for him will come in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. One thing the show can do with War Machine is use him to explore the current status of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Marvel didn’t properly lay out the team’s future in Avengers: Endgame, but can do so much more effectively in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It could be that War Machine is a current member of the team. At some point in the series, Falcon could call on him for backup.

Howard Stark

Howard Stark, Tony Stark’s father and one of Winter Soldier’s victims, could loom over Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Not only may his death haunt Bucky, but it could be that his actions in the past may be connected in some way to the show’s plot. Details about what the two main heroes will be going up against have indicated that the super-soldier program will be at the heart of it. Flashbacks could shed some light on how characters tried to recreate the formula that created Captain America. It may be that Howard Stark, being of the most brilliant minds of his time, may have had a hand in this.

Dum Dum Dugan

Last seen in Agent Carter, Neal McDonough’s Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan was an American soldier and a member of Steve’s Howling Commandos in Captain America: The First Avenger. Since his death has never been officially confirmed, there’s a chance that he’s still alive in the MCU. In Marvel Comics, Dum Dum Dugan used a serum to extend his life and became a long-lasting fixture of SHIELD. Even now, he’s a key supporting character in the Marvel Universe. Over the years, he’s been privy to some of Fury’s biggest secrets and has been involved in several important stories. Thus far, the MCU’s Dugan has had a much smaller presence in the movies, as he hasn’t been seen in any film or show set past the 1940s. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier could finally move Dugan closer to his comic book counterpart by revealing that he joined SHIELD. It could be that if Dugan is still alive, he could be used as a link to Bucky’s past. Alternatively, he could share a history with Isaiah Bradley, the first black Captain America and a hero rumored to appear on the show.

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