The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is an American web 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 taking place after the events of the film Avengers: Endgame (2019). Spellman served as head writer with Kari Skogland directing.
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.
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 in a worldwide adventure that tests their abilities and their patience.
Cast[]
- Sebastian Stan as James "Bucky" Barnes / Winter Soldier / White Wolf:
An enhanced soldier and Steve Rogers' best friend during the 1940s who was presumed killed in action during World War II, before re-emerging as a brainwashed assassin in the present day. 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, and was having an identity crisis. 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 Avengers: Endgame (2019), and the series expands on this moment to explore the implications of a Black man being given that mantle. Wilson initially continues to use 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. - Wyatt Russell as John Walker / Captain America / U.S. Agent:
A decorated member of the U.S. Army 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 was attracted to the character's "dichotomies", and 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 to this version. 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 present a crucial aspect for Sam regarding his choice to take up the mantle of Captain America. - Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine:
An officer in the U.S. Air Force and Avenger who operates the War Machine armor. 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 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 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. VanCamp explained that Carter is in a "pretty dark place" at the start of the series, and she was interested to explore new sides of her such as her anger, adding Carter had "a bit more edge" and a "chip on her shoulder". Though the series does not explain much of what Carter went through since she was last seen, with co-executive producer Zoie Nagelhout noting that the character had her arc offscreen, VanCamp said seeing where she has ended up was meant to give "a sense that it hasn't always been easy, and that the sacrifices she's made weren't always worth it in her mind". 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, but rather, since she previously had "a very youthful quality to her", Carter was able to "[grow] up" because of 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 executive producer Kevin Feige describing her as "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' therapist; Chase River McGee and Aaron Haynes as Sam Wilson's nephews Cass and AJ; Alphie Hyorth as a U.S. senator and its representative in 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, 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 had recreated the Super Soldier Serum; Nicholas Pryor as Oeznik, Zemo's butler; Janeshia Adams-Ginyard and Zola Williams as Nomble and Yama, respectively, members of the Dora Milaje; and Salem Murphy and Jane Rumbaua as Lacont and Ayla Perez, representatives of the GRC from India and the Philippines, respectively. Sara Haines makes a cameo appearance as herself.
Episodes[]
| Image | Episode | Summary | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1.01 (#1) New World Order |
Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes realize that their futures are anything but normal. | March 19, 2021 |
|
1.02 (#2) The Star-Spangled Man |
John Walker is named Captain America, and Sam and Bucky team up against a rebel group. | March 26, 2021 |
|
1.03 (#3) Power Broker |
Sam and Bucky go to a criminal safe haven to find information about the Super Soldier serum. | April 2, 2021 |
|
1.04 (#4) The Whole World Is Watching |
John Walker loses patience with Sam and Bucky as they learn more about Karli Morgenthau. | April 9, 2021 |
|
1.05 (#5) Truth |
John Walker faces consequences for his actions, and Sam and Bucky return to the U.S. | April 16, 2021 |
|
1.06 (#6) One World, One People |
As the Flag Smashers escalate their actions, Sam and Bucky take action. | April 23, 2021 |
Production[]
Development[]
By September 2018, Marvel Studios was developing several limited series for its parent company Disney's streaming service, Disney+, to be centered on supporting characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films who had not starred in their own films. The actors who portrayed the characters in the films were expected to reprise their roles for the limited series. The series were expected to be six to eight episodes each and have a "hefty [budget] rivaling those of a major studio production". The series would be produced by Marvel Studios rather than Marvel Television, which produced previous television series in the MCU. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was believed to be taking a "hands-on role" in each series' development, focusing on "continuity of story" with the films and "handling" the actors who would be reprising their roles from the films.
Malcolm Spellman was one of several writers asked to pitch a series focusing on Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson / Falcon and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier. Feige believed the MCU films had not explored enough of these characters, with Marvel especially wanting to explore the pair more after seeing the audience reaction to their "fun dynamic" in the MCU films Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016). Mackie and Stan both previously expressed interest in starring in an MCU spin-off film together, with Stan comparing the idea to buddy comedy films like Midnight Run (1988) and 48 Hrs. (1982). It was Marvel Studios' intention for the series to use the "buddy two-hander" format like those films. Each writer developed their pitch with a Marvel Studios executive; Spellman worked with Nate Moore, and his pitch focused on race and identity. He gave 48 Hrs., The Defiant Ones (1958), Lethal Weapon (1987), and Rush Hour (1998) as examples of buddy films that dealt with issues of race, which Spellman wanted to model the series after. Spellman had a migraine when he pitched his take to Feige, and he felt that the presentation did not go well. Moore advocated for Spellman and his approach, which the writer felt was because Moore agreed that focusing on race was the right direction for the series. Spellman was hired to write the limited series by the end of October 2018. Feige felt Spellman was the right person for the job because he understood what was needed to make the series fun and action-packed, while also being a Black male television writer which gave him the point of view that was needed to tell the type of story about Wilson that Marvel Studios wanted to tell.
The series was officially announced in April 2019 with the title The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Kari Skogland was hired to direct all six episodes a month later. The series is retitled onscreen as Captain America and the Winter Soldier at the end of the sixth episode. Each episode is around 45–55 minutes in length, with budgets reported to be as much as $25 million per episode. Executive producers of the series are Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Moore, Skogland, and Spellman.
Writing[]
The series is set six months after the film Avengers: Endgame (2019), which depicts Steve Rogers bequeathing his shield and the mantle of Captain America to Wilson. Feige said this was intended to be a "classic passing of the torch from one hero to another", but when Marvel Studios got the opportunity to make television series for Disney+ they decided to expand this into an entire story about Wilson, who is a Black man, becoming Captain America. Skogland called the series "a story about the first Black Captain America". Mackie was hesitant about the series because he felt it would not be able to match the quality of the MCU films, and he did not want a Black actor to be the lead of Marvel's first failure, but he was won over by Spellman's writing. Mackie said the series would explore Wilson's backstory and treat him as a "regular guy" in a world of superheroes, while "walk[ing] the line of who is going to take up the [Captain America] shield" after Endgame. He felt that there was a specific "brand of person" that was expected of Captain America, and part of Wilson questioning the mantle came from knowing as a Black man that "you can't be the same person in every room you walk in because every person you meet expects a different person". Spellman felt the series was "a nice progression" from the themes of racial identity that were presented in Marvel Studios' Black Panther (2018), and was hopeful that the series would have a positive impact on Black youth like that film did. He noted that in addition to himself and Moore, over half of the series' writing staff was also Black which reinforced the series' portrayal of Wilson as a "decidedly Black character". Mackie said he was picking up the mantle left by Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who died in August 2020. Stan explained that Barnes feels protective of Rogers' legacy, and wants Wilson to become Captain America since he was Rogers' choice. The doubt that Wilson has about taking on the role becomes a conflict for Barnes. Regarding Wilson's progression in the series from being reluctant to wield the shield to ultimately using it, Skogland indicated that he needed "to engage in both a public and private conversation of what it means for a Black man to pick up such an iconic historically White symbol" which would help him define what it means to be a hero in modern society versus when Rogers became Captain America in the 1940s. Skogland also believed this was an important progression for the viewers to have along with Wilson since "the shield means different things to different people" and all aspects of it as a symbol needed to be explored.
Derek Kolstad joined the series' writing team in July 2019, and said he would be bringing "a wink and a nod" to the style of world building and character development from his film franchise John Wick. Feige said the series would be more of a reflection of the real world than previous MCU projects, with composer Henry Jackman saying the series deals with "less comfortable... weighty issues" such as what kind of person should hold the shield and how a Black man would feel about being Captain America. Skogland added that other topical, "hard-to-talk about issues" that the series explores include ideas of patriotism and extremism, asking the questions: "Who is an American, and who gets to decide what principles the country stands for? What compels people to take extreme actions in the name of what they believe is patriotism?" Skogland noted that Captain America has always been used to explore political ideas, since the character's first comic book in 1941 where he was depicted punching Adolf Hitler. Stan said viewers would be able to compare events in the series to the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, though this was unintentional since the series was written before that event.
