THE FALCON AND
THE WINTER SOLDIER

SIX EPISODES FOR TWO SIDEKICKS

HOW THE SERIES WAS MADE

Marvel Studios was developing limited series for Disney+ centred on supporting MCU characters by September 2018, and Malcolm Spellman was hired as head writer by the end of October 2018. The series was announced in April 2019 when Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie were confirmed, and Kari Skogland was hired in May 2019 to direct all six episodes.

Filming began on 31 October 2019 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios, moved to Prague on 3 March 2020, and was halted on 10 March 2020 because of COVID-19. Prague filming resumed in October 2020 and wrapped on 23 October 2020. The premiere, “New World Order,” was released on 19 March 2021 and the finale, “One World, One People,” on 23 April 2021.

WHO CARRIES THE SHIELD

WHAT THE SERIES IS ABOUT

Skogland framed the story around a single question:

“what does it mean for a Black man to pick up that shield, and does he want it?”

Kari Skogland, 25 March 2021

She added that the answer differs for Bucky and for Sam “and his community.” Spellman said that “the ‘Truth: Red, White & Black’ series is the comic we referenced the most.” Mackie described Sam as questioning whether a Black man can represent a country that does not represent him.

TWO LEADS AND A NEW CAPTAIN

WHO IS IN THE CAST

Anthony Mackie plays Sam Wilson, with Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Daniel Brühl as Baron Zemo, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Don Cheadle as War Machine and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Henry Jackman scored the series.

A RECORD DISNEY+ PREMIERE

HOW THE SERIES WAS RECEIVED

Disney+ called “New World Order” the most-watched series premiere ever on the service in its opening weekend, Samba TV reported 1.7 million households, and TVision ranked it the most-viewed series of April 2021. Rotten Tomatoes lists an 85% critics’ score from 336 reviews and an 80% audience score, and its consensus calls the series “packed with blockbuster action and deft character beats.” Metacritic gives it 74 from 32 critics.

Noel Murray of The New York Times called it “largely enjoyable if scattershot,” and Alec Bojalad of Den of Geek called the first episode “frustratingly incomplete at times.”

THE REWATCH

FIVE EMMY NOMINATIONS AND A SEQUEL FILM

The series received five Creative Arts Emmy nominations at the 73rd ceremony and won none, among them Don Cheadle as outstanding guest actor in a drama series. Spellman was revealed on 23 April 2021 to be writing Captain America: Brave New World, which continues Sam’s story.

In the Marvel Marathon it sits in the MCU release order and MCU series order guides between WandaVision and Loki Season 1, and in the Marvel TV shows in order guide in the same position. In the MCU timeline guide it comes between Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: Far From Home.