It is no secret that Captain America 4 is on the way from Marvel Studios. No release date or plot specifics have been made public yet, but audiences can rest assured that the project is coming together nicely.
The fourth Cap film will be the first to feature Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson as the Star-Spangled Man, with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier head writer Malcolm Spellman heading up the title.
Mackie's Avenger took over the mantle of Cap in the closing moments of Endgame, really wrestling with the legacy of the moniker in this year's Falcon-centered Disney+ series. There has been a myriad of teases as to where the winged hero will go in this new adventure and the latest points to something of an underdog story.
What Will Captain America 4 Be About?
In an appearance on ComicBook.com's Phase Zero podcast, Captain America 4 producer Nate Moore revealed the upcoming will "put [the new Cap Sam Wilson] through the wringer and make him earn it," promising that he will be "outweighed, outclassed, out-everything" in the patriotic sequel:
"So, we're going to put him through the wringer and make him earn it, and see what happens when he is outweighed, outclassed, out-everything. What makes somebody Captain America? I'm going to argue it's not being a super soldier. And I think we're going to prove that with Mackie and Sam Wilson."
Moore mentioned that they see the new Captain America as an "underdog in any situation" as "he's not a super soldier." The Marvel producer emphasized that the new film will explore "what happens with this guy who announces publicly...' I'm new Captain America':"
"I think, he's not Steve Rogers and I think that's a good thing... Because to me, this new Cap is Rocky. He's going to be the underdog in any situation. He's not a super soldier. He's not a hundred years old. He doesn't have the Avengers. What happens with this guy who announces publicly kind of, without the support, 'I'm new Captain America.' What happens next? I think is fascinating because he's a guy. He's a guy with wings and a shield, but he is a guy.
A New Kind of Cap Movie
Not to say that Steve Rogers never struggled in his time in the MCU, but this is an interesting direction for Marvel Studios to take the moniker of Captain America.
Chris Evans' hero was made to be the best of the world who never really faced the struggles of an everyman. Sam Wilson doesn't have the Super Soldier Serum to be exceptional, yet he is being asked to fit into that jacked-out boy scout mold.
Even though Sam Wilson was seen accepting that he does have what it takes to carry the shield (as seen at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), that weight of Cap's legacy is not something that is just going to disappear. Judging from these quotes, the Marvel Studios brass knows exactly this and will bring it to audiences in Cap 4.
Rogers' Boy in Blue was born great and Wilson is having greatness thrust upon him. The same threats that Steve could take down in seconds will require a bit more of a measured approach from the new Captain.
Judging from these quotes, in this film, the in-universe MCU public is most likely going to be exposed to a Captain America that is going to fail. Things are going to go wrong. But what makes Sam Wilson such an exciting hero is the prospect of him overcoming that failure and succeeding despite lacking the gifts of his predecessor.
