Like every fan in the world, it wasn't until that very special car scene in Captain America: Civil War where it just clicked for Kevin Feige and the team at Marvel Studios as they realized that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) absolutely needed a spinoff.
Thankfully, Disney+ came knocking just a short while later, opening the door for a myriad of new Marvel stories to be explored.
Speaking with head writer Malcolm Spellman, he confirmed that Mackie and Stan's undeniable chemistry in that film, and on the subsequent press tour, planted the first seed that led to him wanting to write a series for these two underrated characters.
"I swear that I always say this in these interviews, I believe in one moment, me, Kevin, every fan in the Marvel universe saw that these two needed a series and that was that moment in Civil War when they’re in the car and I don’t know how it was possible that they had that much chemistry," he tells us. "We didn’t have to see anything more - I mean we did end up watching a bunch of interviews with them to see that that chemistry does live beyond - but, I showed up knowing what they could do. I showed up knowing that if I just put those two in certain scenarios, they’re going to take it out the park."
With Captain America's (Chris Evans) shield suddenly finding itself in the wrong hands, it'll be up to Sam and Bucky to save the day before it's too late. But their journey won't be an easy one, as they'll also be forced to face a number of personal demons. Luckily, they'll have each other to lean on - or, at least, bicker with. Spellman explains,
"Well, they’re both dealing with - they both have very, very serious personal issues they’re going to have to deal with. Sam is dealing with doubt on two levels, doubt because Steve is a helluva guy, leaving some big shoes to fill and doubt that this country would ever accept a black man carrying that symbol.
Bucky is dealing with all this regret and guilt that’s accrued over a hundred years of killing people, or almost a hundred years of killing people, and he’s finally having a breath in his life to confront that, so before they deal with the shield, they have to deal with themselves, and when they do deal with the shield, they have to deal with the fact that their mutual best friend Steve Rogers is gone and sort of like the sense of loss that that brings.
What you see happen in the first episode is very, very real, it’s not like it’s about to do a U-turn in episode two."
Check out our full video interview (which includes mild SPOILERS) with head writer Malcolm Spellman below, and please don't forget to like and subscribe!
Marvel Studios’ “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier. The pair, who came together in the final moments of “Avengers: Endgame,” team up on a global adventure that tests their abilities—and their patience. Directed by Kari Skogland with Malcolm Spellman serving as head writer, the series also stars Daniel Brühl as Zemo, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, and Wyatt Russell as John Walker.