One of the biggest status quo shifts so far in Marvel Studios’ Phase 4 has been the promotion of Sam Wilson to the role of Captain America. The journey was first set up in Avengers: Endgame, and by the end of Disney+‘s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie’s hero was officially holding the shield.
The character will go on to star in his own movie, Captain America: New World Order. Not much is known about the project yet, but The Leader will be the film’s big bad, and the story will truly put Sam to the test in his new role.
Captain America will be put through the wringer since, after his bout with The Leader, he’ll almost certainly be going on to play a key role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
When that time does come, what exactly should fans expect from the character as he likely leads a new iteration of the World’s Mightiest Heroes? Well, looking back at the work of The Kang Dynasty’s newly hired writer, fans might already be able to get a good idea of what’s in store for Sam’s future.
The Future of Captain America Teased
Recently, it was confirmed that writer Jeff Loveness, who also wrote Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, was hired to write the upcoming MCU film Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Besides his previous experience with the MCU, one important part of his writing resume, which also includes Rick and Morty and Miracle Workers, is how he also penned the comic series All-New Captain America Special Vol 1.
The special saw several notable points of interest when it came to how Sam Wilson's character was depicted.
For one, the story happens not too long after Sam Wilson is made Captain America following the de-powering of Steve Rogers. He has some time under his belt, much not too much—most importantly, he still has some doubt in himself.
This doubt comes in two forms. For one, he's not sure how he'll good he'll be at leading something like the Avengers, which is likely something the MCU's Sam Wilson will struggle with in the Kang Dynasty, provided he hasn't already in New World Order.
On top of that, the comic sees Sam directly compare himself to Steve Rogers. Given how prominent Rogers has been in Wilson's MCU story, there will almost certainly be some of this same behavior going on as he finds his footing.
Though, the hero does still have some confidence in his own abilities, as seen in his cockiness down below:
Given how New World Order will come first in the timeline, the Sam Wilson seen in The Kang Dynasty might lean more into the confidence being exuded here. By then, he'll likely have been compared to Steve so many times that he's grown a little tired of the comparison.
Loveness' take on the character isn't without its moments of levity. In fact, it actually includes one of the most shared moments between Sam Wilson and Spider-Man from the comics.
What Will Sam's Future MCU Path Look Like?
A writer's previous body of work isn't always an accurate representation of what their next piece of work will look like. Its content also certainly doesn't confirm anything specific for an upcoming project such as The Kang Dynasty—for example, despite the big moment between Spider-Man and Captain America, there is no guarantee the moment will come to pass in the MCU.
But nonetheless, it's fun to speculate.
Given New World Order's 2024 placement, Sam Wilson will almost certainly be in a much more confident place, at least in regards to his new mantle, by the time 2025 rolls around. When The Kang Dynasty comes knocking, that will likely be where Sam is going to have to deal with his insecurities about leading a team; it would be hard to see anyone other than Captain America leading the core Avengers team, after all.
Jeff Loveness' work in the comics alone is proof that he has experience juggling all of those serious themes while also injecting some humor into the mix—his Rick and Morty experience isn't going to use itself.
The real test will be with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which hits theaters on February 17, 2023. Hopefully, it lives up to the exceedingly increasing expectations. In fact, seeing as how Loveness has Avengers 5 in his hands, it might even need to above and beyond.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty releases on May 2, 2025.
