In the minds of comic readers and moviegoers, is Captain America a mantle, or is Captain America explicitly Steve Rogers?
One of the major moments of 2019's Avengers: Endgame came in the film's closing moments, where an aged Steve Rogers passed down the shield and Captain America mantle to Sam Wilson.
Sam Wilson officially took over the mantle in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), but looking at how things have played out, it's clear that the handoff deserved a proper theatrical release for Sam's official debut as Cap.
In all honesty, there was a ton of hype about the incredible amount of potential and storytelling opportunities for Sam suiting up as Cap that was largely squandered by having such a major moment debut in a streaming series and then following that up with the much-maligned Brave New World (2025).
Now, with Steve Rogers actor Chris Evans returning in Avengers: Doomsday, does that mean Anthony Mackie's time as Captain America will come to a close in 2026, after just two official appearances as the character? In comparison, Evans enjoyed 8 years as Cap and 7 official appearances, not counting 4 cameos.
It seems Mackie's time is not over just yet, as he was quick to point to Steve Rogers' time as Nomad, something that's been rumored to occur in the MCU for quite some time but seems to finally be happening in Doomsday.
"Steve Rogers in the comic book — There is a comic book. You say you're a nerd. Read the comic book. Don't be a nerd by trade, be a nerd by fact. So, in the comic book, Steve Rogers becomes Nomad," said Mackie.
On a more humorous note, Mackie was also asked if there's going to be another "On your left" moment between Steve and Sam, to which Mackie laughed and replied, "
"We finished it with Endgame, so now we have newer and more interesting lines coming...That was a little teaser!"
In Avengers: Doomsday, beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Stephen McFeely, Avengers: Doomsday stars Downey, Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Wyatt Russell, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu, Ian McKellen, Tom Hiddleston, James Marsden, Patrick Stewart, Joseph Quinn, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Letitia Wright, Lewis Pullman, Kelsey Grammer, Danny Ramirez, Winston Duke, Alan Cumming, Wesley Holloway, Hannah John-Kamen, Rebecca Romijn, Alex Livinalli, and Mabel Cadena, with Tenoch Huerta Mejía.
The film is produced by Feige, Louis D’Esposito, and Jonathan Schwartz, with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer.