What started as numerous reports was finally confirmed last week during the Walt Disney Company's Investor Day 2019 presentation: Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan will reprise their roles as Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, respectively, in the Disney+ limited series Falcon and Winter Soldier.
While details are scarce, there's now a logo, along with news that the series will debut sometime in the first year of the streaming service, which is scheduled to launch on Nov. 12.
Of course, by the time Falcon and Winter Soldier arrives on Disney+, fans will already know the fate of many of their favorite Marvel superheroes in Avengers: Endgame. As it stands right now, Falcon and Winter Soldier are among the victims of Thanos' Decimation snap that wiped out half of all living beings. As Winter Soldier spent the majority of his Marvel Cinematic Universe history in hiding, or in Wakanda, we can assume Falcon and Winter Soldier takes place after Endgame, meaning the surviving Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy will somehow find a way to reverse the snap and bring everyone back to life.
However, that doesn't mean every Avenger will make it out of Endgame alive. It has been widely reported that the multi-picture contracts of actors Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth expire with Endgame, and Evans has heavily hinted his time as Captain America will come to an end once Endgame arrives in theaters. Therefore, it's not difficult for fans to imagine a few Avengers will sacrifice themselves in the culmination of what directors Joe and Anthony Russo have called "The Infinity Saga."
At the top of that death list is Evans' Steve Rogers. With Captain America deceased, there's the possibility that someone else will pick up the Vibranium shield to keep the mantle alive. Luckily, fans had the opportunity to watch this play out in the comics, when Steve died in the 2007-2008 Marvel Comics storyline, "The Death of Captain America."
Cap's death eventually led to his former sidekick, Bucky Barnes, donning his own version of the costume to become the new Captain America. Of course, Sam Wilson also had his own turn as Captain America when Steve's Super-Soldier serum was stripped from his body, instantly aging him into a 90-year-old man.
So with Captain America expected to die in Avengers: Endgame, many fan theories revolve around either Falcon or the Winter Soldier carrying on the legacy. However, with the announcement of their upcoming Disney+ series, we'd advise you to hold off on all those Captain America conspiracy theories.
NEXT PAGE: Could the Disney+ Series Set Up Captain America's Replacement?
Who Will Carry The Shield?
What makes the guessing game so difficult is not knowing what Marvel Studios has planned for the MCU post-Avengers: Endgame. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has repeatedly said Endgame will leave the landscape of the cinematic universe drastically different than the one we've watched for the past decade. There is no doubt the new slate of Disney+ series will play a role in setting up characters' future story arcs, but right now the signs of Falcon or Winter Soldier changing their title to Captain America seem slim.
For starters, they will be too busy working through whatever the plot is for Falcon and Winter Soldier. The mere existence of the limited series means Falcon and Winter Soldier won't be jumping headfirst into replacing Steve Rogers as the Sentinel of Liberty. Fans will instead get to see Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes replicate the chemistry they displayed in Captain America: Civil War, which is probably what gave the studio the idea to pair them in a TV show. The duo has all the makings of a classic buddy cop team-up that takes place inside the world of superheroes.
An even more intriguing (and likely) possibility is the Disney+ Falcon and Winter series will instead help lay the groundwork for one of the MCU heroes to become the next Captain America. Just imagine, in the final episode, the two characters are discussing everything they've experienced individually and together, and how they owe everything to their friend, Steve Rogers. Sam and Bucky could even be shown going through Steve's belongings and come across a note left to them, with Steve saying he knows the Captain America mantle will be in good hands with his two closest friends. Sam and Bucky can either decide who between them will pick up the shield, or they can decide to both be Captain America.
Again, we can look to the comics for another example of two Captain Americas operating simultaneously in the Marvel Universe, with Steve and Sam starring in Captain America: Steve Rogers and Captain America: Sam Wilson, respectively, during writer Nick Spencer's tenure on the titles. Why should Marvel Studios pick one hero to be Captain America when it can have two? Falcon and Winter Soldier each has a loyal fanbase, so there's no reason to split it by disappointing one side.
With all the talk of death and superheroes switching codenames, what if Avengers: Endgame concluded with Captain America not dying? Marvel Studios may decide it wants to leave the door open for Chris Evans to make a special appearance down the line, and could find a creative way for Cap to "retire." Maybe he sacrifices his super-soldier serum in the process of fighting Thanos, and is aged into an old man, but doesn't die. The studio can always figure out a way to give the serum back to Cap if Evans should ever want to return, even if it seems unlikely right now.
As you can see, each of these scenarios is what makes Falcon and Winter Soldier such an appealing project. We don't know much about it going in, what will happen during the series and after it finishes up, or what the MCU will look like when it launches. But no matter what happens in Avengers: Endgame, the shadow of Captain America and his shield will hover over the Disney+ series.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau and Bradley Cooper, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Josh Brolin. The film arrives April 26.