Sam Wilson will next team up with Bucky Barnes for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier series — but Anthony Mackie teased that the character always wanted to spinoff with Black Widow's Natasha Romanoff. Created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan, Sam debuted in 1969's Captain America #117. Operating under the name Falcon, he was one of mainstream comics' first African-American superheroes, emerging in the same few years as Black Panther, Luke Cage, and Blade. Able to fly with the use of mechanical wings and telepathically communicate with birds, he served as a recurring presence over the decades, battling alongside The Avengers and several other times. Ultimately, he assumed the mantle of Captain America.
Played by Mackie, the character first appeared (sans telepathic bird powers) in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He rapidly became a trusted friend of Steve Rogers, aiding him and Black Widow in avoiding capture and their subsequent battles with Hydra. He later returned to help Cap circumvent the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War and battle Thanos' forces in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. In the wake of the latter, an aged version of Steve passed the shield and title of Captain America to him. Though taking it begrudgingly, Sam never actually accepted the complicated legacy. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has been confirmed to tackle what happened next — with him tackling a terrorist group called the Flag-Smashers, a returning Baron Zemo, and the potential fallout of John Walker being named the new Cap by the government.
In each of those missions, he will be joined by Steve's other friend, Bucky Barnes. However, speaking with Deadline, Mackie stated that neither Cap nor Bucky would've been Sam's first choice for spinoff partners. Instead, that honor would have gone entirely to Black Widow. "He was a fan just like everyone else," the actor stated, referring to Cap and the superhero team of The Avengers in general. "Sam Wilson was a regular guy who just won the lottery because Black Widow knocked on his door and needed a place to hide." With tongue no doubt firmly in cheek, Mackie then added: "He fell in love, and was hoping to have a spinoff with Black Widow."
As far back as 2016, Mackie has expressed his wish for Falcon and Black Widow to team up. He even mentioned the idea of appearing in a solo Black Widow film long before it became official. Equally, the actor has frequently joked (and made it part of his personal headcanon) that the pair were secretly dating between adventures. While many comic book fans would love to have seen a Black Widow and Winter Soldier romance in the MCU, there's no denying that Sam and Natasha often had great flirtatious chemistry. And either option would easily have overshadowed (and worked much better than) the poorly-received Hulk and Black Widow relationship devised by Joss Whedon.
Despite her death in Avengers: Endgame, Natasha will belatedly receive the solo spotlight in the upcoming Black Widow. For a time, it was believed that the film would directly set up The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Given that the Phase 4 slate was rearranged, however, putting the show first, it shall remain to be seen whether that is still (or ever was) the case. Either way, fans have continued to remain excited for both. And until it's definitively stated one way or another, both options remain entirely valid. As such, with much of Natasha's solo outing taking place in the past, there's still every chance that Falcon and Black Widow teamed up for some missions of their own together — no matter how brief they turned out to be.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is confirmed to premiere via Disney+ on March 19, 2021. Meanwhile, Black Widow currently remains scheduled for a cinematic release on May 7, 2021.
Source: Deadline
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