Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan on How 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' Series Explores Sam and Bucky Further

Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan made their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Sam Wilson in Marvel Studios' Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Bucky Barnes in Marvel Studios' Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), respectively. The two soldiers are constantly at each other's throats; their only common denominator is Captain America himself, Steve Rogers, who they've gone on several journeys with through the course of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. However, it's in their headline original series for Disney+ with The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, all episodes now streaming, that the odd couple must contend with a world without their friend Steve.

Titan Comics, in partnership with Marvel, is releasing a deluxe hardcover, Marvel's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Collector's Special, which is now available everywhere books are sold. Grab a copy from your preferred retailer!

In Marvel Studios' action-packed series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes must reconcile their differences in order to defeat the sinister Flag Smashers. The stars and other key members of the crew reveal the secrets behind the groundbreaking Disney+ series in this deluxe collector's volume. Includes exclusive interviews with Anthony Mackie (Falcon) and Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Erin Kellyman (Karli Morgenthau), Emily VanCamp (Sharon Carter), Wyatt Russel (John Walker), Georges St-Pierre (Batroc), Florence Kasumba (Ayo), Daniel Brül (Baron Zemo), Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine), and Don Cheadle (James "Rhodey" Rhodes).

Thanks to our friends at Titan Comics, we have a preview of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan's interview, below!

What was your reaction when you heard that your characters were going to star in their own series?

Anthony Mackie: When we were told that there was going to be a series, I didn’t know what to expect. As it came together and as I started reading the scripts, I was very happy with the characters and the storylines. I feel like the writers gave me the best vehicle they could, to do the best work I could.

Sebastian Stan: I was really excited that we were going to explore these characters in ways that we haven’t seen before. I think the tricky part was finding the organic way to take them into a different direction in a way that showed growth while continuing to honor the history.

I genuinely love working with Anthony. There are definitely days where I feel like he’s going to kill me – not physically! – with his presence. I feel like we have a very good dynamic and a good rapport. The idea of getting to expand on the scene we had in the car in Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Civil War was really exciting.

Was it important to have six episodes with Sam and Bucky as opposed to a two-hour movie?

Anthony Mackie: What Malcolm Spellman, the showrunner, was able to do with the scripts is really amazing. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are three-dimensional characters. Usually in a movie you only have two hours to tell the beginning, middle, and ending of a story, but because we had six episodes we were able to tell the entire scope of where these characters have been, how they feel about the world they’re in, and where they’re going once this series is over and the next movie picks up.

How does Sam and Bucky’s relationship evolve in this series?

Sebastian Stan: There was a tonal shift as we developed the humor between Sam and Bucky.

Trying to bring that natural dynamic between Anthony and I to the characters was the real trick to the whole thing, which I feel we did pretty well. What was challenging for me was the balance between re-introducing the characters in a new way and yet making you aware of where they come from. I’m always thinking, What if a fan sits down and watches Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The First Avenger, The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Marvel’s The Avengers, and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, one after the other? Are they going to be able to see that same character throughout and then see that character evolve in new ways but still be the same character? So, we just continued that as best as we could.

Was it important to you to explore the characters’ personal lives?

Anthony Mackie: It was. I feel that origin movies are the hardest movies to do correctly, but what we’ve been able to do with Sam and Bucky is show you why they are who they are and why they believe in what they believe in. Adepero Oduye came in and gave an amazing performance
as my sister, Sarah Wilson, and gave that character a backbone that defined the entire history of who Sam Wilson really is from Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier until now.

Sebastian Stan: It was exciting to find out how Bucky functions in the world: What’s his life like in Brooklyn? How is he meeting people? How is he interacting at coffee shops? Is he dating? Is he thinking about another career? Is he in therapy? There were all these questions I had about this character. There were a lot of fun things that came out of exploring these ideas, which were very exciting to delve into. There’s always going to be a darker side of this character, which I always loved and which is what made him more interesting and complex. I feel like that doesn’t go away – it’s still there in a way, he’s just learning how to deal with it a little bit more.

To see the full interview with Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, and more, be sure to pick up Marvel's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Collector's Special, now available everywhere books are sold!

Every episode of Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney+.

Want more 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier'? Follow the series on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! 

Stay tuned to Marvel.com for more details! And be sure to follow Marvel on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.