Disney+ is practically here, and with the new streaming service comes the promise of
a whole new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Over the next several years, Disney+ will roll out a number of original series that
both take place in the MCU and star MCU actors - including Loki, Hawkeye, and WandaVision.
The first of these new MCU series to hit the streamer will be The Falcon and the Winter
Soldier, starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan as the titular heroes-slash-BFFs of Captain
America.
And though the show isn't slated to premiere on Disney+ until fall 2020, filming has already
begun, which Mackie and Stan have announced in hilarious fashion.
As is customary when celebrities are involved with promoting a company's product, Marvel
Studios had Mackie "take over" its social media accounts on Monday, November 4th.
On Marvel's Instagram Story, Mackie revealed that he was taking control of the account
at Marvel's request, teasing VIP access and saying it would be "Falcon all day."
But Marvel's next Instagram Story was from Stan, who said that he was taking over the
account at the request of the studio.
"What?!
What just happened?
I heard Sebastian's on this account too, who gave him the password?"
This led to dueling stories from the two actors, with each of them making their case as to
why he was the right choice to run Marvel's Instagram account for the day.
In the end, however, the rivalry was revealed to be a ruse, as the two came together to
reveal that production had started on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are in production now."
So what do we know?
On the series, both Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Falcon, and Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. Winter Soldier, will
try to figure out the best way to honor Captain America's legacy now that Steve Rogers has
officially retired from the role.
At the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, the elderly Rogers passed his shield on to Sam,
effectively christening him as the next Captain America.
But just because Steve wanted Sam to be the next Captain America doesn't mean he will
be.
Mackie told IGN that he isn't the new Captain America at the start of The Falcon and the
Winter Soldier, and series showrunner Malcolm Spellman also said fans shouldn't go into
the show expecting a clean transition from the end of Endgame.
In addition to the two leads, at least two more familiar faces from the MCU are returning
for the series.
Emily VanCamp will reprise her role as Sharon Carter, the S.H.I.E.L.D.
agent who had a brief romantic fling with Steve, and who, it must be noted, is the niece
of Steve's eventual wife, Peggy.
Also back is Daniel Brühl as Helmut Zemo, the main villain from Captain America: Civil
War, who will also serve as the main antagonist for the series - only this time, he'll be
wearing his purple mask from the comics.
Rounding out the main cast is Wyatt Russell as newcomer John Walker, a character with
a 30-plus-year history in Marvel Comics under the monikers Super-Patriot, U.S. Agent, and...
Captain America.
Marvel has been pretty tight-lipped when it comes to the actual plot of The Falcon and
the Winter Soldier.
That includes not revealing who, if anyone, will be the next Captain America.
Prior to Avengers: Endgame, many fans assumed that either Sam or Bucky would take up the
mantle of Cap, as both characters have had stints as the star-spangled Avenger in the
comics.
After Endgame was released and Falcon received the Shield - with Bucky's blessing - it seemed
pretty obvious that Sam Wilson would be the next Cap.
But with the comments made by Mackie and others relating to Falcon's status within the series,
it seems that someone else may become Captain America instead.
And that may be where John Walker comes in.
First introduced as Super-Patriot in the 1980s, Walker is the opposite of Steve Rogers.
Whereas Rogers is a patriot, Walker is a nationalist, representing the less savory bits of America
and fighting crime with much more brutality.
When Steve Rogers gave up the title of Captain America in 1987, the government selected Walker
to take his place over Rogers' friend Sam Wilson.
The reason?
The powers that be didn't think the country was ready for a black Captain America.
Could The Falcon and the Winter Soldier follow the same plot?
It's hard to imagine Disney wading into this kind of political territory for its first
MCU series on Disney+, but as we saw with Black Panther, the company's subsidiary Marvel
isn't afraid to make a statement on issues that matter.
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