Summary

Fans were initially excited about Anthony Mackie’s portrayal of Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but enthusiasm waned as the season wrapped up due to a rushed narrative and truncated character arcs. Rumors speculated that a subplot about a contagious disease had been axed from the show due to its eerie parallels with the real-world COVID-19 pandemic, but the director claims it was unrelated. While the pandemic-themed storyline may have enriched the show, Disney and Marvel Studios likely made the decision to remove it to avoid mirroring a global crisis and maintain a positive image for their streaming venture.

Marvel Studios’ successful transition to streaming services took another intriguing turn recently. New revelations have emerged about a subplot that was axed from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

When Anthony Mackie stepped up to embrace the mantle of Captain America in the series, fans were beyond ecstatic. His portrayal and the potential promise of a new era in the Marvel Universe initially garnered widespread applause. However, as the first season wrapped up, enthusiasm waned, with the climactic episode drawing particular criticism. Critics and fans alike noted that the narrative seemed hasty, and character arcs felt truncated.

Such a swift shift in sentiment led viewers to speculate: Were unforeseen events influencing the series’ final cut? Several believed that last-minute decisions, stemming from COVID-19’s grip on the world, played a part.

The rumor mills had been rife with whispers of an earlier storyline, rooted in the pre-pandemic filming period of the show in late 2019. Allegedly, this storyline centered on a rampant, contagious disease. However, this narrative took a backseat, possibly owing to its eerie parallels with real-world events unfolding at that time. But what was mere speculation has now been verified, although not entirely as many imagined.

The book, MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, authored by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, delves deep into Marvel’s storied archives and has finally shed light on this subplot. An excerpt (via The Direct) from this tome reveals:

“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ had already canceled location work in Puerto Rico after a devastating earthquake in January 2020. The pandemic not only forced the show to abort a shoot in Prague but made a planned plotline about the heroes rushing to stop a fast-spreading disease feel a bit too close to reality. (Spellman acknowledged that the series had removed the side story, although he said that it wasn’t because of the coronavirus.)”

This statement brings clarity, although the show’s director, Malcolm Spellman, maintains that the axed plotline was unrelated to the real-life pandemic.

Related The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Why It Was the Most Underrated MCU Phase 4 Project It has been a year since the MCU Phase 4 came to an end, here’s a retrospective look at The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Marvel’s Shelved Plots: From Frenzied Zombies to the Next Captain America Epic
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In a candid conversation on the Fade to Black podcast, Spellman said,

“I’ve been told to stop saying that [referring to the ‘lost’ storyline]. I loved it, and it had nothing to do with the pandemic… I’ve been told to stop talking about it.”

Would the pandemic-themed storyline have enriched the show? The mere christening of the show’s production label as “Pandemic Productions LLC” suggests its integral nature to the original plot. While making major plot revisions in response to transient global happenings might seem hasty to some, the rationale behind Disney and Marvel Studios’ decision is discernible. The last thing they’d want is their fledgling streaming venture mirroring a global crisis, especially one so grim.

Spellman’s previous comments have given fans a glimmer of hope. There’s a possibility the shelved plot might be repurposed, perhaps as a comic series. A theory gaining traction posits that this subplot involved a Mad Bomb turning individuals into frenzied zombies.

Regardless of what was left on the editing room floor, Marvel’s cinematic universe marches forward. Mackie’s Captain America returns in Captain America: Brave New World, slated for a 2024 release. The buzz is that Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross will accompany him, possibly debuting as the formidable Red Hulk. The intrigue around the Marvel Universe, it seems, never ceases.