One of the biggest moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe last year was undoubtedly when Sam Wilson finally took on the shield and became Captain America. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Disney+ series followed his journey of self-discovery as he figured out what it meant to hold the mantle Steve Rogers left behind. The big choice came in the finale of the show, and it’s there that his new mantle and Cap outfit debuted.
Its design, a vibranium upgrade straight from Wakanda, looked like it was ripped from the comics. Instead of mostly red with white detailing, Wilson now flew around in full star-spangled red, white, and blue—even Red Wing got a new paint job.
Needless to say, the accuracy of Captain America’s suit was loved by fans. Now, thanks to a new art book, the world can see some of what might have made it onto the screen in a different timeline.
Alternate Sam Wilson Designs
In Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: The Art of the Series, concept art revealed alternate designs for Sam Wilson’s Captain America as seen in his Disney+ series.
The book showcased several drastically different looks for Sam's new outfit, such as these very unique wing shapes seen below.
There were clearly plenty of discussions about what color the wings should be to compliment the suit. These red wings definitely harken back to Sam's Falcon look, while the white ones would certainly make a statement.
Artist Josh Nizzi noted how, in the end, “[he] was very happy with how [the] wings turned out,” and that “it’s all about speed” when it comes to believably folding them into a backpack.
"I was very happy with how these wings turned out, and it's always interesting with the magic of folding those things into backpacks, I think it's just about speed. I'll come up with something that kind of makes sense if you had these materials that could do whatever. But for believability, if you can do it fast enough, it's like, 'okay, sure.' Sometimes you can lose too much of the coolness when it comes across too much as magic.”
The wings also had alternate uses as well, with one of them being a parachute if the need ever arose.
In the concept stage, they could even completely detach and wrap up enemies to prep for arrest.
Of course, Red Wing also had various redesigns as well, as it sported a new red, white and blue color scheme.
At one point, Sam's new wings could even hold and throw his shield for him.
Did Marvel Nail Captain America’s Costume?
Based on the alternate costumes for Sam Wilson depicted in the art book, as seen above, it would seem that Marvel Studios never really strayed from the comic-accurate look. What looks to have been in contention the most was simply the color and detailing of his accessories, such as the wings.
Some of those alternate wings would have been great, but using a nice balance of the three staple USA colors certainly made the most sense in the end. That said, having those all-red wings would have been a neat way of carrying over his previously red-heavy Falcon design.
One of the interesting elements of Sam’s suit compared to Steve Rogers’ is how bright and vibrant his is. Chris Evans’ character never got much brighter than with his Avengers outfit, going on to generally have darker color schemes with each passing movie.
Could the same be true of Sam? Fans will have to wait to see how much of his debut costume sticks around when he shows up in Captain America 4.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney+, and Captain America 4 does not yet have an estimated release window.
