Falcon & Winter Soldier Aren’t Exactly Friends in Disney+ Show

According to Anthony Mackie, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier won’t be buddies at the start of their Disney+ show. Following Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) decision to return to the 1940s and have a life with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finds his two closest friends, Sam (Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), adjusting to life without him while contending with a new threat. Fans of the movies know that Sam and Bucky’s relationship didn’t exactly get off to the best start, since Bucky was still a brainwashed HYDRA assassin when they first met. Even after Bucky managed to break through his conditioning, he and Sam would often bicker with each other. Their banter led to many fans hoping for a project centered on the two of them.

This August, fans’ wishes will come true with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It will be the first Marvel series to premiere on Disney+, so anticipation is quite high. In addition to Mackie and Stan, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will see the returns of Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter and Daniel Brühl as Baron Zemo, both of whom were last seen in Captain America: Civil War. The first bit of footage for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier aired with this year’s Super Bowl and rekindled fans’ excitement for Bucky and Sam’s next adventure in the MCU.

While speaking with Rotten Tomatoes TV about the second season of Netflix’s Altered Carbon, Mackie offered a small tidbit about what to expect from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He was quick to say the Marvel shows on Disney+ will be “very different than the movies” because fans will get the opportunity to spend more time with the characters. Mackie then went on to elaborate on what this means for Sam and Bucky’s dynamic by saying:

So, with The Falcon vs. Winter Soldier, Sebastian Stan and I, we really get to develop that relationship between the two of us, and you get to see it unfold. You know, ’cause we were never really friends. And we still aren’t really friends.

Despite not being friends, Sam and Bucky will need to learn to work together without Steve’s guidance as they face new conflicts. The reemergence of Zemo spells trouble for the duo, though some wonder if he even is the series’ villain after seeing Bucky refuse to shoot Zemo in the Super Bowl spot. Additionally, there’s a new Captain America in town (Wyatt Russell’s John Walker/U.S. Agent) who might cause some issues for Sam, whom Steve handpicked to be the next Cap.

It’s funny to note that Mackie referred to the series as “The Falcon vs. the Winter Soldier,” as if to highlight how antagonistic they might be to each other at the beginning. Of course, a lot can change over six episodes, and a true friendship might spring up between the two as they continue to fight side by side. That likely will still come with a fair amount of bickering, but considering how much fans enjoyed seeing their banter in the films, it might be seen as a good thing. After all, is it really a Marvel project if there are no quips to be found?

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will premiere on Disney+ this August.