Anthony Mackie is now cemented as the MCU’s Captain America. We saw him grappling with the weight of Steve Rogers’ legacy in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and he’ll soon be the star of the show in Captain America: New World Order. The Captain America title comes with certain expectations, namely that whoever takes up the mantle will go on to lead any ongoing Avengers team.
That may not be the case in the MCU. Mackie has admitted that Sam Wilson may not have what it takes to go up against heavy hitters like Thanos the way Steve Rogers did, and when quizzed by The Direct on whether he’d lead them said:
Sam is the only character without superpowers. He’s just a regular dude hanging out with a bunch of weirdos. Being from New Orleans, I’ve been in a few fights. And heart and charisma never helped me in a fight. That usually just got me beat up. So that might cause an issue when you go fight somebody like Thanos.”
Fans have quickly pointed out that Tony Stark didn’t have superpowers and jumped right into the fight against Thanos:
Others say that Batman and the Justice League show that a non-powered character can still lead a team:
And were Steve Rogers’ actual powers really just durability and super-strength or something more?
Regardless, people have begun debating who might be a more suitable leader:
Time for Thor to step up?
And Shang-Chi would be very fun, though perhaps doesn’t have the experience yet:
And is Kang really a Thanos-level threat?
We suspect Mackie is really being somewhat modest here, as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier clearly showed him developing into a leader and inspirational figure. After all the hype surrounding him taking up the shield, we want to see him calling the shots in any future Avengers team. And, after all, if there really is an insanely powered villain that needs whomping, just call in Thor or the Hulk to take those hits for you!
Captain America: New World Order will hit theaters on May 3, 2024.
