Although one of Avengers: Endgame’s final moments showed the now-elderly Steve Rogers giving his vibranium shield to his crimefighting partner Sam Wilson, the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier earlier this year paved the way for Anthony Mackie’s character to truly accept his friend’s mantle. By the final episode of the Disney+ miniseries, Sam had officially become the new Captain America, and it’s since been confirmed that he’ll return for Captain America 4. However, just because Sam is now wearing his own version of the star-spangled uniform doesn’t mean his superhero journey will get easier.
Nate Moore, Marvel Studios’ Vice President of Production and Development, is working on Captain America 4 as one of its producers, the same role he filled on projects like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Eternals and the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. During his visit to Comicbook.com’s Phase Zero podcast, Moore said the following about the struggles Sam Wilson will face as the new Captain America, specifically addressing how unlike Steve Rogers, Sam doesn’t have the benefit of the Super Soldier Serum running through his veins to enhance his physiology. As Moore explained:
I think, he's not Steve Rogers and I think that's a good thing. Because to me, this new Cap is Rocky. He's going to be the underdog in any situation. He's not a super soldier. He's not a hundred years old. He doesn't have the Avengers. What happens with this guy who announces publicly kind of, without the support, 'I'm new Captain America.' What happens next? I think is fascinating because he's a guy. He's a guy with wings and a shield, but he is a guy. So, we're going to put him through the wringer and make him earn it, and see what happens when he is outweighed, outclassed, out-everything. What makes somebody Captain America? I'm going to argue it's not being a super soldier. And I think we're going to prove that with Mackie and Sam Wilson.
Although Sam Wilson had the opportunity to take the Super Soldier Serum during The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he opted not to put it in his body, unlike John Walker, who served a brief stint as Captain America and is now going by U.S. Agent. Of course, we’ve seen since his debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier that Sam is more than capable of holding his own in the field, between his own combat skills, his prowess with the wing pack and now having a good handle on wielding the vibranium shield. Nevertheless, Nate Moore made it clear that Sam being a “normal” guy means he’ll face more of an uphill battle dealing with the threats that come his way in Captain America 4 compared to what Steve Rogers went through.
What those threats will be remains to be seen, as plot details concerning Captain America 4 are being kept close to the proverbial vest. In fact, aside from Anthony Mackie suiting back up, all we officially know about the project is it’s being written by Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson, both of whom worked on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This will be the the third MCU film series to stretch past a trilogy following Avengers and Thor, and mark Mackie’s seventh theatrical appearance in the MCU.
It’s still early into Captain America 4’s development, but once concrete details start coming in, we’ll pass them along. Until then, MCU fans can discover what else this franchise is sending to the silver screen with our upcoming Marvel movies guide.
