The Falcon and the Winter Soldier lands a female director for the entire series

Deadline has revealed in an exclusive story that Kari Skogland will direct the miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Here’s why it matters.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the upcoming Disney+ series has found its director. On Monday, Deadline reported Kari Skogland — who has a long list of directing credits that includes episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Walking Dead, and House of Cards — will be directing all six (yes, there will be six episodes) in the series.

Marvel has a mixed history when it comes to diversity, particularly when it comes to women. When Captain Marvel was released in March 2019, it became the first Marvel film to center on a female protagonist and the first to be directed by a woman. It was only the second Marvel film, after Guardians of the Galaxy, to credit female screenwriters.

Whether it’s Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel, we have seen in recent years that when women shape the creative process of superhero films, the films become much more representative of the female experience. Skogland’s hiring is a big deal, not only because she is one of the few women directing for Marvel and because she’s a fantastic director, but because as women, we will likely see our experiences better reflected in these stories because of her presence.

It is also meaningful that Marvel picked a woman to direct a film that isn’t about a female protagonist. We love having women tell the stories of other women, but it is also important that women be given a seat at the table regardless of the gender of the protagonist. Marvel is expanding the diversity of who tells its stories, and thus what kind of stories get told.

Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan will reprise their roles in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Deadline reports Daniel Bruhl and Emily Van Camp are also rumored to be joining the cast. Bruhl appeared in Captain America: Civil War as the villain Zemo, while Van Camp played Sharon, the grand-niece of Peggy Carter.

The reaction on Twitter was overwhelmingly excited. We couldn’t agree more with the fans, and we’re definitely excited to see it on Disney+ around August 2020.

These fans certainly seem pumped for the new series. Will you be watching it next year? Let us know in the comments.