Series Review: "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (2021).

From Studio that brought you WandaVision comes The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This television miniseries created by Malcolm Spellman, based on the Marvel Comics characters of the same name, and produced by Marvel Studios. Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it shares continuity with Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016), and takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019). 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.

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. 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 be produced by Marvel Studios rather than Marvel Television, which produced previous television series in the MCU. Spellman was one of several writers asked to pitch a series focusing on Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan's characters. 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". 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. By late October 2018, Spellman was hired to write the series. In April 2019, the series was officially announced with the title The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Each episode is around forty-five to fifty-five minutes in length, with budgets reported to be as much as $25 million per episode. By late October, Stan, Mackie, Don Cheadle, Daniel Brühl, Emily VanCamp and Florence Kasumba reprised their roles, with Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Danny Ramirez, Adepero Oduye and Julia Louis-Dreyfus rounding out the cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in late October 2020 under the working title Tag Team. Filming took place in Prague, Czech Republic and New York City, New York, USA,  as well as Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. However, in early March 2020, filming was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed in early October.

The series stars Stan, Mackie, Cheadle, Brühl, VanCamp and Kasumba, reprising their roles, with Russell, Kellyman, Ramirez, Oduye and Louis-Dreyfus as newcomers. With strong performances, the cast, especially Stan and Mackie were given a chance to finally create a true hero's journey for their superhero personas ith deeply satisfying results.

The action, emotions, and drama all make this a must-see show, and the show has rightfully been praised for its strong themes related to heroism and the dangers of American exceptionalism.

Simon says The Falcon and the Winter Soldier receives:

Also, see my review for Captain America: The Winter Soldier and WandaVison.