The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is an American television miniseries created by Malcolm Spellman for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Sam Wilson / Falcon and Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier. It is the second television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise, and is set six months after Sam Wilson was handed the mantle of Captain America in the film Avengers: Endgame (2019). Wilson teams up with Bucky Barnes to stop anti-patriots who believe the world was better during the Blip. Spellman served as head writer for the series, which was directed by Kari Skogland.
Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie reprise their respective roles as Barnes and Wilson from the film series, with Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Danny Ramirez, Georges St-Pierre, Adepero Oduye, Don Cheadle, Daniel Brühl, Emily VanCamp, Florence Kasumba, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus also starring. By September 2018, Marvel Studios was developing several limited series for Disney+ centered on supporting characters from the MCU films, such as Wilson and Barnes. Spellman was hired in October and chose to focus on the racial and political issues raised by Wilson, a Black man, being handed Captain America's shield at the end of Endgame. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was announced in April 2019, when Stan and Mackie were confirmed to be starring. Skogland was hired to direct the next month. Filming began in October 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia, before moving to the Czech Republic in March 2020. Production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it resumed in Atlanta in September before wrapping in the Czech Republic in October.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiered on March 19, 2021, and ran for six episodes until April 23. It is part of Phase Four of the MCU. The series received positive reviews, with critics highlighting the actors' chemistry and the series' social commentary but criticizing its pacing. It received several accolades, including five Primetime Emmy Award nominations. A feature film, Captain America: Brave New World (2025), continues Wilson's story from the series.
Premise Six months after being handed the mantle of Captain America at the end of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Sam Wilson teams up with Bucky Barnes on a global mission to stop an anti-patriotism group, the Flag Smashers, who are enhanced with a recreation of the Super Soldier Serum and believe the world was better during the Blip.
Cast and characters
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier:An enhanced soldier and the best friend of Steve Rogers / Captain America during the 1940s. Presumed killed in action during World War II, he reemerged in the present day as a brainwashed assassin. His programming was later removed, and the character is now having an identity crisis. Head writer Malcolm Spellman noted that Barnes has done "nothing but fight" in the last 100 years, and the series could not avoid the trauma that he has gone through. Stan explained that Barnes would be struggling with his murderous past while also adjusting to life in the 21st century without Rogers, following the end of the film Avengers: Endgame (2019). Co-executive producer Zoie Nagelhout explained that Barnes would be working to "unburden himself" from his life as the Winter Soldier but the darker side of the character would still be seen during the series. Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon / Captain America:An Avenger and a former pararescueman who was trained by the military in aerial combat using a specially designed wing pack. Wilson was handed Captain America's shield by Rogers at the end of Endgame, and the series expands on this moment to explore the implications of a Black man being given that mantle. Wilson initially continues to use only the Falcon moniker in the series, and Mackie said the story would portray the shield as being a burden for the character. He added that Wilson is questioning how "a Black man [can] represent a country that does not represent him". Wilson eventually takes up the shield to become the new Captain America. Mackie was hesitant about the series, feeling that it would not match the quality of the MCU films and not wanting a Black actor to lead Marvel's first failure, but he was won over by the scripts. Wyatt Russell as John Walker / Captain America / U.S. Agent:A decorated Captain of the U.S. Army Rangers, and the new Captain America chosen by the U.S. government. He attempts to join Wilson and Barnes in their fight, and believes he is a better embodiment of American values than Rogers was. After being stripped of the Captain America title, Walker is given the moniker U.S. Agent by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Spellman described Walker as a soldier who has "done everything his country has ever asked" and is now faced with a reality where his life and sense of duty to the United States "challenge [him] in a way that upsets and obliterates [his] privilege". Russell added that Walker was a "company man" who might venture into "the grey areas" to complete the mission. He had room to shape the character since this is his introduction to the MCU. Spellman said Walker was inspired by the comic book character, who uses the moniker U.S. Agent, but the series had shifted away from the comic book portrayal to add some different dimensions. Executive producer Kevin Feige added that a White man, Russell, was specifically cast as the new Captain America as commentary on how the U.S. government would not want a Black man like Wilson to take on that role. Erin Kellyman as Karli Morgenthau:The leader of the anti-patriotism group the Flag Smashers, who are enhanced with a recreation of the Super Soldier Serum and believe the world was better during the Blip, fighting for open national borders. Spellman called Morgenthau "the glue for the series". Flag-Smasher in the comics is an identity assumed by male characters, notably Karl Morgenthau. Kellyman felt it was important the character was gender-swapped for the series, giving young women a character they could "look up to and relate to now". She added since Karli is not a middle-aged man like Karl, Karli's outlook on life and actions she takes come from a different perspective. Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres:A first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force who serves as Wilson's support staff and is investigating the Flag Smashers. Director Kari Skogland called Torres "a bit of a puppy dog" who is a fan of the Falcon and enjoys getting to work alongside him. Georges St-Pierre as Georges Batroc: A mercenary who is the leader of the criminal group LAF. Adepero Oduye as Sarah Wilson:Sam's sister who runs the Wilson family fishing business in Louisiana. Sarah represents Sam's life growing up in the South and was included in the series to have strong opinions and play a part in Sam's choice to take up the mantle of Captain America. Oduye felt the siblings' relationship was the heart of the series. She looked to the little comic book history her character has as well as her backstory in the series' scripts. Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes:An officer in the U.S. Air Force and Avenger. Skogland explained that Rhodes plays a mentor role for Wilson in the series, giving him reasons for and against taking up the mantle of Captain America while also providing a view of the wider world following the Blip. Daniel Brühl as Helmut Zemo:A Sokovian baron who was responsible for breaking up the Avengers in the film Captain America: Civil War (2016). The series introduces Zemo's traditional purple mask from the comics, which Brühl was enthusiastic about wearing; he felt like a baron wearing the updated costume, which points towards the aristocratic Baron Zemo version of the character from the comics. Brühl was thrilled to return to the role and enjoyed the increased sense of humor for the character, adding that the series felt both known and fresh to him compared to Civil War. Skogland was excited to explore Zemo's complexity following the dark place that Civil War left him in, with the series showing that he has lost everything and is paying for his crimes. Spellman said the series would explore Zemo's origin story and show how the character views himself as a hero. Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter / Power Broker:A former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the CIA, and Peggy Carter's niece, who has become the criminal leader of Madripoor known as the Power Broker, after being on the run since she was last seen in Civil War. Anthony and Joe Russo and Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the directors and writers of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame, had tried to incorporate Carter into those films numerous times but ultimately did not, given the vast number of other characters already featured. When development began on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it became the place for Marvel Studios to continue the character's story after Civil War. VanCamp explained that Carter is in a dark place and has a "chip on her shoulder" in the series, and she was interested in exploring these new sides of the character. Nagelhout noted that the character had developed offscreen, and VanCamp said the events between Civil War and the start of the series were implied to have been difficult for Carter by how she is depicted in the series. When VanCamp learned that Carter was the Power Broker, she felt it solidified the version of the character that appears in the series, and called the reveal "very fitting [since] she was hurt and scorned and went rogue". Spellman said the writers chose not to "be fake" by simply saying she had been in hiding since Civil War, and instead wanted to show an evolved version of the character who had responded to being scorned by the intelligence community. Florence Kasumba as Ayo: A member of the Dora Milaje, Wakanda's all-female special forces. Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine:A contessa who meets with Walker and gives him the moniker U.S. Agent. Executive producer Nate Moore described Fontaine as a funnier but darker version of Nick Fury who has secrets and operates in the "moral gray area", with Feige describing her as being in "recruitment mode".
Recurring members of the Flag Smashers include Desmond Chiam as Dovich, Dani Deetté as Gigi, Indya Bussey as DeeDee, Renes Rivera as Lennox, Tyler Dean Flores as Diego, and Noah Mills as Nico. Also recurring are Amy Aquino as Christina Raynor, Barnes's therapist; Chase River McGee and Aaron Haynes as Sam Wilson's nephews Cass and AJ; Alphie Hyorth as a U.S. senator who is the U.S. representative on the Global Repatriation Council (GRC); Clé Bennett as Lemar Hoskins / Battlestar, a sergeant major in the U.S. Army and Walker's Captain America strike force partner; Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, an African-American Korean War veteran and super soldier who was imprisoned and experimented on for 30 years; Elijah Richardson as Isaiah's grandson Eli Bradley; and Gabrielle Byndloss as Olivia Walker, John's wife.
Additional guest stars include Ken Takemoto as Yori Nakajima, the father of one of the Winter Soldier's victims; Miki Ishikawa as Leah, a waitress who has a date with Barnes; Ness Bautista as Matias, a member of the Flag Smashers; Neal Kodinsky as Rudy, a supporter of the Flag Smashers; Veronica Falcón as Donya Madani, Morgenthau's adoptive mother; Olli Haaskivi as Wilfred Nagel, the scientist who recreated the Super Soldier Serum; and Nicholas Pryor as Oeznik, Zemo's butler. Janeshia Adams-Ginyard and Zola Williams portray Nomble and Yama, respectively, both members of the Dora Milaje. Other GRC members include Salem Murphy as Lacont, the representative from India; and Jane Rumbaua as Ayla Perez, the representative from the Philippines. Good Morning America correspondent Sara Haines makes a cameo appearance as herself.
Episodes
Production
Development