Captain America: Brave New World promises a new era of the iconic Marvel superhero, and I can¡¯t get over how far he¡¯s come. Chris Evans¡¯ Steve Rogers was known as the face of the Avengers for almost a decade, so it was bittersweet for fans when Avengers: Endgame marked the end of the original Captain America's MCU era, even if the character got the happy ending he always desired. However, we didn¡¯t actually have to say goodbye to Cap the hero, as the shield was quickly passed on to Sam Wilson.

Considering how great of an ally and friend Sam was to Steve, it is heartwarming to know that the next Captain America is well worthy of his position. A lot has changed since Sam¡¯s introduction as Falcon in 2014¡¯s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Although I¡¯ll always miss the dynamic between him and Steve, I¡¯m excited to see a new side of Sam and how Anthony Mackie interprets the role in Brave New World. There¡¯s plenty to be emotional about, including the parallels we¡¯ll get to see between Captain America¡¯s trusted allies.

Side-by-Side Captain America And Falcon Photos Show How Much Has Changed In The MCU In 10 Years

Captain America And Falcon Will Work Together Again

Chris Evans' Steve Rogers in his Captain America uniform talking to Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson at the end of Avengers Endgame (2019)

In a post made by user thena0315 on Tumblr, a side-by-side comparison of the two generations of Captain America shows just how much has changed in the past decade. Both images show Captain America and Falcon in action together, but different individuals are taking up the mantles in each picture. The first image is a shot of Evans¡¯ Cap and Mackie¡¯s Falcon from The Winter Soldier, and the second image is of Mackie¡¯s Cap and Danny Ramirez¡¯s Falcon in the upcoming Brave New World.

It¡¯s incredibly nostalgic to see just how far the Captain America characters have come in the MCU, especially since Mackie being on the right of both images offers a clear visual comparison. There are obvious differences between the leading duo of The Winter Soldier versus the leading duo of Brave New World, and the differences have been hard for some fans to adjust to. However, thena0315¡¯s post is a reminder of the similarities that both iterations have to each other and that there¡¯s plenty to look forward to in the future of the Captain America franchise.

I'm Emotional About Sam Wilson Taking Over As Captain America

It Is The Well-Deserved Next Step In His Story

There was a lot of debate about who exactly should take up the mantle of Captain America after Steve¡¯s retirement, but I¡¯m so glad that the responsibility fell on Sam. Despite how big of a support he was to Evans¡¯ Captain America, he was overlooked because of the friendship between Steve and Bucky. He¡¯s always had the potential to be a main character instead of a sidekick, and now he actually gets the chance to prove it. I¡¯m proud of how much Mackie¡¯s character has evolved, and he deserves the chance to be one of the potential next MCU leaders.

A split image of Sam Wilson in his Falcon and Captain America suits in the MCU
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Sam Wilson's Complete MCU Timeline, From Falcon To Captain America

Introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson has become a long-tenured hero of the MCU and the Avenger's new de-facto leader.

Mackie¡¯s Brave New World role will also be a well-needed refreshing take on Captain America that Bucky wouldn¡¯t have been able to provide. Steve used his military training and teachings from wartime to lead through strength and action, while Sam¡¯s modern approach through empathy and community was already teased in The Falcon & Winter Soldier. A new era means a new social climate. Sam is well-equipped to tackle it, and I¡¯m emotional that a person of color has been trusted with such an important role.

I Can't Wait For Even More Legacy Heroes To Take Over In The MCU

The Next Generation Of Avengers Are Coming

Sam isn¡¯t the only legacy hero being set up in the MCU. The past four years of the franchise have introduced a handful of replacement Marvel heroes who are being primed to take over existing roles. Though none of them have properly stepped up to lead a franchise like Sam has just yet, they also don¡¯t have the experience that he does. This is another reason why I¡¯m so excited about Sam¡¯s new Captain America identity, as he¡¯ll be a leader for the next generation of Avengers.

We can anticipate the younger legacy heroes like Kamala Khan and Kate Bishop getting to take on more responsibilities soon, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll lead by Sam¡¯s example. After some trepidation from long-time Marvel fans, it¡¯ll be comforting to know that the MCU¡¯s new legacy heroes are in good hands. Captain America: Brave New World will begin Sam¡¯s well-deserved next chapter, and I can¡¯t wait to see what he brings to the role.

Upcoming MCU Movies