Falcon and the Winter Soldier Writers Discussed Having Sam Talk To Birds

By Richard Nebens Updated:
Anthony Mackie Birds Falcon and Winter Soldier

Marvel Studios is in the middle of a somewhat unexpected break in releases after debuting the sixth and final episode in Season 1 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

The season finale fully brought the legacy of Captain America to life by way of a few different characters. Sam Wilson finally got Isaiah Bradley the recognition he deserved after years of being tortured and hidden from the world, while Sam himself got a Wakandan suit upgrade and showed the world his new version of the Star-Spangled Avenger.

Consisting of 12 different pieces of material coming together as one, the new costume continued Marvel Studios' trend of bringing detailed comic-accurate looks into the franchise for Phase 4. However, the MCU doesn't always bring every aspect of their characters directly from the comics pages to make sure the story exists as much in a realistic world as possible.

However, a recent interview with the show's lead writer may have revealed something not as realistic that the team was thinking about incorporating...

COMMUNICATING WITH BIRDS?

Falcon Birds Sam Wilson
Marvel

In an interview with Unilad, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier head writer Malcolm Spellman was asked if the team considered giving Sam Wilson his comic ability to communicate with birds.

Spellman said that this avian telepathic ability "was discussed in the (writer's) room" before the team decided that there wasn't "a way to do that right." Even with this quote, the showrunner said that he doesn't "know what’s gonna happen in (Captain America) 4 though," leaving the door open for this evolution:

"It is… you know actually I’m gonna take a leap and answer this one because I don’t think I can get in trouble for it. It was discussed in the room but I don’t think anyone in the room felt like there was a way to do that right, you know what I’m saying?I don’t know what’s gonna happen in Cap 4 though… I probably just overstepped with you so that’s your one spoiler."

A NEW EVOLUTION FOR THE NEW CAP?

Through Falcon's history in the comics, one of his notable skills is the ability to actually "link" with birds to have them assist in his adventures, similarly to how Paul Rudd's Ant-Man can speak with ants in his movies. However, the closest fans have come to seeing Sam do this in the films is through his bird-shaped drone Redwing ever since it was introduced in 2016's Captain America: Civil War.

It's still unclear how Sam would get these abilities, although it's very much in the realm of possibility after keeping the wings during his transition into Captain America. Then again, with so many new heroes like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four coming into play over the next few years, uniquely powered individuals will become more of the norm instead of a rare occurrence.

Whether Sam gets these abilities in Captain America 4 is a mystery, but his series proved he's more than capable of being a great hero without them. This is a man who admitted that his only real power "is that [he] believe[s] we can do better," and that makes up for anything he may lack in the extra abilities department.

All six episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are available to stream on Disney+, as is the episode of Marvel Studios Assembled centered on the show.

Release Date
March 19, 2021
Platform
- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.