Everything we’re hearing about Avengers 4 suggests that there’s going to be a stars and stripes patterned vacancy real soon. With Chris Evans having apparently said goodbye to the role, speculation has begun to mount about who might be stepping into the shoes of Captain America after Steve Rogers.
Now, Frank Grillo, who played Crossbones in The Winter Soldier and Civil War, has said something very interesting in an interview with Larry King:
“I don’t know, but there have been rumors that Captain America could be African American. Could be a woman. You know, so they’re looking.”
It’s an intriguing comment, especially considering that many assumed that they’d been building up Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes to assume the mantle of Captain America, just as he did in Marvel Comics. But, as MCU Cosmic points out, there’s another Marvel hero who also assumed the role of Cap in the source material who seems to line up with what Grillo said. I’m talking, of course, about Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson/Falcon.
He’s been a close friend to Steve Rogers since soon after he was defrosted, with the pair bonding over their shared combat experience and Rogers being impressed with Wilson’s dedication to his fellow soldiers. They’ve been allies through thick and thin ever since, making Sam a smart choice for the role. If it did happen, it might also follow the story set out in the All New Captain America comic series that began in 2014, in which an aged Rogers chooses Wilson as his replacement (though he eventually went back to being the Falcon).
Though this is certain to leave Bucky fans dismayed, Sam Wilson has proved himself as a hero many times over in the MCU and there are few characters who’d deserve a step up to Avengers A-list more than him.