The Blip — where half of all life in the universe disappeared in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and returned during Endgame — is The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's "primary source of conflict" with the characters all responding to it, with Spellman noting they wanted this crisis to be something viewers could identify with, adding the heroes, their problems, and their worldviews were "of the times". Spellman made a parallel connection between the Blip and the COVID-19 pandemic, since the series' setting was described as "a world striving for stability after a global catastrophe". He felt that a global event like the Blip or a pandemic could unite or divide, and each episode of the series is defined by this "push-pull". One of the series' antagonists, the Flag Smashers, are an anarchist, anti-patriotism group who believe the world was better during the Blip and were "born" out of that event. The Flag Smashers and Helmut Zemo all believe they are heroes and are responding to the Blip with views that make the protagonists and wider population concede are valid points. Skogland believed setting the series six months after the Blip was critical, as that is when the complications of everyone returning begin to surpass the initial shock and joy. Co-executive producer Zoie Nagelhout and Moore said the series would show Wilson and Barnes attempting to figure out their identities, and the Blip would affect this. Spellman added that identity is one of the main themes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, with the story forcing Wilson, Barnes, Sharon Carter, and Zemo to each "rethink how they see themselves and confront how the world sees them".
Jackman described the series as a psychological drama, while Mackie and Stan said it was "part action-packed superhero epic, part awkward buddy-comedy". Stan compared the series' tone to the more realistic and grounded MCU film Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He added that having a longer running time than a film allowed the series to explore the personal lives of the title characters and show what a day in each of their lives is like, and said it would combine the characters' existing relationship with the actors' offscreen dynamic. Spellman wanted to "go home" with the characters and let the actors show their skills rather than simply focus on action, and he said the spirit and conflict of the title characters were what remained consistent as the project developed from his initial pitch to the final series. He compared them to fire and ice, saying, "Sam reacts spontaneously from the gut, and Bucky is more cold and calculated". Spellman said there was a "12 second moment in Civil War where it feels like every single Marvel fan knew that [Wilson and Barnes were going to] be able to support a movie or a franchise",referring to a scene in which the two characters bicker over the placement of Wilson's seat. The series builds on the chemistry from that scene rather than developing its tone from scratch. The writers also referenced the various press interviews done by Mackie and Stan to help craft the character's relationship and dynamic together. Skogland and Spellman noted that Wilson and Barnes are not necessarily friends in the films, but they have Rogers as a "common denominator". Without Rogers, the pair's underlying relationship is now "laid bare" and forced to develop. Stan said that without Rogers, Barnes and Wilson went into "opposite corners in terms of facing their lives [and] their demons", but they were each asking the same questions.
Some of the early elements selected to feature in the series, before the hiring of Spellman, was the inclusions of Zemo and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and that Carter would be the Power Broker. Making Carter the Power Broker was inspired by a Captain America comic from the 1990s where Carter was exiled from S.H.I.E.L.D. for years which made her "super salty". Anthony and Joe Russo and Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the directors and writers of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: 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 for the Disney+ series, Moore felt the concept for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was "becoming the story of Sharon Carter".
Spellman created the series using his general knowledge of Marvel Comics and the MCU, along with that of Moore and Nagelhout, rather than basing it on specific comic books, though he did name Truth: Red, White & Black as a large influence on the series. Moore disliked that comic when he read it, but liked the ideas it posed and felt Spellman, who strongly advocated for using elements of the comic, had integrated those story elements into the series in a smart way. Feige was nervous about adapting Truth because he felt they would not be able to do justice to it and its main character, Isaiah Bradley, if they were only a small part of the series, but he changed his mind when he saw how central Isaiah was to the series' themes. Skogland said the writers created unique characters for the series and would go back to the comics to find appropriate names that fit those archetypes, even if they were not direct translations from how they were used in the comics; the Flag Smashers were an example of this. Kolstad felt it was interesting to take secondary characters from the films and put them in primary roles for the series, and added that other characters from earlier MCU films are layered into the series and shift the storytelling in new ways. With the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney allowing Marvel Studios to regain the film rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four properties, Marvel Studios was able to include elements from those properties in the series. This includes the location Madripoor, which Feige said was "more of an Easter egg in and of itself". Ahead of the series premiere, Spellman said there were three projects from Marvel Studios he knew of that would tie-in to the series.
Casting[]
With the official announcement of the series in April 2019 came confirmation that Mackie and Stan would reprise their roles of Wilson and Barnes, respectively, in the series. The next month, Daniel Brühl and Emily VanCamp entered negotiations to reprise their respective film roles of Helmut Zemo and Sharon Carter. Brühl was confirmed for the series in July 2019, and VanCamp was confirmed a month later when Wyatt Russell was announced as cast in the role of John Walker. Russell's past work portraying "the slacker with long hair and a beard" did not lend itself to this role, but Marvel liked how his "unique energy" differentiated Walker from Wilson and Barnes.
