WandaVision is all wrapped up, kicking off Phase 4 of the MCU, but fans will barely have time to process that show's finale before The Falcon and the Winter Soldier swoops onto Disney Plus, continuing the company's investment in the streaming platform. As the show gears up for the big premiere in March, some details have begun to drop about the plot of the show, and when it takes place in the overall timeline of the MCU.
So light spoilers from here on in. Based on some preview materials, it would seem that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is taking place in the 6 months that occur after the events of Avengers: Endgame. That puts it fairly close to the events of WandaVision, which seems to occur a month or so after everyone who was snapped out of existence suddenly returns to life.
Fans will likely remember that Avengers: Endgame concluded with Chris Evans' Captain America retiring and giving his shield to Falcon, heavily implying that he is next in line for the title of Captain America. Of course, both the Falcon and the Winter Soldier have been Captain America in the comic books, so it's entirely possible there will be some conflict or competition over who will step into those shoes if anyone will ever take over the mantle at all.
Considering it has only been 6 months since half of all life suddenly returned, some fans are wondering how that might play into the plot of the show. WandaVision had one scene that showcased the chaos and confusion experienced by those returning to life after the Blip, but it wasn't the focus of the show. This time around though, director Kari Skogland told Collider the time period of the show is crucial to the narrative.
The director discusses how having half the population gone for 5 years changes things for everyone. Geopolitical relationships shift, the economy completely realigns, everyone has to make do in a world that is suddenly much emptier than before. Then, when everyone comes back, that new world has to figure out how to re-integrate everyone who missed the past 5 years: "Everything changed. Now we're into that moment. We're past the surprise of it and now we're into the realities of it. I think that makes for a very different place in the story, because we can get not only grounded about it, but we can drill into how people respond to that. Some of it's good and some of it's not so good."
It seems that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier could be primed to dig into that post-blip reality in a way that other Marvel projects have carefully sidestepped. If done right, that could be a really interesting hook for a show that already has a lot going for it. Just how detailed they decide to go with it will remain to be seen, however, until the show finally premieres.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres on March 19th, 2021, on Disney Plus.
Source: Collider