For the first three phases, Chris Evans‘s Steve Rodgers was the leader who helped the Avengers beat the likes of Thanos, Loki, and Ultron. The reason that Captain America was such a compelling force is due to his morals being consistently challenged at every turn. Captain America: Civil War brought that to the limelight against Iron Man when it came to protecting humanity.
Each battle changed Steve Rogers as a man, and the Marvel hero remained true to himself until the very day he opted to turn over his shield as Captain America. Originally, giving Sam Wilson that responsibility was a good idea. The character himself has been Steve’s ace throughout the Infinity saga so it felt natural that Steve would hand over such a huge responsibility to a very trusted ally. However, the current state of the MCU is vastly different from where it was in 2019. What seemed like a promising future of Marvel, is now a confusing universe without a truly defined purpose. Should Sam Wilson still lead the current slate of The Avengers?
Sam Wilson Is A Compelling Character In The Comics
Sam Wilson is generally a great character all around. The comics have done such an incredible job of highlighting the heroism of the former social worker. Sam has done some incredible things for his community, not only for just his culture but fighting alongside the Avengers and leading the team to some massive victories. Who could forget when Wilson led the Avengers against Evil Captain America in Secret Empire? Or saved the world from Baron Blood’s Global Release of an Inhuman Poison.
The comics haven’t always gotten the character right, but Sam is a natural fit as the leader of the Avengers. The films and television have barely scratched the surface of his character, but Marvel still did a good job of showcasing Sam Wilson aka The Falcon. The character was a likable presence and never felt like a hindrance to Steve Rodgers or any of the Avengers. Then The Falcon and Winter Solider happened.
Sam Wilson Lost Some Of His Luster Since The Falcon And The Winter Solider
The Falcon and The Winter Solider wasn’t a bad Disney Plus show. Just a forgettable one. Sam Wilson is no stranger to politics in the comics, so it’s okay that the show tried to challenge whether he was the right face for the new Avengers. Unfortunately, the messaging felt extremely clunky and The Falcon and The Winter Solider didn’t have the compelling edge that the previous Captain America films did. The Steve Rodgers films also had political themes, but they were subtle in the way they approached them. It was a case of “Show, Don’t Tell”. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier did the opposite.
However, The Falcon and The Winter Solider aren’t the reason that Sam Wilson lost his luster as Captain America. The main reason is that we haven’t heard or seen his character since. Chris Evans appeared in eleven Marvel movies throughout his time in the MCU. Captain America felt like a leader because Kevin Feige wisely centered his phases around him and Iron Man. But the current Marvel is stuck in a place where the direction isn’t all that clear.
Even before the Johnathan Majors situation, the respective films and Disney Plus shows were a scatter of themes and ideas that didn’t particularly connect to one central thing. The multiverse was the clear factor, but there wasn’t a clear sign to where things were headed until Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quatumania. Even then, none of these events required the assistance of Captain America.
In fact, Doctor Strange has felt like more of the leader in the first half of the current MCU. He’s the cause of the multiverse and has been an important figure within the universe thus far. Even his sidekick Wong has made several appearances in shows and films that highlight the importance of his character. Sam Wilson just hasn’t felt necessary in this current phase, and it’s going to be an uphill battle to get him to that point by the time Avengers 5 comes around.
Should The New Captain America Lead The New Avengers?
At this moment, no. Captain America: Brave New World can change my perspective on Sam Wilson, but he just hasn’t felt like an important player in this version of the MCU. Marvel desperately needs to redirect the focus onto Sam Wilson if they want him to lead the next Avengers. This isn’t me saying to scrap his character altogether as Sam Wilson does have value within the team, but Doctor Strange seems more like the focal point of the MCU right now, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s chosen to be the respective leader.
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