'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier': All you need to know about Sam & Bucky's origin story

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the next series in the long line of the upcoming Disney+ MCU spinoff shows, will trace the journey of its titular characters, namely Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, aka The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The events of the series in question will see the exploration of the tumultuous bond between the two, who were deserted by Chris Evans' Steve Rogers aka Captain America during the final moments of Avengers: Endgame. Moments after the same, Captain America's shield, which plays a rather important character in the upcoming series, is handed over to Wilson by ageing Steve, who is seen waiting for him on a bench nearby. The moment in question was the confirmation of the theory that Rogers went back in time in order to live a normal life, something that he yearned for since his big-screen debut. One of the several questions that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is expected to answer is "Who will be the final wielder of Captain America's Shield?" This article will serve as an MCU viewing guide of sorts, which means that it will contain all the information that a viewer must be equipped with ahead of the unfolding of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's story.

So, who is Sam Wilson and what is his origin story?

Samuel Thomas "Sam" Wilson, who goes by the name of Falcon in the Marvel comics as well as the eponymous cinematic universe, is written as a former US Air Force pararescue airman who chose to leave active duty following the tragic passing of his wing-man Riley, who has been mentioned a couple of times, died in combat, instead of dealing with the post-traumatic stress that came with it through the prescribed procedure. During this time, Wilson meets Captain America, who pulls the former into his conflict with HYDRA. The rest, as they say, is history. Sam Wilson/Falcon is played by Anthony Mackie in the MCU.

Five years is a long time to be blipped out of existence…Sam’s got some serious catching up to do. #XboxPartner #TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier pic.twitter.com/luSBI5iRob

— Anthony Mackie (@AnthonyMackie)

Who is Bucky Barnes and what is his story?

"Bucky, whose full name is Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, is written as a World War II veteran and a former officer of the 107th Infantry Regiment that served during the Second World War. As far as his equation with Steve Rogers is concerned, Marvel Comics, much like Captain America: The First Avenger, reveals that the two were childhood friends. Barnes enlisted in the army and got assigned to the 107th in 1943. His regiment was captured by HYDRA, where Barnes was experimented on by Arnim Zola. Barnes, along with whoever still remained from his regiment, were later rescued by Rogers, who had become Captain America during Barnes' absence. After joining forces, Barnes and Rogers formed a team in order to battle the Red Skull's forces. However, as fate would have it, Barnes was caught in their ambush and plummeted hundreds of feet from a train. Upon the lack of the discovery of a corpse, Barnes was then presumed dead, but would go on to officially be listed as "Missing In Action". Barnes would reappear as the feared assassin known as "The Winter Soldier", who would serve as the antagonist in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The character is portrayed by Sebastian Stan.

About 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was supposed to be one of the very first MCU Disney+ spinoff shows to be released by the makers, but the production of the same had to be put on halt due to the still on-going coronavirus pandemic. As a result on the same, the Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen-starrer WandaVision officially became the first show that inaugurated MCU's Phase 4. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast list features the likes of Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, and Daniel Brühl, amongst others. Additional Disney+ MCU Spinoff shows that are scheduled to release sometime this year is Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, What If, Hawkeye, Moonknight, and She-Hulk, amongst others. The premiere episodes of the aforementioned series will be made available on streaming platforms all across the world on March 19, 2021.