Ever since Marvel Studios tackled the world of streaming television, one question has remained on the minds of the fans who tune into their various shows: Will it return for another season?
The answers aren't given upfront, and for some of the earliest Disney Plus shows, they still haven't been given. Oh, there have been rumors, some claiming that the likes of Hawkeye, and Moon Knight will return for second seasons while others say that She-Hulk: Attorney At Law was cancelled. But, aside from Loki and Daredevil: Born Again which both got second seasons, the live-action shows set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe don't often have renewal or cancellation decisions made publicly. That is, aside from the ones that were envisioned as miniseries. We know they won't be back because they did what they were supposed to: One season and done.
That said, one show that could have returned for another outing may not get the chance to after all, as Marvel reportedly changed its mind on what its future was going to look like.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier reportedly won't get a second season due to Marvel's decision to pivot
It sounds like a second season of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was on the cards once upon a time. According to prolific insider Alex Perez, Marvel did initially intend on doing another season of the Disney Plus series but opted to continue the titular pair's stories in separate projects, essentially cancelling the need for another one. If this was indeed the case, it explains a whole lot about this show.
Although Disney Plus' first MCU series WandaVision felt like a limited series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had potential for future stories. The season finale very much implied this when, in place of the typical title card, Captain America and the Winter Soldier appeared, potentially suggesting that it would take on this title if the two paired up again for a second season now that Sam Wilson had officially become the new Captain America.
Furthermore, Marvel Studios submitted this one to all of the ongoing TV series categories during awards season (instead of limited series like WandaVision) and the eventual 4K and Blu-ray release was marketed as "The Complete First Season" (instead of, again like WandaVision, "The Complete Series"). All of those gave fans hope that the show would return at some point in the future for another season. After all, we know Marvel and Disney Plus shows don't operate like typical TV shows; remember there are rumors that Hawkeye and Moon Knight could return (over three years after their initial seasons).
The series focused on longtime MCU regulars Sam Wilson, a.k.a. The Falcon, and Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. The Winter Soldier, as they reluctantly teamed up to save the world from the Flag-Smashers and preserve the legacy of their beloved best friend Steve Rogers, the original Captain America. Throughout the show, Sam struggled with the fact that Steve wanted him to take over as the next Cap and, in the end, he did just that.
Even though Marvel never definitively told fans whether The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would return for a second season, we didn't have to wait long to find out when the titular characters would return to screens. The night that the finale aired on Disney Plus, it was announced that Captain America: Brave New World was in development, with Anthony Mackie set to star as the franchise's new Cap. The next year, Marvel announced that Sebastian Stan would reprise his role as Bucky in the upcoming ensemble movie Thunderbolts* alongside series co-star Wyatt Russell (who portrayed John Walker, a.k.a. US Agent on the show).
Both of those movies release this year, with Captain America: Brave New World arriving on February 14, and Thunderbolts* premiering on May 2, meaning that we will get to catch up with Sam and Bucky all over again in the very near-future. Who's to say that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier season 2 won't happen at some point down the line, but even if it doesn't, we will say this one thing: It's going to be great to see Sam and Bucky back on the silver screen... even if they are in separate movies this time around.