Set photos in November 2019 revealed Adepero Oduye would appear in the series, portraying Sam's sister Sarah Wilson. Additional set photos in September 2020 revealed Georges St-Pierre would be reprising his role as Georges Batroc from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and that Erin Kellyman had joined the cast, portraying Karli Morgenthau. The following month, Danny Ramirez was cast in the "pivotal role" of Joaquin Torres. Kellyman's involvement was confirmed in December. In February 2021, Don Cheadle revealed that he appears in the series in his MCU role of James "Rhodey" Rhodes. Florence Kasumba also reprises her role as Ayo from past MCU films. Julia Louis-Dreyfus was cast as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Louis-Dreyfus had been expected to first appear in Black Widow (2021) before delays pushed the film's release to be after the series. Feige "geeked out" over casting Louis-Dreyfus due to her being an "icon" for her role in Seinfeld.
In December 2019, Desmond Chiam and Miki Ishikawa joined the cast, and Noah Mills was cast a month later. In February 2020, Carl Lumbly joined the cast as Isaiah Bradley. A year later, the series' trailer revealed Amy Aquino had been cast in the series as Dr. Christina Raynor, Barnes' therapist. Janeshia Adams-Ginyard and Zola Williams reprise their roles as Nomble and Yama, respectively, members of the Dora Milaje, from previous MCU films.
Design[]
The series' end credit sequence was noted for featuring "teases, references, and exciting nods to [the] comics". These included the Enhanced Humans Act and Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross; the Sokovia Accords; a wanted poster for Karli Morgenthau and various attacks performed by the Flag Smashers;Madripoor and the Brass Monkey Saloon; past attempts to replicate the Captain America program, including Isaiah Bradley being labeled a "subject"; and Power Broker.
Filming[]
Filming began on October 31, 2019, at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with Skogland directing, and P.J. Dillon serving as cinematographer.The series was filmed under the working title Tag Team. Mackie and Stan announced the official start of filming on November 4. Mackie compared the production to an MCU film, saying it felt like shooting a six-hour film that would then be cut up into individual episodes rather than filming one episode at a time. Feige said the series would have the "cinematic experience" of an MCU film across six episodes, while Skogland felt the series was "relatable" to the films since it featured "action, comedy, [a] high-octane pace, familiar faces, and new characters". Skogland was inspired by the films of David Lean and Midnight Cowboy (1969) for the series, as well as the French film The Intouchables (2011). The Intouchables helped her "feel secure in exploring some of the vulnerabilities" of Wilson and Barnes, which translated to different approaches to filming each character.For example, Skogland's approach to Wilson was having the camera further back to capture his surroundings, while the approach for Barnes was to try "be in his head" by using close-up shots and a shallow focus that excluded the background.
Location shooting took place in the Atlanta metropolitan area from November 2019 through February 2020. Filming also occurred at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia and Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. VanCamp filmed her part for the series simultaneously with her role on the Fox Broadcasting Company series The Resident, since that also shoots in Atlanta. In mid-January, filming was expected to take place in Arecibo, Puerto Rico for two weeks, but production on the island was suspended due to a series of earthquakes there. On March 3, the production was revealed to be moving to Prague, Czech Republic, for three weeks until March 25, with filming in the city starting on March 6 and expected to continue until the week of March 16. However, filming was halted on March 10 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and members of the production returned to Atlanta. Stan said filming would be completed once it was safe to do so, estimating that there were at least two or three more weeks of filming needed. In early May, the Czech Republic allowed television and film productions to start up if they followed new hygiene guidelines for cast and crew members, and in June the head of the Czech film commission said cast and crew involved in film and television productions would be exempt from the European Union travel ban on U.S. citizens that was set to take effect on July 1.
Production on the series was scheduled to resume at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in August. Skogland said that the series' crew knew exactly what they needed to film once shooting was able to begin again. Filming occurred at Atlantic Station in Atlanta in early September, and VanCamp finished filming her scenes for the series by the end of that month. Filming in Prague resumed by October 10, with locations including Olšany Cemetery and the Monastery of Saint Gabriel in Smíchov. Mackie said the cast and crew followed strict quarantine and social distancing measures while filming in Prague. The production wrapped on October 23.
