Why didn't Falcon and Winter Soldier get a second season? Explained
Marvel's venture into television has had mixed reception, with the studio producing some exceptional hits like Loki and WandaVision, alongside other reasonable attempts like Falcon and Winter Soldier and Secret Invasion, alongside shows low-rated by critics and general audiences like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Inhumans. While most of them found commercial success, some shows did better critically than others.
However, reception or commercial success was not why Falcon and Winter Soldier concluded in a season. Instead, it was Disney's format at the time the series premiered. It was developed as a limited series and ended in the same way, with the story of Anthony Mackie's Falcon and Sebastian Stan's Winter Solider left for another time, perhaps Captain America: Brave New World.
Anthony Mackie recently told Radio Times he was disappointed that his Marvel television series did not get a second season. Other shows, like WandaVision and Ms.Marvel, were also scrapped in a season because of their formats, despite finding critical and commercial success.
Anthony Mackie "really enjoyed" doing Falcon and Winter Soldier with Sebastian Stan
The original friend of Captain America and his friend in the new world formed quite a perfect duo after the exit of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in the last Avengers movie. This friendship and camaraderie became the source of interest in the post-Captain America era.
Anthony Mackie enjoyed his stint on the show and wanted to do another season, though that never materialized. He said,
"The Falcon and [the] Winter Soldier, I really enjoyed doing that show,...I was actually excited to do a second season, just so me and Sebastian [Stan] can get paid to hang out. Because it's like me, him and Daniel Brühl. It's kind of like the perfect storm of happiness."
Anyhow, fans of the iconic duo would have to wait longer to see them again in Brave New World. The film was initially supposed to premiere this year, but after the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, all the upcoming Marvel projects were altered.
Moreover, the bigger projects will have to further adapt after the incident with Jonathan Majors, who played Kang, the Conquerer, in the MCU.
What is Falcon and Winter Soldier all about?
Created by Malcolm Spellman for Disney+, Falcon and Winter Soldier is set six months after Avengers: Endgame, where Captain America handed Sam his legacy.
The series follows Falcon as he teams up with Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier) to stop a group of anti-patriotic people who cause havoc, believing that the days of the "blip" were better for society (in some ways, Thanos won).
The synopsis for the show reads,
"Falcon and the Winter Soldier are a mismatched duo who team up for a global adventure that will test their survival skills -- as well as their patience."
The series consists of a great ensemble cast, which includes Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Danny Ramirez, Georges St-Pierre, Adepero Oduye, Don Cheadle, Daniel Brühl, Emily VanCamp, Florence Kasumba, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, among others.
The series consists of six episodes. It originally premiered on March 19, 2021, with the finale airing on April 23, 2021.
Falcon and the Winter Soldier is available to stream on Disney+.