The improvement of the mechanical response of silicon carbide (SiC) coatings on steel substrates when a thin metallic interlayer is included was analyzed. The analysis considered the interfacial reactions and the experimental results obtained from bending experiments performed in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). During bending, in situ observations demonstrated the evolution of cracking in the coatings, with or without debonding. The critical experimental conditions associated with damage mechanisms were determined. The mechanical behavior was related to the deposition parameters and to the interlayer and was compared with analytical calculations. A comparison of the calculated and the experimental results elucidated the interfacial mechanical behavior.