Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame
It's almost hard to believe, but Avengers: Endgame has been in theaters for nearly a month. The Russo Brothers crafted a complicated narrative, and the blockbuster's runtime was jam packed with plot twits, cameos, and satisfying conclusions. This was especially true when it came to Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson.
After the Avengers defeated Thanos forever, Captain America traveled back in time to return the Infinity Stones and Mjolnir to their proper place in the multiverse. He returned as an old man, having lived a full life in the past with Peggy Carter. Steve Rogers also gave Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) his shield, passing on the mantle of Captain America. Check out what Mackie might look like as the Cap below.
Does anyone else have chills? Sam Wilson has had a strong tenure in the MCU starting in Phase Two, and he's expected to take the spotlight in the shared universe's mysterious future.
This awesome image comes to us from Instagram user Jakub Maslowski, who regularly posts renderings of Marvel's finest heroes. The art shows Sam Wilson in full Captain America regalia, complete with the Vibranium shield. But he's also got some of Falcon's regular gear, including his iconic goggles and (most importantly) those wings.
Sam Wilson is obviously a great choice to take on the role of Captain America, but it should be interesting to see how Marvel Studios ultimately handles this transition-- especially related to the character's fighting style. Falcon has always relied heavily on his high-tech wings, which give him flight and an array of weapons. But once he becomes the new Captain, will he ditch the wings?
Of course, there is more than one artist imagining what Anthony Mackie's Captain America could look like. Check it out.
This new image, also from Instagram, is a bit more simple. Rather than crafting any new imagery, the artist simply used previous images of Falcon and Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier to get an idea of what Sam Wilson's character might look like under a different identity.
Related: The Russo Brothers Confirm A Major Captain America Theory We Had After Avengers: Endgame
One of the unexpected character pairings to come out of Phase Three has been Bucky and Sam Wilson. They both operate primarily under the Captain America franchise, and are deeply connected to Chris Evans' Steve Rogers. The two supporting characters really hit it off in Captain America: Civil War, and it was a dynamic that also hit with audiences.
Sam and Bucky were given some more choice moments in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, with the two included the film's final sequence. It's a relationship that is expected to be explored in the MCU's future, especially their Disney+ series Falcon & Winter Soldier. It's also expected that Anthony Mackie will lead the Captain America franchise in Phase Four, hopefully with Sebastian Stan's Bucky in tow.
For now, we'll have to wait for Marvel Studios to reveal its plans for the future. Although smart money says that won't happen until Spider-Man: Far From Home arrives in theaters first.
Avengers: Endgame is in theaters, including Anthon Mackie's Falcon. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.