The end of Avengers: Endgame was a great capper on over 10 years of movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So many stories about characters we’ve grown to love were wrapped up beautifully. But this is Marvel we’re talking about and nothing ever officially ends. We need another dose of exciting new adventures injected into our veins, after all.
Which is why the conclusion of Endgame also provided a number of interesting setups to future installments in the MCU. Chief among them is the dynamic duo set to star in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney Plus. Last we saw them, old man Captain America was passing on the shield to Sam Wilson a.k.a. the Falcon as Bucky Barnes a.k.a. the Winter Soldier approvingly looked on.
Many, myself included, assumed Barnes would be the one to take the shield. Giving it to Wilson sets up an interesting and exciting new direction for Captain America, though. And while plot details about the upcoming show have been sparse, now we have confirmation from producer Kevin Feige that the series will indeed see Sam picking up the shield.
“We saw Old Man Cap hand that shield to Sam Wilson at the end of [Endgame], and the question is, what did he do with it next? What does it mean for Sam Wilson and that shield?” Feige said at Brazil’s CCXP19. “That’s a big responsibility, and that’s very much what the show focuses on and is about.”
Ah yes, the old “with great power comes great responsibility” trope. Not exactly original, but hopefully the series delves a little more into aspects of Wilson’s time in the military, which was briefly talked about in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
For his part, Mackie is very thankful for having the opportunity to take on the role. He also realizes the significance of it not just for his career, but for culture in general, saying the following earlier this year:
“I’ve been in the business for 20 years and I’ve been fortunate to do some amazing stuff and work with amazing people. For me, to be a Black man in 2019 and be given the helm of Captain America with the history of Black men in this country is a monumental step, not only in entertainment, but also in my life. It’s been extremely emotional. Look, my grandfather was a sharecropper, you know what I mean? There’s a lot of history and pain and triumph and joy that comes along with me being Captain America.”
Having The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as a series is really the perfect platform to flesh out these characters who are mainly sidekicks in the MCU films. The show could go down some pretty interesting paths, too, including PTSD and race in America. Will it happen? Not likely, as it’s still Disney we’re talking about. But I guess we’ll know for sure in the Fall of 2020.