New images from Marvel Studios confirmed that Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson will pick Captain America's shield up for a previously unknown appearance.
While Mackie's hero has been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, he didn't pick up the iconic shield until the end of the Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
His next known appearance was set to be in Captain America: Brave New World on February 14, 2025. However, it's confirmed he'll get the spotlight in another project as well, which has somehow managed to avoid featuring his character up until now.
Captain America Is Coming to What If...? Season 3
Marvel Studios announced a new upcoming appearance for Anthony Mackie's Captain America, Sam Wilson.
The new social media post on X (formerly Twitter) confirmed the character will appear in an upcoming What If...? Season 3 episode.
The image sees Sam Wilson in his Captain America uniform, standing ahead of Bucky Barnes and Monica Rambeau.
Previously, What If...? writer A.C. Bradley confirmed on the Phase Zero Podcast that the series wasn't allowed to use Sam Wilson's Captain America because, at the time of development, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was still being created.
Another image in the post, which seems to be from the same episode, shows Captain America and Photon-themed mech suits.
What's in Store for Sam Wilson & Disney+'s What If...?
It's unclear what exactly Sam Wilson is up to in those newly released photos, but it looks like it'll involve massive mechs. Perhaps fans will get an Avengers vs. Kauji fight—which would go nicely alongside the animated show's other big genre swings, like the Marvel Zombies adventure.
Many fans will likely be excited to see more of Sam Wilson as Captain America. After all, it's been nearly three years since he was last onscreen in any form.
As for What If...? Season 3, the only other confirmed story will feature an unexpected team-up between David Harbour's Red Guardian and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier.
The next batch of episodes will also come with a big shift on the creative side: besides one installment (Bucky and Red Guardian's team-up), A.C. Bradley will no longer be the head writer for the project.
Season 3 does not currently have a release window, but a late 2024 release or early 2025 is likely.
What If...? Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Disney+.
