Marvel Studios will continue to extend the reach of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+ with additional new series like WandaVision that will further explore characters and storylines established on the big screen, and fans are excitedly waiting for the upcoming release of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier series that will explore the new status quo after Avengers: Endgame.
The series reunites Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson with Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes as they deal with the absence of Steve Rogers along with new and returning threats that might have some fans jumping to the comics for more information, so we've gathered a collection of comics for fans to read before the first episode of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier drops on Disney+.
10 Flag-Smasher And His ULTIMATUM Organization Debuted In Captain America
Erin Kellyman will star as Karla Morgenthau, the leader of an anti-patriotism organization known as the Flag-Smashers in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, which reimagines the character similarly known as Flag-Smasher who frequently tangled with Captain America as he attempted to spread his anarchist ideals.
Flag-Smasher first created his own militant organization known as U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. (Underground Liberated Totally Integrated Mobile Army To Unite Mankind) that first appeared in Captain America #321 by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary, which may serve as inspiration for the MCU's Flag-Smashers.
9 "The Replacement" Introduced John Walker As The New Captain America
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier will also introduce another patriotic hero to the MCU as Wyatt Russell will make his debut as John Walker, the United States Armed Forces' chosen replacement for Steve Rogers who will work alongside Clé Bennett's Lemar Hoskins/Battlestar in the upcoming series.
Walker first appeared as the Sentinel of Liberty in Captain America #333's "The Replacement" by Mark Gruenwald and Tom Morgan following a short-lived career as the similarly-garbed Super-Patriot, though he ultimately gave the title back to Steve Rogers.
8 Captain America #354 Reintroduced Walker As The U.S. Agent
John Walker's time as Captain America ended when he faked his death and began training in a new role for the Commission on Superhuman Activities, which was ultimately revealed in Captain America #354 as U.S. Agent made his first official debut. The character wore them during his time away from the Captain America identity.
Russell's upcoming debut as John Walker could be setting up this next step for the character as the title of Captain America is likely to become a hotly debated issue during the events of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier.
7 Fallen Son: The Death Of Captain America Asked Who Will Wield The Shield?
The identity and responsibilities of Captain America have been passed on a few times in the comics, though one of the most monumental came after the character's supposed death in the final moments of the Civil War storyline.
Fallen Son was a series of one-shots released after Captain America's death that explored the five stages of grief and included the star-studded and emotionally-gripping funeral of Captain America while also highlighting potential candidates for the shield of Captain America that included heroes like Hawkeye, Falcon, and Winter Soldier, who was Rogers' original choice for the role.
6 "The Burden of Dreams" Introduced Bucky As The New Captain America
Bucky's time as Captain America featured a brand new suit that homaged Captain America's classic shield while also updated the costume to better fit Bucky's modern style as he began to investigate Captain America's death and deal with his own past as the manipulated Winter Soldier.
Sam Wilson/Falcon worked alongside Bucky during this storyline to help him get accustomed to his new role, though any direct adaptation of this storyline would likely see the roles reversed given Sam's claim to the shield.
5 The Winter Soldier And Hawkeye Tracked Down Black Widow Sightings In Tales Of Suspense
The classic Tales of Suspense comic series returned in 2018 from Matthew Rosenberg and Travel Foreman and saw Winter Soldier and Hawkeye team up to investigate reports of their fallen teammate Black Widow, who died during the Secret Empire event.
While Hawkeye will be busy on his own Disney+ series training young Kate Bishop, fans have been theorizing about the potential return of the MCU's Black Widow following her death in Avengers: Endgame, and if her return does occur on The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, this comic series could serve as potential adaption material.
4 "The Tomorrow Soldier" Featured Sam Wilson's Debut As The New Captain America
Steve Rogers ill-fated battle with the powerful villain known as The Iron Nail led to his loss of the Super-Soldier serum which resulted in his advanced aging and retirement from the role of Captain America.
"The Tomorrow Soldier" by Rick Remender and Carlos Pacheco saw Sam Wilson prove himself as a worthy successor to the role of Captain America as he helped stop an invasion from Arnim Zola and his hordes of monsters from Dimension Z that also introduced the adoptive son of Steve Rogers, Ian Zola Rogers/Nomad.
3 All-New Captain America Featured A Showdown Between Sam Wilson And Baron Zemo
Sam Wilson debuted as Marvel's Sentinel of Liberty in Rick Remender and Stuart Immonen's All-New Captain America as he took on Hydra and its new leader Baron Zemo, who planned to unleash a deadly Inhuman's blood plague on the world.
One of the biggest announcements to come from the upcoming The Falcon And The Winter Soldier was that Daniel Brühl from 2016's Captain America: Civil War will reprise the role of Baron Zemo for the series (complete with comic-accurate mask), and the comic confrontation between Wilson and Zemo could give fans an early look at things to come.
2 Sam Wilson Clashed With U.S. Agent Over His New Role During Civil War II
Wyatt Russell's involvement as John Walker in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier could tease the comic matchup between Wilson's Captain America and Walker in his U.S. Agent identity in the pages of Nick Spencer and Daniel Acuña's Captain America: Sam Wilson during the Civil War II event.
U.S. Agent had been manipulated into an attack on Sam Wilson in a public campaign to #takebacktheshield that was fueled by those unhappy with Sam Wilson's role as Captain America, which will likely factor into the Disney+ series' storyline.
1 Falcon & Winter Soldier Teamed Up To Take Down Hydra
Derek Landy and Federico Vicentini's recent Falcon & Winter Soldier series teamed up the titular pair in the comics ahead of their live-action Disney+ series as Sam and Bucky are brought together on an investigation into the new leadership of Hydra before the organization is able to unleash a massive terrorist attack.
Fans of the MCU's unique take on the relationship between Steve Rogers' best friends that will be further explored on The Falcon And The Winter Soldier series will find a lot to love in their comic adventures as well.