Anthony Mackie has opened up about how the story of Captain America: Brave New World will avoid repeating that of his MCU Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie has now appeared as Sam Wilson in eight projects, and has evolved over the last decade from Steve Rogers' sidekick, the Falcon, into the MCU's new Captain America. Mackie will next appear in Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World in February 2025, marking his theatrical debut as Captain America after becoming the Star-Spangled-Man in Phase 4.
Captain America: Brave New World's release is heavily featured in the February 2025 issue of Empire Magazine, in which Anthony Mackie explains more about the upcoming movie's storyline. Mackie explains the difference between Brave New World and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, noting that while themes of race are still "subtext" in the former, "it's not the focus." Mackie, executive producer Nate Moore and Marvel Studios writer Malcolm Spellman all wanted to avoid repeating The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Mackie's new comments prove they have.
What [Captain America: Brave New World] is not, is The Falcon and the Winter Soldier 2.5. Being a Black man in America, that's something that you can't overlook because every day you walk out the house, you have to deal with it. It'll always be subtext, but it's not the focus. I think what we deal with in the show was specifically for the show.
Captain America: Brave New World Won't Make Sam Wilson's Race Such A Big Deal
Transitioning the Captain America mantle from Chris Evans' Steve Rogers to Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson was a pretty huge change for the MCU. Sam Wilson became one of the franchise's first legacy heroes and one of the first to adopt the same title as their predecessor, and it was hard to ignore the relevance of Sam Wilson's race during a time of monumental real-world turmoil for many. The fact that Sam Wilson is Black provided a hugely poignant and powerful narrative in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but this is hard to pull off effectively twice.
Sam Wilson's MCU Project
Year
Role
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2014
Main Cast
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015
Support
Ant-Man
2015
Cameo
Captain America: Civil War
2016
Main Cast
Avengers: Infinity War
2018
Main Cast
Avengers: Endgame
2019
Support
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
2021
Lead
What If...? Season 3
2024
Main Cast
Captain America: Brave New World
2025
Lead
It makes sense that Marvel Studios would want to avoid repeating the same storyline from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in Captain America: Brave New World. Instead of focusing so much on Sam Wilson's race, it seems Brave New World will simply establish this evolution for the Captain America mantle as completely normal. Captain America is now Black, and accepting that frees up the movie to explore an honest-to-goodness Captain America story, pitting Sam Wilson against the likes of the Leader, Sidewinder and the Red Hulk instead of an unnecessary racially-motivated villain.
The Falcon & The Winter Soldier Offered A More Personal Storyline
Told over six episodes in 2021, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was the perfect place to examine Sam Wilson on a deeper level and explore themes of racial injustice. While this will surely still play a role in Captain America: Brave New World, it's good that this won't be the key focus, as this would run the risk of simply re-doing the Phase 4 series' narrative. Sam Wilson is set to embark on a bigger and more action-packed adventure in 2025, which will cement him as the MCU's Captain America and truly see him fill Steve Rogers' shoes.
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Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titled New World Order) marks Sam Wilson's first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers' successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk's former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
English (US) ·