The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will continue the legacy of Black Panther in its commentary on race and representation in the superhero genre, according to showrunner Malcolm Spellman. The new series, which stars Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan as Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, is set to premiere on Disney+ on March 19. It will be the second MCU Phase 4 show to stream on the platform, following in the footsteps of WandaVision.
Though it’s developed into one of the most popular and dominant franchises in the world over the past decade, the MCU has long struggled to become a series that represents the diversity of its viewers. The original Avengers series of Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America all starred white male characters, and that trend continued through Phase 2 with little representation for women or people of color. More recently, that trend has slowly been changing, as the MCU ensemble grows to include a more diverse cast of characters, and as films like Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings center more women and non-white characters.
In a recent interview with TVLine, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier creator Malcolm Spellman discussed his experience as a black writer working in Hollywood and his thematic intentions in the upcoming series. Spellman said that race plays a major role in the story of the show and in many ways he hopes his series will continue the legacy of Black Panther. “When you start to see the direct impact that a Black superhero had on my nephew, that’s branded on my brain,” Spellman said. Read his full quote below.
“I believe that Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a nice progression with the mantle that [Black Panther director Ryan] Coogler and Chadwick [Boseman] left us. I really do believe that these giant Black icons are necessary, not only for Black kids, but for white kids to start to absorb — our people as being big and heroic.”
Black Panther remains a major moment for black narrative representation in Hollywood, both because of the characters it centered and because its stellar box office performance proved a financial viability that many executives have historically doubted. In the wake of Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing, the exact nature of Black Panther’s cinematic future has been unclear. It was recently announced that Ryan Coogler will be heading up a Wakanda-based Disney+ show, but details have yet to be released.
In the meantime, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has a strong opportunity to continue amplifying black voices in the MCU. With Sam Wilson as one of the two main characters and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) confirmed to appear, Spellman’s series has a lot of potential to center themes of race in ways Marvel Studios hasn’t before – especially as the show explores the legacy of Captain America and his cultural impact. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres on Disney+ on March 19.
Source: TVLine
Originally from https://screenrant.com/falcon-winter-soldier-black-panther-comparison-malcolm-spellman/