Marvel Just Admitted The Biggest Problem With Replacing Captain America

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Ms. Marvel episode 1.

The biggest problem in replacing Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) as Captain America is highlighted through Ms. Marvel. MCU Phase 4 continues with Marvel Studios’ seventh Disney+ series, which debuts another hero — Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani). Ms. Marvel opens up an entirely new pocket of the franchise, but through its AvengerCon, it also re-examines the past and how it relates to what lies ahead for the ever-expanding universe.

As a whole, Ms. Marvel episode 1 was a total delight, which was reflected in the critics’ reviews of the show thus far. On top of effectively establishing Kamala, her family, and her friends, the outing titled “Generation Why” also highlighted how big of a fan she is of Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and the Avengers. At one point, she attended the first-ever AvengerCon which was chock-full of references to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Set in Camp Lehigh, it featured a lot of Captain America tributes, which subtly shows Marvel Studios’ long road ahead in replacing Rogers’ version of the character.

As prominent as MCU’s Captain America is in AvengerCon, all references to the hero are nods to Rogers’ iteration and not Sam Wilson’s (Anthony Mackie). It’s worth noting that Ms. Marvel takes place a couple of years after Avengers: Endgame, which means that the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier have already panned out at this point. Sam Wilson has publicly claimed his rightful place as the new Captain America, and yet, there’s no representation for his version of the Star-Spangled Avenger in AvengerCon. There’s even a statue of Rogers as Captain America wielding Wilson’s redesigned shield that debuted in Avengers: Endgame, which makes things more confusing. These moments highlight how the MCU is still grappling with establishing Sam Wilson as the new Captain America, and emphasize the problem that Wilson will have in-universe overcoming this and setting his own legacy in the mantle in Captain America 4 and onwards.

The Captain America identity is the first superhero mantle that has been officially and directly transferred. At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Rogers made the conscious effort to travel back to the Sacred Timeline to ensure that he personally gave Wilson the shield. Despite that and the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Marvel Studios has a complicated task in making Sam Wilson’s role as the new Star-Spangled Avenger. Since his last appearance, there’s barely any reference to him assuming the persona, which Ms. Marvel‘s AvengerCon showcases. Moving forward, it’s clear in and out of the MCU universe, the topic of superhero mantles and legacies will have to be addressed once more. While Sam Wilson ultimately assumed his new Avenger persona at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, much of the Disney+ series saw him still being associated as Falcon – meaning that Captain America 4 will need to drive home that MCU’s Captain America is Sam Wilson and no longer Steve Rogers.

As Ms. Marvel continues, it’s curious if there’s going to be any reference to Sam Wilson’s Captain America. Since Kamala is a big fan of the Avengers and is well-versed in them, it’s highly likely that she’s well aware that the former Falcon is now the new Star-Spangled Avenger. Otherwise, a fun cameo from Mackie would also work, especially if he’s working on re-assembling the Avengers post-Infinity Saga.

Ms. Marvel airs every Wednesday on Disney+.