Falcon/Winter Soldier TV Series Planned For Disney Streaming Service, Scarlet Witch Show May Co-Star Vision
Just over a year ago, Disney announced they would be launching their own streaming service. Disney Play will include the company's vast library of content as well as original feature films and TV series. Included in the original offerings are multiple Marvel and Star Wars TV shows. The plan is to create series based around Marvel Cinematic Universe characters who have yet to have their own standalone movies, which includes TV shows focused on Loki and Scarlet Witch starring Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen. Each season will run six to eight episodes, and unlike most of the Marvel Netflix and ABC shows, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is expected to have an active role in their development.
We have learned that Disney is also developing a third series that will give fans the Falcon/Winter Soldier team-up that they have been wanting since Captain America: Civil War. On top of that, I have also learned a few more details about the Scarlet Witch series. Here's what we know.
Winter Soldier / Falcon TV Series
Disney is developing a Falcon/Winter Solider team-up television series that would reunite frenemies Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie on the small screen Disney streaming service. We learned this news independently, but a new story from Variety has revealed that Disney has tapped Malcolm Spellman as the writer for the new series, which is currently in development.
Sebastian Stan quickly became a fan favorite after making his debut as Sgt. Bucky Barnes in Joe Johnston's Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011. The character transformed into The Winter Soldier in Anthony and Joe Russo's 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a movie that also saw the debut of Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, AKA the Falcon. But it wasn't until Captain America: Civil War, where Bucky and Sam developed a friendly rivalry on screen, that fans started demanding a spin-off movie.
Stan and Mackie have been playing this up in interviews, telling various outlets that they are ready and interested whenever the subject came up. Stan has even described his idea for a Falcon/Winter Soldier movie as a buddy comedy film: "To me, it's like Martin Brest film classic, Midnight Run, you know. It's really just sort of in my head, like, 48 Hours or a buddy comedy from the '80s or the '90s. That's how I see it." Who knows what Disney and Feige's plan for the series actually is.
The last time we saw Bucky, he had some recovery time in Wakanda, where he became known as "White Wolf" by the Wakandan people. Alongside Falcon, he tried to help the Avengers stop Thanos from obtaining the Infinity stones in the Battle of Wakanda, but they were unsuccessful and both Falcon and Bucky were turned to dust. We obviously know that the events of Avengers 4 will restore both of these heroes, but it's also expected that the MCU will be changed in other major ways. It's expected that these Disney Play shows could address some of the world-changing effects, although it's ultimately unknown what the story will be about.
One thing is for sure, Stan and Mackie have great chemistry together and I'm excited to see their adventures.
I've been working on this story for several weeks now and have since confirmed the details with two independent trusted sources. We reached out to Disney for comment but haven't heard back. So much is unclear at this time. Disney is unwilling to comment about any of these reports, including the initial reports from the trades. Some people are suggesting this might be because Marvel doesn't want to make any announcements regarding characters who might survive Avengers 4, but I'm guessing Disney just has their own grand reveal of the programming slate planned.
What About Paul Bettany's Vision?
The other thing I'm hearing is that Paul Bettany's Vision will have a large part in the previously reported Scarlet Witch show. In fact, it may actually be a series more about the super-powered couple than just Wanda. This makes sense to me, as Wanda's relationship with Vision is more compelling than Wanda on her own, and the two have a long and fascinating relationship in the pages of Marvel comics. I don't think Scarlett Witch has received proper development outside of maybe Civil War, so a series that explores her further via her relationship with Vision makes sense.
Plans for the Disney Streaming Service
The legacy content on Disney Play is expected to include approximately 7,000 episodes of television and 500 movies. As for original content, the initial goal is to have four to five original movies and five television shows a year. Here's what is planned for the television series side of the Disney streaming service:
As for the original movie line-up, Disney in in post-production on Magic Camp and Noelle, in production on a live-action adaptation of Lady and the Tramp, Stargirl, Timmy Failure, and Togo, and in development on a new Three Men and a Baby, Don Quixote, Father of the Bride, Flora & Ulysses, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, The Paper Magician, The Parent Trap, Peter Pan, and The Sword in the Stone.
Disney Play's price will cost less than Netflix's lower subscription tiers, which land somewhere between $8 and $14. The Disney streaming service is expected to go live sometime in 2019,