Chris Evans may have gracefully bowed out of the role during the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe is far from finished with Captain America. Steve Rogers passed the shield onto his close friend and ally Sam Wilson to take up the mantle as his replacement, something Anthony Mackie revealed brought him a huge sense of both surprise and pride when he first heard the news.
Mackie is currently shooting The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the first of the MCU’s exclusive Disney Plus shows, and while the title suggests that he won’t get a full-blown star-spangled makeover just yet, one of the reported major plot threads is the government’s resistance to accepting Sam as the new Captain America. In fact, Wyatt Russell’s subsequent casting as John Walker and set photos that revealed him in full U.S. Agent costume make it seem more than likely that he’s the one hand-picked by the powers-that-be, presumably with heavy involvement from Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo.
Inheriting the part of Captain America is a daunting task for any actor given how closely associated with the character Chris Evans had become, acting as the de facto leader of the Avengers and providing the beating heart of the entire MCU. In a recent interview to promote the second season of Netflix sci-fi series Altered Carbon, Mackie was asked about the importance of having an African American Cap, and the 41 year-old responded by making it clear that his take on the iconic superhero has nothing to do with race, saying:
“With the idea of being a black man and becoming Captain America, it’s been a daunting task because I think, in this day and age in America, I think we are open-minded to the idea of having my face represent us, as a country, because we’re truly a melting pot. So there is no distinctive look or feel or design of an American. We’re all Americans. I want my Captain America to represent everybody, not just a specific group of people.”
Steve Rogers would have a tear in his eye upon hearing that response, because that’s exactly the kind of thing that Captain America would say. And Mackie’s right, the costume is nothing but a symbol, with the man behind it the one that embodies the beliefs and ideals of the character and in the case of Captain America, an entire country.