Post-production[]
Skogland said the series' crew used their time wisely when the production shut down due to the pandemic, allowing them to continue with post-production work on the series and make decisions that they usually would not have time to make. Jeffrey Ford, Kelley Dixon, Todd Desrosiers, and Rosanne Tan edited different episodes of the series. Visual effects were provided by Cantina Creative, Crafty Apes, Digital Frontier, Industrial Light & Magic, QPPE, Rodeo FX, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Stereo D, Technicolor VFX, Tippett Studio, Trixter, and Weta Digital.
Music[]
Henry Jackman, who scored Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, began scoring the series by December 2020. Because he was returning to the franchise after several years, Jackman started by creating an "audio care package" featuring different themes, orchestrations, and harmonies that he had composed for the Captain America films, to remind himself of that work and organize it before approaching music for the series. Jackman explained that the series format allowed him to write a wider range of music than the films since it still required music for big action sequences while having time for more quiet, character-based moments. He described the music for the latter sequences as being more patient, with "lighter and thinner" instrumentation. The many locations visited in the series also allowed Jackman to explore some environment-specific music, such as elements of the Blues genre when exploring Wilson's backstory in Louisiana, or electronic music for Madripoor which Jackman described as "a grungy rave scenario".
Jackman reprises several of his themes from the films in the series: the composer expanded his Falcon motif from Winter Soldier into a full, classical superhero theme that he combined with some of the Blues elements to acknowledge Wilson's history (the new Falcon theme is used as the series' end credits theme, titled "Louisiana Hero");Jackman's Winter Soldier theme, which consists of a "scream" and "clangs" that he described as "the last fragments of a human soul trapped inside some mechanistic frame", is heard during callbacks to the character's time as an assassin; Zemo's "spidery, kind of fractious" theme from Civil War returns for that character; and Jackman used an off-key version of his Captain America theme to represent John Walker. Once Walker turns on the titular heroes, Jackman transitioned to the more "operatic" theme that he used for the fight between Captain America and Iron Man in Civil War due to the similarity between the two fights. The composer had written a nostalgic motif for Barnes' civilian identity in The Winter Soldier that was tied to the character's 1940s history, but he decided not to use that in the series as he felt it did not suit the modern version of the character. Instead, he took an element from the end of his Winter Soldier theme that is played on strings in a "disturbing" octatonic scale and "straightened [it] out" into a diatonic scale to create a new civilian melody for the character that is played on strings, piano, and guitar. For the Flag Smashers, Jackman developed a new theme that has a "dystopian vibe".
Jackman's score was recorded by a 53-player orchestra in Berlin, and was released digitally by Marvel Music and Hollywood Records in two volumes: music from the first three episodes was released on April 9, 2021, and music from the last three episodes was released on April 30. "Louisiana Hero" was released as a single on March 26.
Future[]
Before the series premiere, Mackie said there had been no discussions regarding a second season of the series, and he was not sure when he would next appear in an MCU film, especially due to the pandemic's impact on cinemas. Skogland said she was unsure if there would be a second season and felt that she had been able to do everything that she wanted in the first six episodes, but she did say that there were more stories and characters to explore if a second season was made. Feige said there were ideas for what "another one" could be if a second season was made, but Marvel intended for the series to lead into future MCU films first like they did with WandaVision. He added that he did not want to spoil the series by confirming a second season or discussing the plans that Marvel had for the series' characters before the series was fully released. In April 2021, Moore said the end of the series would show story elements for a potential second season, adding that the series explored "evergreen" topics that lent themselves to further exploration, unlike the contained story of WandaVision.
On April 23, 2021, the same day the series' final episode was released, Spellman and series writer Dalan Musson were revealed to be writing the script for a fourth Captain America film that was expected to revolve around Wilson and continue from the events of the series. Nick Romano of Entertainment Weekly believed a second season with the title Captain America and the Winter Soldier had been "inevitable" given the way the series ended. However, knowing the report about the fourth Captain America film added to the intrigue of what direction Marvel Studios would go in, considering past comments from Feige and others implying the series would get a proper second season. Mackie was unaware of any plans for a film or second season, but was "excited to see what happens".
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