It's Officially The End Of An Era For Captain America In The MCU

An era for Captain America in the MCU is officially coming to an end, starting December 18. Anthony Mackie has carried the shield as Sam Wilson since the closing minutes of Avengers: Endgame. This moment marked the beginning of one of the most ambitious character handoffs in Marvel Studios history. Since then, Sam appeared in almost every corner of the franchise, from streaming series to animation to his own solo film, all leading to one big team-up.

This amazing run is now reaching its finish line. With Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, Sam Wilson's tenure as the lead Captain America of the MCU is closing out, capping a multi-project arc that began with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, continued through What If…? Season 3, and crystallized in Captain America: Brave New World. The fifth Avengers film also brings Chris Evans' Steve Rogers back into the picture, which reshapes the road ahead for Mackie's hero in many ways. 

Sam Wilson's Journey in the MCU

Anthony Mackie joined the MCU in 2014 with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, playing Air Force veteran Sam Wilson, also known as Falcon. The film introduced him as a friend and ally to Steve Rogers, helping him take down a HYDRA plot inside SHIELD. It was a strong debut that established the bond between the two characters. 

Sam returned in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, siding with Steve in the fight over the Sokovia Accords. The role expanded here, with Sam becoming a key part of Steve's team and one of the heroes who went on the run after the airport battle in Germany.

Two years later, in Avengers: Infinity War, Sam was at Steve's side in Wakanda when Thanos and his army arrived. He fought through the battle until the Snap turned him to dust, one of the heroes lost in the closing moments of the film.

Sam returned in 2019's Avengers: Endgame through Hulk's reverse Snap and joined the final battle against Thanos. The film ended with an elderly Steve Rogers handing him the shield, naming Sam the next Sentinel of Liberty, and setting up everything that followed.

Mackie's run as the lead Captain America began in earnest with the 2021 Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which followed Sam's struggle to accept the mantle Steve Rogers passed to him. The series ended with Sam fully stepping into the role, complete with a new suit and a public address that defined what his version of Cap would stand for. 

Animation came next. What If…? Season 3 finally gave Sam Wilson's Captain America an animated debut, with Mackie voicing the character in a story that put Sam at the center of an Avengers crisis tied to the Hulk. The episode allowed Marvel to test his leadership voice in a different format ahead of his theatrical run.

Then came the big screen. Captain America: Brave New World hit theaters in February 2025 and served as Sam's first solo film as Cap. The story dropped him into a political crisis involving Harrison Ford's President Thaddeus Ross and Tim Blake Nelson's Samuel Sterns, ending with Sam vowing to rebuild the Avengers. A post-credits warning about multiversal threats set the table for what comes next.

What comes next is Avengers: Doomsday, which pulls Steve Rogers back into the fold for the first time since Endgame. The film's first character teaser confirmed Evans' return, with the studio announcing that "Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Doomsday." Reports indicate Steve won't be taking on the Captain America mantle, leaving Sam as the definite Captain America in the story. Even with Sam Wilson holding the shield, Steve Rogers remains Captain America in the eyes of many fans due to his decade-long legacy. In Avengers: Doomsday, Sam will no longer be the sole hero on screen to have carried the mantle; notably, the film is also set to feature U.S. Agent, adding yet another former Captain America to the mix. This marks the end of an era for Sam Wilson as the sole lead Captain America.

What Role Will Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers Play in Avengers: Doomsday?

Sam Wilson is heading into Avengers: Doomsday as the leader of the Avengers. This direction was set up at the end of Captain America: Brave New World, which closed with Sam committing to rebuild the Avengers, and it was reinforced by the Thunderbolts post-credits scene, which revealed Sam filed for copyright of the Avengers name. By the time Doomsday opens, Sam will be the one calling the shots and assembling the heroes who go up against Doctor Doom.

This fits the version of Sam that the MCU has been building. He is a soldier, a tactician, and a leader who knows how to bring people together, which is what a team facing Doom, alongside the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, is going to need. It's also been reported that Mackie will get ample screen time in Doomsday, and the Russo brothers' track record with ensembles in Infinity War and Endgame is a good indication that Sam will get the room he needs to lead. 

Steve Rogers' role looks very different, though. The first Doomsday teaser showed him living a quiet life with a baby, putting his old suit away in a box. This means he is coming back as Steve, not as Captain America.

Steve is being pulled out of retirement for a specific reason rather than reclaiming the shield. The current rumor is that Doctor Doom is hunting him, possibly tied to his time travel at the end of Endgame. The full Doomsday trailer shown at CinemaCon also reunited Steve with Thor, meaning he will be working alongside the team in some form. With Doom reportedly having a bone to pick with Steve, the former Captain America's role in the movie would be significant, making him more than just a supporting character.

Interestingly, reports suggest an 11-year gap between the quiet life glimpsed in the Doomsday teaser and the multiversal storm that follows. This decade of peace indicates Steve built a life worth defending, and the need to explore that history points toward a much more substantial role for the original Captain than fans initially expected. 

With the Avengers confronting an unprecedented crisis under Sam Wilson's command, Doomsday serves as the climax of the character's journey. Even as the era of his singular leadership draws to a close, the film presents a great opportunity to cement his legacy and show the world why he was chosen as the next Captain America.