Photo Credit: Marvel Studios
Just because Chris Evans is returning as Steve Rogers doesn’t mean that Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson will be giving up the mantle of Captain America.
For the first 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Evans’ Steve Rogers was Captain America. The actor played the character from 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger to 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, ending with Steve handing Captain America’s shield over to Sam.
After initially rejecting the shield, Sam finally took on the mantle of Captain America at the end of the 2021 Disney+ limited series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Mackie then headlined 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World, marking his first time leading an MCU movie. The actor will next appear in Avengers: Doomsday, which also features the surprising return of Evans as Steve Rogers.
What does the future hold for Anthony Mackie’s Captain America in the MCU?
Steve Rogers’ inclusion in Doomsday has left some fans worried that it might mean that Sam Wilson will be giving the Captain America identity back to him. This reversal is all the more concerning when remembering that the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars is rumored to conclude with a soft reboot of the MCU that could see characters resurrected, recast, or returning to old mantles.
Luckily, it doesn’t look like Sam Wilson’s time as Captain America will be ending prematurely. According to scooper James Mack on X, “Nothing too crazy” will be happening to Sam in the future, stating that “he’ll still be an Avenger and Captain America.”
Nothing too crazy, he’ll still be an Avenger and Captain America https://t.co/TWoJhBxqKi— James Mack (@JamesMackwl) February 12, 2026
Of course, just because Sam Wilson will be remaining Captain America for the foreseeable future does not mean that Steve Rogers cannot also resume the mantle. Both characters have been sharing the title in the pages of Marvel Comics for the past several years, and it is definitely a possible route Marvel Studios could take post-Secret Wars.
Marvel fans only have to wait 10 more months to see Steve and Sam reunite in Avengers: Doomsday, which arrives in theaters on December 18, 2026, as part of Phase 6 of the MCU.
