The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will serve as the second project of Marvel Studios under the Phase 4 banner of the MCU, and the series will look to continue the surge of positive reception that the recently-concluded WandaVision created online. Created by Malcolm Spellman, the Disney+ series will reunite Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes for a global adventure, and they will also be joined by returning characters from the Captain America franchise such as Emily VanCamp's Sharon Carter and Daniel Bruhl's Zemo .
So far, marketing for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has made it clear that the series will be an action-packed affair, with different trailers showcasing hard-hitting scenes involving the titular characters. On top of that, it seems that the Marvel show will borrow elements from 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier such as the political themes of that movie.
Now, it appears that the highly-talked-about MCU series will also be inspired by another action movie franchise.
JOHN WICK-STYLE MCU ACTION
John Wick scribe Derek Kolstad, who is also one of the writers of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , recently sat down with ComicBook.com to talk about the upcoming Marvel series.
When asked if the series is the closest thing to a John Wick movie, Kolstad agreed by sharing the show will “uncap [with regard to] the action” by going bigger but still being grounded:
"Oh, dude for me, yeah, because they uncap in regards to the action. They would encourage us to go big. And then, we would go big and they'd come back with, 'That's awesome, you can go a little bit bigger?' And yet, it was still rather grounded."
The veteran writer added by sharing that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier “begins and ends with character:”
“One of the things that Marvel does so well is what the best TV does so well. It begins and ends with character. Do you care about them? Do you wish to emulate them? Do you struggle alongside them? Do you really, honestly, want to stay with them on their hero's journey? And upon it, reaching their end, do you feel satisfied? Do you feel a sense of loss?”
Kolstad also shared what it was like inside the writer's room for the series, describing it as an experience where “iron sharpens iron, and the best idea wins:”
"That was a blast because Malcolm [Spellman] running the room and Kari [Skogland], the director of the series, being in the room, it really was iron sharpens iron, and the best idea wins. The action, I can't even say what they allowed us to do, but what they encouraged us to do was as John Wick as anything I'd ever done before, man. And when you get to play in that IP, in that universe, the 11-year-old me is just giggling all day long. You know?”
A THRILLING MCU SERIES WILL SOON ARRIVE
Based on Kolstad's comments, it's safe to say that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will live up to its promise of delivering solid action and gripping sequences. While the trailers and promo spots did provide viewers a glimpse of what's to come, this latest remark from the Marvel writer should drum up excitement for the series even more.
It's no secret that the John Wick films are best known for their amazing action scenes including the likes of gunfights, knife throwing, and the famous pencil-being-used-as-a-weapon trope (that later became a meme due to its popularity). That said, the fact that Kolstad compared John Wick to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier should hint that there will be similar sequences that will be featured, but it will be infused with superhero elements.
John Wick joins the long list of action movie franchises that seemingly inspired The Falcon and the Winter Soldier . On top of the Keannu Reeves-led films, the Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan-project was also compared to films such as Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour .
Kolstad's remarks about the character-centric element of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier should serve as a reminder of the core focus of these Marvel shows. Based on the trend of the Disney+ series slate of the MCU combined with what WandaVision showcased, the primary aim for these projects is to do deep dives into the heroic journeys of the characters through long-form storytelling, and this upcoming show will look to continue that narrative.
All in all, excitement for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is at an all-time high, and this latest John Wick comparison should bolster more hype ahead of its Disney+ debut.
