Mackie Confirmed as MCU's Captain America?

Since Chris Evans hung up his Captain America shield in Avengers: Endgame, rumors of his return as Steve Rogers have persisted. He's consistently denied them, claiming a happy retirement. However, these rumors are fueled by a key difference between the MCU and comic books: in comics, nobody truly stays dead.

Death and rebirth are common in comics, and Captain America is no exception. Steve Rogers' assassination in the aftermath of Marvel's 2007 Civil War storyline was a major event, leading to Bucky Barnes taking up the mantle. But this, like Steve's death, proved temporary. Rogers was resurrected, returning to his role. Years later, his super-soldier serum was neutralized, aging him drastically, paving the way for Sam Wilson (The Falcon) to become Captain America—a storyline mirrored in the MCU with Anthony Mackie taking the lead in Captain America: Brave New World.

Yet, shortly after Wilson's comic book ascension, Steve's aging was reversed, and he reclaimed the shield. This, along with similar revivals of characters like Batman, Spider-Man, and Green Lantern, explains the persistent rumors about Chris Evans' return. The original always seems to come back.

“I hope so!” Mackie stated in a recent interview. “I don’t know. I think when you look at Sam Wilson, I guess the life or the span of him being Captain America goes with how well the movie does. So go see the movie!”

Mackie, unlike Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), has a stronger claim to the shield. While Bucky's tenure ended in the comics, Steve and Sam eventually shared the mantle, both wielding the shield and embodying Captain America. Even if Chris Evans returns in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars, Mackie's position seems secure.

However, the MCU differs from the comics. The MCU emphasizes permanence; deaths tend to be final. Unlike the comics, Maliketh, Kaecilius, and Ego aren't likely to return. Steve Rogers' farewell seems definitive.

“We’re aware that, for some people, it’s hard to let go of Steve Rogers,” says Nate Moore, an MCU producer. “We love Steve Rogers, he’s so fantastic. But I think that by the end of this movie, audiences are going to feel that Sam Wilson *is* Captain America, full stop.”

Moore confirms: “He is. He is. And we’re so happy to have him.” Since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson *is* the MCU's Captain America, a role designed without a replacement. This permanence elevates the stakes; there's no easy resurrection. Natasha Romanoff, Thanos, and Tony Stark are gone, and Steve Rogers is… retired.

“When Tony Stark dies, that's a big deal,” says Julius Onah, director of Captain America: Brave New World. “As a storyteller, you're just looking for the best dramatic playground for your actors to bring these characters to life. So it was a real treat for me to be able to \[work with Sam’s role\] in the MCU.”

“It’s going to be exciting to see how he leads the Avengers going forward,” Onah adds, highlighting Sam's crucial role.

The MCU's commitment to permanence avoids the cyclical nature of the comics. "I do think \[permanent change\] does make the MCU feel different than it did in phase one through three,” Moore explains. “Sam is Captain America, not Steve Rogers. He's a different person. And I think if you ask Sam who would be on the Avengers, it might be a different collection of people than Steve \[would suggest\]. So the way Sam might go about it could be completely different.”

With many original Avengers sidelined, the MCU's future will differ from the Infinity War/Endgame era. However, Anthony Mackie will lead the Avengers as the sole Captain America. Marvel's consistent messaging suggests no casting surprises are in store.