Anthony Mackie has opened up about how the story ofCaptain America: Brave New Worldwill avoid repeating that of hisMCUDisney+ 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 theMCU’s new Captain America. Mackie will next appear in Marvel Studios’Captain America: Brave New Worldin February 2025, marking his theatrical debut as Captain America after becoming the Star-Spangled-Man in Phase 4.
Captain America: Brave New World’sreleaseis heavily featured in the February 2025 issue ofEmpire Magazine, in which Anthony Mackie explains more about the upcoming movie’s storyline.Mackie explains the difference betweenBrave New WorldandThe 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 repeatingThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Mackie’s new comments prove they have.
What [Captain America: Brave New World] is not, isThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier2.5. 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.
What Anthony Mackie’s Captain America 4 Story Comments Mean
Captain America: Brave New World Won’t Make Sam Wilson’s Race Such A Big Deal
Transitioning the Captain America mantle fromChris Evans' Steve Rogers to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilsonwas 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 inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but this is hard to pull off effectively twice.
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It makes sense that Marvel Studios would want to avoid repeating the same storyline fromThe Falcon and the Winter SoldierinCaptain America: Brave New World. Instead of focusing so much on Sam Wilson’s race, it seemsBrave New Worldwill 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 theLeader, Sidewinder and the Red Hulkinstead of an unnecessary racially-motivated villain.
Our Take On Anthony Mackie’s Captain America 4 Story Comments
The Falcon & The Winter Soldier Offered A More Personal Storyline
Told over six episodes in 2021,The Falcon and the Winter Soldierwas 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 inCaptain 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 theMCU’s Captain Americaand truly see him fill Steve Rogers' shoes.
Captain America: Brave New World
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Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titledNew 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.After meeting President Thaddeus Ross, Sam is caught in a global crisis. He must expose the mastermind behind a sinister plot before the world descends into turmoil. Captain America: Brave New World marks the big-screen debut of Sam Wilson as Captain America, and Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut, replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
