Anthony Mackie is picking up the shield once again, with Sam Wilson set to return in Captain America 4.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier star has secured a deal with Marvel to reprise his role as the new Captain America, following in the footsteps of predecessor Chris Evans. According to Deadline, Marvel Studios is not disclosing any further details about the contract, and it’s unsure whether his co-star Sebastian Stan will return as notorious Winter Soldier/White Wolf, Bucky Barnes, for the project.
The news about a possible fourth Captain America film arrived in April 2021, crediting the Disney+ hit series’ head writer and creator Malcom Spellman as screenwriter, alongside staff writer Dalan Musson. No director has yet been attached to the project. Deadline also stated that the film is “not believed to be the top-secret project tipped by [Deadline writer] Justin Kroll that might bring Chris Evans back into the fold.”
Mackie embarked on his adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2014, starring in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as Sam Wilson—better known as Falcon—alongside Evans’ Steve Rogers. The actor then reprised the role for five other Marvel projects before suiting up as the second Captain America, not counting the title’s temporary assumption by John Walker (Wyatt Russell).
As of today, Mackie is the sole name attached to Captain America 4, though several actors from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier are presumed to be making a comeback in the film. Online speculations mention Russell as a possible cast member, reprising his role as Walker. Another likely candidate is Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who starred as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the Disney+ series and who also made a brief appearance in a post-credits scene for Black Widow. Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) is also expected to return.
Captain America 4 has not officially been announced yet, and the film is unlikely to be released until at least late 2023 due to Marvel’s busy schedule. Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently the farthest away, with a confirmed release date of 5 May 2023. As IGN stated, Marvel has a busy slate of films and limited series in the works including Moon Knight, Ms Marvel, and season two of Loki.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many MCU blockbusters have been delayed. Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, for instance, was supposed to be released in February 2021, before being rescheduled for 3 September 2021. Chloe Zhao’s Eternals, meanwhile, underwent the same fate, seeing its release date postponed until 5 November.
Words by Federica Battiato
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