Captain America may have retired his shield, but that does not mean the narratives and characters circling his story arc will depart from the Marvel Cinematic Universe [MCU] as well.
Marvel plays a big part in the makeup of Disney’s new streaming service Disney+. During Marvel’s 90 minute panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Sunday, they announced plans to release their first MCU mini-series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
While the announcement was brief given the amount of content they unveiled at the international fan fest, audiences had their first glimpse at what the mini-series might entail. Here is what we know so far.
The series has been slated for a Fall 2020 release date. The series has been confirmed as the first out of a whole slate of limited series to debut on the streaming service. Although it has not been officially confirmed, the series is said to be broken up into six episodes. There have been rumors circling around that Disney+ will release episodes on a weekly basis.
According to Deadline, renowned TV director Kari Skogland will be directing the series. Skogland is known for her work on popular shows such as The Handmaids Tale and The Walking Dead.
Actors Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan have been confirmed to be reprising their roles of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes in the upcoming series. Daniel Bruhl will also be making a come back reprising his role as Helmut Zemo from Captain America: Civil War. There have also been rumors actor Emily VanCamp (Sharon Carter) will return for the series as well.
Zemo will pose as the main villain of the series. In case you forgot, Zemo is a Sokovian special forces colonel who suffered the loss of his family in the aftermath of the Avengers battle with Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron. He is a man who has endured tremendous loss and blames all of it on the Avengers. Though he is not one to kill for the sake of killing, he is the master manipulator who orchestrated the civil war that took place between the heroes in Captain America: Civil War. Zemo will also be acquiring a look that nods to his comic book counterpart. During the unveiling of the series at Comic-Con, a clip of Zemo was screened in which he essentially “hijacked” the panel sporting a purple mask and beard. It is evident he will play a part in setting the plot into motion for the limited series.
Despite Captain America’s departure from the MCU, the future of the Captain America mantra is certain and it appears to fall into the hands, Sam Wilson. Toward the end of Avengers: Endgame an aged Steve Rodgers returns to greet his pals and brings with him a newly refurbished shield of which he hands to Sam Wilson. Wilson, of course, does not believe he is worthy to continue the symbol, but Steve insists. Given this information and the fact the shield is carefully woven into the design of the series’s logo, it only makes sense the series will address Wilson’s journey of taking up the mantra of Captain America. And given Bucky’s lifelong cause of being by Steve’s side and wanting to right his wrongs, it seems highly likely he will continue to stand with Captain America even if it is now Wilson.
Another storyline that has been circling the internet is the possibility of a Captain America versus America situation in which Wilson, an African-American man, is faced with many obstacles and lack of respect and acknowledgment upon taking up the role as America’s hero. Wilson will be subjected to racism and must work to overcome it during his transition from the Falcon to Captain America. Marvel is no stranger to taking up political themes and addressing issues within their films. This serves to add layers of depth and reality to this alternate universe. While this plotline is only a rumor at best, it does pose potential plot lines that are fascinating and intricate.
Do you have any clues or suggestions on which way the limited series plot should go? Feel free to voice your opinions by engaging in conversations on our social media platforms at @BoardwalkTimes.
Ellie Wendt is a Columnist for the Boardwalk Times.
