Marvel Studios' The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will put the spotlight on some of the supporting players from the previous Captain America films. However, writer Derek Kolstad hinted that there are still details about the Disney+ series that haven't been divulged yet, including some familiar faces from earlier Marvel films who will be returning.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will take place after the game-changing events of Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame, which concluded with an older Steve Rogers handing the Captain America moniker (and shield) to Sam Wilson after traveling to the past to live out his life with Peggy Carter. Wilson may face resistance in his new role as the inclusion of Wyatt Russell as John Walker, the alter-ego of U.S Agent in the comics, indicates the United States government may prefer to see its own candidate take over the title of Captain America. In addition to Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan reprising their respective roles as Wilson and Bucky Barnes, the series will see the return of Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, Daniel Brühl as Baron Helmut Zemo, and Georges St-Pierre as Georges Batroc, all of whom appeared in at least one of the three previous Captain America films.
During an interview with the Script Apart podcast, Kolstad stopped short of revealing who the yet-to-be-announced returning characters will be but noted that they will have to be reimagined for the purpose of the series. "What I will say is that there are characters from the earliest Marvel movies that are coming back," Kolstad said. "We're layering them in and reinventing them in a way that’s gonna shift the storytelling structure. It's fucking awesome." Kolstad added that The Falcon and the Winter Solider has given the writers the opportunity to push back against the stigma towards superhero sidekicks, saying, "growing up, everyone would give someone like Robin shit. But Robin's pretty badass and became pretty badass in the comics. [We're] taking secondary characters and putting them in the primary roles, and [as a result] they're cooler. They're more interesting. There's more humanity, more longing, more suffering, and coming to grips with who and what they are."
Derek Kolstad is part of a writing team working under the leadership of head scribe Malcolm Spellman. The team penned six scripts to be directed by Kari Skogland, who is best known for helming episodes of multiple televisions shows, including The Walking Dead and Marvel's The Punisher. While The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was originally intended to debut in August 2020, the production delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the series premiere being postponed until 2021.
Consequently, Marvel Studios' WandaVision will now launch Marvel Studios' slate of Disney+ projects when the series premieres later in 2020. Inspired by classic sitcoms, WandaVision will find Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany's The Vision living together in the suburbs, though their idyllic life may not be as it seems.
While it may seem like Marvel Studios' Disney+ shows will initially focus on supporting characters from the MCU, the production company also plans to use its line-up of miniseries' to introduce multiple new heroes to the franchise. Notable newcomers include Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel and Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk (or not...it's complicated), both of whom are also expected to appear in future Marvel Studios films following their debut on Disney+.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will be released exclusively on Disney+ in 2021.
Source: Script Apart