Marvel is doing what they do best and keeping fans on the edge of their seats at all times. Today, the same day of the premiere of the final episode of Disney+ series Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it was announced by Hollywood Reporter that a new Captain America film is in the works, following up on the events of the six episode limited series.
Fans may not be surprised by this line of events, as Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie, was set up to take over the shield, and possibly the title of Captain America, at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Viewers of Falcon and the Winter Soldier may have been surprised to see him promptly give up that shield, and for the U.S. government to give the title to an entirely brand new face, John Walker (played by Wyatt Russell).
Without going into too much detail about the series finale, now it is assumed that the next Captain America film will follow Wilson as he takes up the shield again. Marvel is keeping any other info under wraps for now, of course, but we do know that Falcon and the Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman and staff writer Dalan Musson will be penning the script.
Chris Evans‘ potential involvement is up in the air, as he had been stating that he will not return to the franchise until a few months ago an announcement was made (seemingly without Evans’ knowledge) that a deal was in the works to bring him into future titles. Since then, no further clarification has arrived from Marvel Studios.
This announcement marks another shift towards greater diversity on Marvel’s lineup, now with many leading heroes of color including Mackie’s Sam Wilson, Simu Liu‘s Shang-Chi, the late Chadwick Boseman‘s T’Challa, and the other heroes of Black Panther, some of which will be leading the next installment. Women are also taking up a more prominent role in the MCU, with WandaVision being a hit on Disney+, Black Widow soon to be released, Captain Marvel 2 in the works, and two series in development surrounding Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk.
Both Black Panther and Falcon and the Winter Soldier were able to discuss the realities of racial inequality, and to do so on such a widely received platform marks some significant progress for the studio. The range of content able to be released has expanded rapidly with the success of Disney+, so we will be keeping an eye on where they decide to go from here.