How ‘Captain America and the Winter Soldier’ Can Help Set Up ‘Armor Wars’
Captain America and the Winter Soldier became the official title of the second Marvel Disney+ series in its final episode. Originally known as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the series received its makeover after it was revealed that Sam Wilson had claimed Steve Rogers’ title.
But this isn’t an ending to the story — it’s just the beginning. Here’s how Captain America and the Winter Soldier can help set up Armor Wars.
Kevin Feige says Marvel has plans for the characters after ‘Captain America and the Winter Soldier’
Captain America and the Winter Soldier starred Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes. The story picked up after the Snap, and the characters were learning to navigate life post-Avengers: Endgame.
The first season featured six episodes, and director Kari Skogland described it as “a story about the first black Captain America.” They haven’t announced season 2 just yet. But according to Marvel boss Kevin Feige, the studio has plans for the characters past the first season of the Disney+ series.
“We have a future charted for characters post-Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but I don’t want to say much more than that,” Feige recently revealed, according to ComicBook.com.
Could the Disney+ series be setting up ‘Armor Wars’?
Ahead of the premiere of The Falcon….wait, Captain America and the Winter Soldier, head writer Malcolm Spellman told Entertainment Weekly that he could “think of three” future MCU projects that the series could set up. However, he made it clear that he was “not allowed to talk about” it.
This statement, however, sparked numerous Marvel fan theories about what or who exactly the show could be setting the stage for. One of those projects could be Armor Wars with James Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle).
Don Cheadle made a cameo in ‘Captain America and the Winter Soldier’
The first indication that Captain America and the Winter Soldier set up Armor Wars is that Don Cheadle’s character made a cameo in the premiere. Rhodey told Sam that the “world’s broken” when they were at the Smithsonian for a tribute to Steve Rogers.
As Skogland explained, the US Air Force officer and Avenger is a mentor to Sam in the series. He gave him reasons for and against taking up the mantle of Captain America. He also raised some important questions for Sam about where the world is right now.
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“It’s got a bit of a mentorship quality to it. It’s also very relevant to the story of Sam and the shield and what he’s going to decide,” Skogland told TVLine.
“There’s a shorthand that they have together,” Spellman adds. “By them just pausing and being silent for a minute, the audience can fill in the blanks.”
‘Armor Wars’ begins filming later this year
Since Rhodey appeared in Captain America and the Winter Soldier, it makes sense that the cameo could be setting up Armor Wars. Marvel has already announced that the series will begin filming later this year. However, very few details have been revealed, except for the fact that it premieres in March 2022.
Cheadle told BroBible’s Post-Credit Podcast that part of the fun of being in the MCU is that “we all get to show up in each other’s stories.”
“There are ways that we’re cross-platforming these characters, and they become storylines, sometimes, in the movies. And then these storylines in the movies become storylines in the shows,” Cheadle said. “It’s really fun and interesting and, by all imagination, completely open-ended — this can go anywhere.”
‘Captain America and the Winter Soldier’ left a dangling thread
Cheadle’s appearance in Captain America and the Winter Soldier told fans a lot about the character of War Machine. Six months after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Rhodey is still working for the government. This came as a surprise to many considering what’s gone down since Captain America: Civil War.
But, in order to have access to the suit and be War Machine, Rhodey must continue working with the government. Armor Wars will most likely delve deeper into this relationship.
It should also be pointed out that Rhodey made a promise to Sam in the premiere that he would see him later. But, it didn’t happen before the season ended. This dangling thread will likely be picked up in Armor Wars. Which means fans could see the new Captain America in that Disney+ series before Captain America 4 or season 2 of Captain American and the Winter Soldier.
Season 1 of Captain America and the Winter Soldier is available on Disney+.
