After Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers passed the shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is gearing up to introduce its new Captain America in next year’s Captain America: Brave New World. While The Falcon and the Winter Soldier saw Sam Wilson reluctantly embrace his new role as Cap, the upcoming film marks his true theatrical debut as the star-spangled Avenger. And if the first look at his new costume is any indication, Brave New World could be taking a page from one of the MCU’s most beloved Captain America stories.
Empire Magazine recently unveiled a new image of Anthony Mackie in his updated Captain America suit for Brave New World, and eagle-eyed fans immediately noticed its resemblance to Steve Rogers’ famous “stealth suit” from 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The darker color palette, with muted tones of red and blue, replaces the more vibrant hues and white accents of Sam’s costume from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series.
This visual callback to The Winter Soldier is undoubtedly deliberate and could hint at Brave New World drawing inspiration from that critically acclaimed film, which is widely regarded as one of the MCU’s best installments. Directed by the Russo Brothers in their Marvel debut, The Winter Soldier took a grounded, espionage-inspired approach to the Captain America mythos, eschewing the more fantastical elements of the MCU in favor of a gritty, politically charged thriller.
By adopting a similar aesthetic and tone for Sam Wilson’s new suit, Brave New World could be signaling its intention to follow in The Winter Soldier’s footsteps. After all, there’s immense pressure on the film to do justice to Sam’s transition into the role of Captain America, and replicating the success of a beloved predecessor like The Winter Soldier would be a wise move.
Details about Brave New World’s plot remain scarce, but the film will see Sam teaming up with Danny Ramirez’s Joaquín Torres (the new Falcon) and Harrison Ford’s President Ross to take on the threat of Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, also known as the villainous Leader. With political undertones already apparent in this premise, a grounded, espionage-driven narrative akin to The Winter Soldier could be the perfect way to introduce Sam’s Captain America to the big screen.
Of course, speculation about Brave New World’s direction remains just that until the film hits theaters in February 2025. But if Marvel Studios does indeed choose to echo The Winter Soldier’s success, it could be a winning strategy for solidifying Sam Wilson’s place as the MCU’s new star-spangled hero while delivering an exciting, character-driven adventure that resonates with audiences.
