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Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has premiered, and millions across the globe have seen or are seeing it at the moment. Everyone is excited to know the relationship between Captain America’s (Chris Evans) closest friends, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). While Bucky has been his bestie since before he became the super-soldier, it was Sam who received his shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame.
Now, the series’ director, Kari Skogland (The Handmaid’s Tale fame), got candid about the crux she presented to the studio. While talking about that, she also shed light on the freedom she had while making the show. Read all about it below.
In conversation with the Hollywood Reporter, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s director opened up about the crux she shared with Marvel Studios. Kari Skogland said, “First of all, I really thought it was the most important story of the century. (Laughs.) From then on, the door was probably a little bit more open, but I really meant it. And that was because we’re talking about the shield.”
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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s director further added, “At the end of Endgame, the shield was given to Sam and he said, “It feels like it’s someone else’s.” That conversation, for me, was the most important conversation to have. A Black man picking up the shield — what was that going to look like? What was that going to feel like? And Sam has to decide whether he wants to take up that shield or not. It’s very racially charged.”
Kari Skogland continued, “Digging into Black history and digging into what it represented as a very white construct, the whole shield and the nature of a hero that stood behind it was a very old and slightly antiquated idea at this point. So is it even relevant? And I felt that was the crux to the story and that was the story they wanted to tell. So I threaded the needle.”
Talking about the creative freedom she was given while making The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Kari Skogland said, “Kevin Feige, from the beginning, said, “Make it yours.” There’s no Marvel list. As a filmmaker, you are not only encouraged, but you are really supported to let your voice shine through.”
She added, “By definition, it has its Marvel stamp, and it’s probably because of the characters. They lead you down that path so you’re never outside of that comfort zone, but you definitely push it as much as you can. So, yeah, you have total freedom to push, scratch the surface and try things. We did a lot of improv and ad-libbing as we were exploring these characters.”
Kari Skogland continued, “Unlike the movies, which I call “the snack,” this is a meal. We get a lot more time with the characters than we’ve ever had in the MCU movie world of it. So you get to enjoy the complexity of each of these characters, but it also means that the demands are higher to make them — and keep them — interesting.”
Have you watched The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, or are you catching it on the weekend?
