The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is set to embark on Sam and Bucky’s adventures after Steve Rogers, playing Captain America, decided to pass on his legacy to Sam, playing the Falcon. It makes perfect sense as to why Sam and Bucky are joining hands, considering they have a long history with Steve Rogers, and these two best friends to Steve Rogers are set to take the torch that is passed on by Steve. Marvel has put out toys and promotional content to offer a tease regarding the characters’ costumes. But what has been recently released is an actual look to their suit, which means their official look has now been put out on the table. The two characters are finally stepping out of Steve Roger’s shadow and will help usher in a new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+. Mackie and Stan were originally scheduled to be the stars of the first MCU Disney+ series, but COVID-19 forced some delays.
Chris Evans made his MCU debut in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and his apparent departure from the franchise came in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, which saw an elderly Steve Rogers passing on his shield to Sam Wilson. While many assumed this was the end for Evans’ Cap in the MCU, it was reported in January that he would return in at least one project, with potential for a second. However, both were said to be supporting roles a la Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming as opposed to a fourth Cap film.
The rumors of Steve Rogers (Captain America), played by Chirs Evans, in some capacity have been debunked by Marvel Studios President and Marvel Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige. He said,
“I rarely answer no to anything anymore because things are always surprising me with what happens, but that rumor, I think, was dispelled rather quickly by the man himself,” Feige told EW.
The latter half of his response refers to Evans tweeting “News to me” shortly after his would-be return began making red, white, and blue waves across the Internet.
Both characters are in a strange place at the start of the series, with Bucky searching for a way forward now that he’s free of Hydra’s mind control. As for Sam, he’s still grappling with the responsibility of becoming Captain America. The closing moments of the film revealed Steve, after returning all the Infinity Stones to the past, returned to the 1940s so he could live out a peaceful life with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). An elderly Steve reappeared in the present day and handed over his Cap shield to Sam, thus laying the stage for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Steve’s advanced age, plus a throwaway joke in Spider-Man: Far From Home, left fans wondering if he lived for much longer.
After all this time, audiences will finally get their answer. As part of Empire’s recent feature on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (via Natalia), Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirmed the series will reveal Old Steve’s fate. It just might not be what people are expecting. “Yes. In a roundabout way,” Feige said. He added that, while Steve being alive is a “fair presumption,” it is “not necessarily the case.” Feige’s comments from elsewhere in the piece hint Steve might not be among the living anymore. He described Sam and Bucky as “two best friends of a mutual friend who’s not there anymore.” This, of course, puts the frenemies in a difficult position, since the person binding them together is apparently isn’t there. One could argue this just means Steve is living on his own away from Sam and Bucky, but it doesn’t quite appear to be the case.
While Captain America may not be returning, his legacy will live on in Marvel Studios and Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which is headlined by Steve Rogers’ two closest allies, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes. Directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Noah Mills, Carl Lumbly, and Daniel Brühl. The series premieres on March 19 on Disney+.
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