It was a perfect handing over of the torch moment when ‘Avengers: Endgame’ ended with Steve Rogers handing his shield over to Sam Wilson. The symbolism was clear. The legacy was earned. And viewers were willing to witness a new Captain America emerge.
But years later, Sam’s tenure as Cap still remains oddly dull.
Captain America Deserved A Bigger Arc For Sam Wilson
That’s not a reflection on the character, or on Anthony Mackie, who has consistently brought warmth and conviction to the role. Rather, it is a matter of momentum. As a hero who is supposed to head the next generation of Avengers, Sam Wilson has not received the time and interwoven narrative that made Steve Rogers the moral compass of the MCU.
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‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ provided strong foundations. The series discussed Sam’s indecisiveness to pick up the shield and the implications of being a Black Captain America in a nation with a complex past. When he eventually took the stage and gave a heart-throbbing speech on responsibility and togetherness, it was genuine, a new Cap in a new world.
There was nuance. There was emotional weight. And there was potential. But after that? Silence. When Sam came back in ‘Captain America: Brave New World,’ the movie felt strangely out of place. Much of the story leaned into threads from The Incredible Hulk, diluting what should have been a defining chapter for Sam himself. Even his collaboration with the new Falcon did not have chemistry. The emotional shorthand simply wasn’t there.
Sam Wilson Should Be Leading The Avengers, But It Doesn’t Feel That Way
Visibility is one of the greatest challenges facing Sam’s Captain America. Steve Rogers did not become the compass of the Avengers in one day; he was presented in several films, established relationships, and framed significant events.
Sam wasn’t given such a runway. The interconnected magic of the MCU made even the cameos significant in a few seconds.
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A scene here, a team-up there, it strengthened who was important. In the absence of such linking scenes, it becomes more difficult to sell Sam as the next leader of the Mightiest Heroes on Earth, particularly with ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on the way.
The legacy is held in the shield. But a symbol only rings when the story behind it develops. Sam Wilson didn’t fail to become a great Captain America. The MCU simply has not allowed him to. And that is like an opportunity that is yet to be grabbed.
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