Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier made key story changes to avoid similarities with the unfolding COVID-19 crisis, the show’s creators revealed. The timely rewrite likely saved the show from controversy and cancelation.
When developing The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in 2019, the creative team had no inkling of the global crisis to come. So they conceived a bioterrorist plot eerily akin to the impending pandemic.
Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Pandemic Near-Miss Explained Kevin Feige
Showrunner Malcolm Spellman explained, “The show we were writing felt a little too close to reality.” The last thing they wanted was appearing to make light of tragedy.
The storyline involved a new Captain America shielding the public from a deadly virus unleashed on America. Given the real-world parallels that later emerged, it quickly became clear the idea had to be scrapped.
Reworking the Premise to Avoid Insensitivity
With COVID-19 devastating communities in 2020, Spellman said they reworked the show to remove the virus element, not wanting to seem “flippant or cavalier.”
While it required major rewrites, he said the switch ultimately improved the story. They centered it instead on global displaced populations, forming the Flag-Smashers movement.
Kevin Feige“It turned out to be a win for us,” Spellman remarked, leading to themes of refugee struggles and Captain America‘s role. Dodging controversy by reading the room allowed more meaningful stories to emerge.
Maintaining Marvel’s Escapism – Kevin Feige
More than optics, removing the pandemic plot preserved the MCU’s role as escapism during an incredibly bleak time.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige commented, “Our job is to provide an escape and entertainment.” He suggested that sticking with a virus premise “might hit a little too close to home.” via Forbes.
Kevin FeigeWhile never confirmed, the rewrite let The Falcon and the Winter Soldier offer joy versus mirroring tragedy back to audiences.
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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier deftly dodged employing a tone-deaf bioterrorism plot by reworking its narrative amidst the unfolding pandemic. Scrapping the eerie similarities was a wise move to avoid backlash, while allowing more uplifting stories to take shape. The rewrite kept the MCU true to its mission of providing escapism entertainment during a real-world crisis.
Source: Twitter
Frequently asked questions
What was the original story idea The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had to scrap?
The show’s creators originally developed a bioterrorism storyline in which a deadly virus is unleashed on America, with a new Captain America protecting the public from it. The team abandoned this premise after the real-world COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020.
Why did the pandemic make the original plot too risky to keep?
Showrunner Malcolm Spellman said the virus-based premise felt "a little too close to reality" once COVID-19 hit, and the team didn’t want to come across as flippant or cavalier about an ongoing tragedy. Kevin Feige added that Marvel’s job is to provide escape and entertainment, and the storyline risked hitting "a little too close to home."
What story did The Falcon and the Winter Soldier use instead?
The team reworked the narrative around globally displaced populations, building the Flag-Smashers movement and a story centered on refugee struggles and Captain America’s role in confronting them. Spellman said the pivot "turned out to be a win for us."
