Anthony Mackie Will Now Lead The Avengers?
Anthony Mackie is looking like the new leader of the Marvel universe.
This article is more than 2 years old
Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson went from a winged sidekick to the new Captain America within a matter of years. We first met the character in 2014’s phenomenal Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which means it took seven years for Mackie to become the new Cap. But boy, has that seven years blown by. Now, though, we’re catching wind of a new rumor that is sure to have Marvel fans more than a bit excited.
Gossip writer Daniel Richtman brings word that Anthony Mackie will become co-leader of the Avengers alongside Don Cheadle’s Rhodey, who will reportedly function as the new Iron Man of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Richtman has provided accurate information in the past, and given the direction in which we know the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going, it is very likely that he is absolutely correct here. Still, though, it is important to take this as a rumor at this point. At least until we get confirmation from the studio or the trades.
This honestly is not surprising. It’s just exciting. The The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale made it clear that Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson/Falcon was on to bigger and better things. That fact, coupled with the news that the aforementioned show’s head writer/showrunner, Malcolm Spellman, had signed on to write Captain America 4, pretty much confirms that Mackie is here to stay. And as he continues to grow as a hero and as a character, Sam Wilson will need to climb the ranks and assume his role as the leader of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. As someone who really enjoyed his performance in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I am super here for that. It is an exciting change that will hopefully resonate with just as many people as Chris Evans’s Steve Rogers so effortlessly did. We will see!
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier ushered in a bold new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With this new era came some pretty significant changes to characters we thought we knew. Not only did an alliance turn sour, but a terrifying new threat emerged within the United States government, signaling future trouble for Sam and Bucky.
In addition to the rumor that Anthony Mackie will be co-leading the Avengers following the events of Captain America 4, there is word that Vincent D’Onofrio is returning to his Kingpin role in some capacity. These are just two of the many rumors currently swirling around the internet. So much of this information has been confirmed to be false, but then again, a surprising number of these rumors have also turned out to be correct—in certain instances.
Anthony Mackie definitely got to show off his acting chops in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which undoubtedly just strengthened Marvel’s already unshakable faith in his ability to lead such an important franchise. It will be interesting to see how Mackie’s Sam Wilson grows into the role, and with Captain America 4 on the way, we will get our answer to that question in the somewhat near future.
