credit: MCU
People have been defending Anthony Mackie, aka Sam Wilson, aka the new Captain America, since The Falcon and The Winter Soldier came out on Disney+, and it’s fair to say that such a strong defense isn’t unwarranted, but it’s not really needed. You might ask why, but the hope is that you’ll figure it out quickly, and it’s because Disney is going to do what it wants without taking into account the displeasure or approval of the fans since The Last Jedi is still proof of this. But on top of that, a changing of the guard was bound to happen at some point since expecting every MCU actor to maintain their place in the franchise for the rest of their career is kind of ridiculous, not to mention impossible since there are plenty of individuals that would rather head on to other pastures to see what other types of movies they can make before the day comes when their star begins to dim. For those that are thinking that can’t happen, go ahead and recite, from memory, every major and minor cast member in the MCU since the franchise started up.
credit: MCU
There was no way that US Agent was ever going to take on the mantle of Captain America for that long.
Comic fans could have, and probably did, announce this the moment that it was seen in the series where the new Cap was finally shown, since this character has been a part of the Avengers in the past, and it’s been established that while he’s strong and tough, he’s not Captain America material. For one thing, his attitude is all wrong, and his lack of super soldier serum in the series makes it next to impossible to see him as anything but a second-rate wannabe. Even with the serum, this guy is a little too unhinged to take on the shield and suit in the same manner as Steve Rogers. If anything, he was a less than satisfying placeholder that was set up to take a fall and then come back as a similar but different character who would take on a very different role in the MCU.
It was always going to be Sam or Bucky.
The main reason why it was always bound to be Sam is that Bucky is, more or less, damaged goods thanks to the brainwashing he suffered and the moments that he still has in his past. Sam is the type of veteran that people look up to, and despite the fact that he still has very real problems like everyone else, such as getting a loan, for crying out loud, he’s still the paragon of virtue that the country needs. The mantle of Captain America is more than the serum that went into the original character, and it’s more than the nearly-indestructible shield that doesn’t obey the laws of physics, it’s an idea that not a lot of people can live up to since they don’t exemplify the same beliefs that the original character held up so often. Sam is the type of character that has shown that he has the moral fiber and the willingness to go the extra mile for the people he values and the causes he champions. In that respect, he was the only guy that really had the right to take on this mantle.
credit: MCU
Is Sam going to be accepted as Captain America?
As a best guess, I’ll yes and no at the same time since there are bound to be people out there who still want to see Steve Rogers make a glorious comeback for one reason or another, and then there are those who are ready for a change and will willingly embrace the new Captain America for their own reasons since he’s the face of a new era and a new direction. But if the social justice aspect is going to be brought into this next movie, again and again, it’s fair to say that a lot of MCU fans are going to be wondering why in the world things couldn’t be kept simple and why politics just HAD to be given such a major role in the MCU. It was bound to happen, but did it really need to?
Captain America 4 will no doubt be a financial success.
There are a number of reasons why this movie should be a success, but there are a few of them that are suspect since a lot of people might simply want to avoid being canceled or called out as racists or something worse when it comes to their real thoughts on the movie. To be honest, Anthony Mackie is a great actor, and seeing him as Captain America is going to be interesting. But the big hope is that the story will focus more on the role of Captain America as a protector and defender of the people and less on his need to lecture about the various issues that have been such hot-button topics over the years.
So yes, the next Captain America should be able to work.