Sam and Bucky aren’t the best of friends in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Anthony Mackie teases the state of Sam and Bucky’s relationship at the start of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes have one of the most entertaining relationships in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even though the two have their differences, they have one thing in common — their friendship with Steve Rogers. With Cap now retired, the two must look to each other for support and guidance. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be friendly when we see them in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Anthony Mackie recently sat down with Rotten Tomatoes TV and dropped some teases on what audiences can expect from the limited series. One aspect he relishes most is the opportunity for viewers to spend more time with the characters:

"“These Disney+ shows are going to be very different than the movies. You get the experience of being able to live with these characters for six and eight hours, instead of a two-hour movie where they have a small input on the overall universe.”"

More from Marvel TV

• Loki season 2 finale does set the stage for Kang Dynasty
• Marvel rumors hint Pedro Pascal has been cast in key Fantastic Four role
• Loki season 2: All 6 episodes ranked from worst to best
• Dear Marvel: Here’s how to fix the Kang problem
• Loki season 2 episode 5 release time (by time zone)

In the case of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, audiences will get to see more of the dynamic between Sam and Bucky. Mackie promises that fans will see their relationship “unfold,” which will be interesting since the two still won’t be on the best of terms when the show begins:

"“We really get to develop that relationship between the two of us, and you get to see it unfold. Because we were never really friends, and we still aren’t really friends [laughs].”"

Captain America: Civil War established a humorously competitive bond between the two superheroes. Most of this stemmed from Sam’s initial mistrust of Barnes, who was formally a brainwashed assassin for HYDRA. This rivalry was (temporarily) cast aside when the two stood alongside Cap when they battled their comrades. This kinship continued in the final battles of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.

Steve’s absence puts them both in a position in which they’ll have to rely on each other. There are sure to be growing pains — and laughs — along the way but, when faced with a common enemy, they’ll more than likely become true brothers in arms. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is set to premiere on Disney Plus in August.