Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes are the stars of two upcoming MCU films, making The Falcon and the Winter Soldier a more essential viewing. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finished with Bucky and Sam in vastly different positions from where they were when the series started. Sam is the MCU’s new Captain America, and Bucky has moved on from his time as the Winter Soldier, finally finding absolution for what he did while brainwashed. While their chemistry is excellent, The Falcon & The Winter Soldier season 2 hasn’t been confirmed, and the pair have gone their separate ways for now.

Despite the star power of two recurring MCU timeline heroes, many have still not seen The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, since Marvel television doesn’t have the same excitement surrounding it as the films do. However, that could change, given Sam and Bucky are the stars of two of 2025’s upcoming MCU movies. While the pair might not be together, knowing what happened in their Disney+ series will seemingly be far more crucial going forward.

Captain America: Brave New World & Thunderbolts* Continue The Falcon & The Winter Soldier’s Story

Anthony Mackie’s next MCU project is Captain America: Brave New World, the fourth movie in the Captain America series. The film is Sam Wilson’s first official outing as Captain America and features a cast that includes Harrison Ford, Tim Blake Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, and Danny Ramirez. Meanwhile, Sebastian Stan’s next appearance will be in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*. Like DC’s Suicide Squad, Thunderbolts* will see some of the MCU’s best antiheroes – such as Yelena Belova and Red Guardian – coming together for a dangerous and unorthodox mission.

These films highlight the importance of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, by continuing Sam and Bucky’s MCU journeys in important directions. Additionally, several characters from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will also be returning in these movies.

As seen in the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World, Isaiah Bradley is returning along with Joaquin Torres, who is taking on the Falcon mantle. Thunderbolts* will feature Wyatt Russell’s John Walker, the Captain America who went rogue, now under the name U.S. Agent. Similarly, Julia Louis Dreyfus also returns as Valentina, who will seemingly serve as the team’s equivalent of Nick Fury.

Why Captain America 4 & Thunderbolts* Are Better Than The Falcon & The Winter Soldier Season 2

The Falcon & the Winter Soldier was the perfect way of building up Bucky and Sam’s relationship after their rocky start during the Infinity Saga. While they had their differences, they both had tremendous respect for and a friendship with Steve Rogers that brought them together. However, now that they’ve settled things, it makes sense for the pair to part ways and grow their stories individually. Sam needs to establish himself as the new Captain America without copying Steve Rogers, while Bucky needs to see what life looks like after his Winter Soldier days.

Bucky seems to be moving toward the moniker of White Wolf, and Sam has left his Falcon mantle behind similarly, so it also wouldn’t make sense for him to return to a show with this title. Unless season 2 was renamed to reference Captain America and the White Wolf, there isn’t a way to bring these characters back to a show with that name without risking confusing audiences and jarring against the heroes’ own stories. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier perfectly established the directions for Sam and Bucky after Avengers: Endgame, but they should continue to grow separately.