Captain America 4: Sam’s MCU Future After Falcon & Winter Soldier Explained

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 6, “One World, One People.” 

A Captain America 4 is in the works, so just what does the MCU have in store for the future of Sam Wilson, its new Captain America, after the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? Marvel’s second Disney+ show tackled a lot of concurrent threads and big ideas, ranging from John Walker’s rise, fall, and rise to Bucky Barnes’ redemption and Winter Soldier past, and Isaiah Bradley and the dark secret of the United States’ Super Soldier programme to Sharon Carter’s villainous turn as the Power Broker. But above them all as the show’s main storyline was Sam’s journey to becoming the new Captain America.

Following on from Avengers: Endgame, where Sam was hand-picked as Steve Rogers’ successor by the man himself, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has watched him grapple with that choice, and the weight and legacy the shield carries with it, and the extra meaning of being a Black man taking on the mantle of Captain America. It was perhaps the one narrative arc that Falcon & Winter Soldier truly landed, thanks in part to Anthony Mackie’s performance, and it’s one that should continue to grow moving forward.

In the end, Sam does make the decision to become the next Cap, including a new suit that’s presumably at least part vibranium (the wings certainly seem to be). This isn’t a choice he makes lightly and, while the finale of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier shows him in action, it doesn’t fully explore him taking on the mantle and just what it means for him going forward. That, though, is something that can work in his MCU future.

Sam Wilson Will Likely Return In Captain America 4

On the same day The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s finale aired, it was reported that Captain America 4 is in the works, with that series’ showrunner Malcolm Spellman set to pen the script alongside show writer Dalan Musson. At the time of writing no other details have been revealed and it’s not been officially confirmed by Marvel (and presumably won’t be for some time yet), but it seems like a safe bet this will be among the next major outings for Sam. After all, he is now Captain America, so it wouldn’t feel right for the fourth Cap movie to feature someone other than him. As for where it’s story will go, there are presumably plenty of directions.

Since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was about Sam becoming Cap, then the origin story is out of the way with. That means Captain America 4 can focus on Sam actually being Cap; there was a glimpse of that in the finale, especially when he gave his big speech to the GRC, but a movie with him settled in the role could explore much more of what Sam as Captain America actually looks like and how he operates. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier itself left several plot threads dangling – including John Walker as US Agent and Sharon Carter’s plans as the Power Broker – which could return in Captain America 4. Concurrent with that is the setup for teams such as the Thunderbolts and the Dark Avengers, either of which could make the MCU debuts proper in that movie, or it could be a whole new threat.

Returning with Sam in Captain America 4 will presumably be Bucky Barnes. The finale included a new title card for Captain America and the Winter Soldier, and while it’s unlikely that would be the title of Captain America 4 given Captain America: The Winter Soldier already exists, it does suggest that their futures will remain entwined. That’s very much how things seemed at the end of the Falcon & Winter Soldier finale, and given their dynamic was key to the show, it absolutely needs to be in the movie as well. The movie could also properly make Joaquin Torres into the new Falcon (as he becomes in the comics), to further continue threads from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. As for whether Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers will be in Captain America 4, that seems like something of a long-shot right now. Kevin Feige previously debunked reports of Evans’ return, and while it’s not impossible – and if it happens anywhere, a new Captain America movie would be the logical fit – Steve has already passed the torch on to Sam, so it’s hard to see a story reason if Captain America 4 is following the new Cap.

Where Else Sam Wilson Could Appear In The MCU After Falcon & Winter Soldier

Prior to the news of Captain America 4, the most obvious place to see Sam again would be in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier season 2, although it would instead be called Captain America and the Winter Soldier, with the new title revealed at the end of the finale. Given the setup of the show, in its broadest sense, is Sam and Bucky working together to fight against villains, then there’s a loose framework there that would easily lend itself to future seasons. On top of that, there are still unfinished character arcs and plot points – most notably, Sharon Carter’s plans as the Power Broker, and John Walker becoming US Agent – which would similarly be a natural fit to explore further in Captain America and the Winter Soldier. Much of that, though, could now be worked into the movie.

Apart from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier season 2 or now Captain America 4, there aren’t too many other obvious places for Sam to return in terms of confirmed Phase 4 movies and shows. Armor Wars, which will deal with Stark tech falling into the wrong hands, is a possible future home for Sharon Carter, given War Machine works for the same US government she is working against, which could bring Sam into the fold. Likewise, Secret Invasion will also presumably deal with the damage caused by the Skrulls’ infiltration of world leaders, which could necessitate Captain America lending a hand, but neither is a completely perfect fit or by any means guaranteed.

Following all of that, the best place for Sam to return as Captain America would be in The Avengers 5. While there’s no firm announcement for the movie just yet, it’s widely expected that another Avengers movie will happen eventually, even if it isn’t until around 2023-34. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam proved himself to be the Avengers’ best leader, both before and after he picked up the shield. He’s someone who has been shown to take control, to lead by example, provide a figure others can look up to, and do what’s right even in the toughest of situations. He’s not only a replacement for Captain America, but also for Steve Rogers, and so him appearing in The Avengers 5 seems a given, especially if he does lead Captain America 4, and leading the team would be a good fit for him too. There could also be another unannounced project for Sam to return in: as mentioned Falcon & Winter Soldier laid the groundwork for Thunderbolts and Dark Avengers through the likes of Zemo and Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, and either could be their own movie or TV show. Sam could feasibly appear in whatever form they take.

With all of this, it’s also worth considering Anthony Mackie’s Marvel contract. Like most MCU actors, he was given a long-term deal; back in 2019, Mackie said his original Marvel contract was 10 movies. So far, he’s appeared in six movies plus now The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, although it’s unclear if that forms part of the original agreement or was negotiated separately (but given it’s a TV show, it may be fair to assume the latter). Even assuming he is in Captain America 4, there’s still a lot left on Mackie’s Marvel contract, meaning he should be sticking around the MCU as its new Captain America for a good for years yet on screens both big and small.

About The Author

James Hunt
(851 Articles Published)

James is Screen Rant’s Movies Lead Editor, having started out as a writer for the site back in 2019. A Sports Journalism graduate, James quickly realized that supporting Sunderland AFC was painful enough without writing about it, and so decided to talk a load of rubbish about movies and TV instead. Formerly the TV editor at WhatCulture, he has a particular love of Star Wars (The Last Jedi was great), Game of Thrones (season 8 was good), and Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling…never mind) – y’know, all that really niche, nerdy stuff. Spending most of his days editing articles about or writing on movies and shows, James likes to really get away from work and unwind by, er, watching movies and shows. He’s fuelled by pint-sized cups of tea, peanut butter, more tea, and a quiet, constant anger (like the Hulk, only not green, or strong, or big).

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