While it has yet to be officially confirmed by Marvel Studios, the Hollywood Reporter has announced that a fourth Captain America movie is in development with Anthony Mackie starring as Sam Wilson. Following The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s finale episode, which saw Sam finally taking up the mantle of Cap, Captain America 4 seems like a no-brainer.
The last Captain America movie, Civil War, irreversibly changed the face of the MCU. It’s unlikely that Captain America 4 will have quite as many crossovers and bombshells, but it could similarly drastically alter the franchise.
Sam Might Still Be Grappling With The Pressure Of Continuing Steve’s Legacy
While the ending of Avengers: Endgame suggested a smooth transition of the Captain America mantle from Steve Rogers to Sam Wilson, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier revealed that continuing Steve’s legacy isn’t that simple.
The pressure of becoming the new Captain America is immense. Sam needed a whole season of television and a bunch of training montages just to feel comfortable taking up the shield. In Captain America 4, he might still be grappling with this pressure.
U.S. Agent Could Pose A Serious Threat
John Walker came dangerously close to becoming a full-blown villain in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, after murdering a Flag Smasher and losing his title as Captain America, he somewhat redeemed himself by helping Sam and Bucky in the finale.
The last time we saw Walker, he was being given a new costume and codename. Under his new moniker as “U.S. Agent,” Walker could pose a serious threat to the America that Sam hopes to protect.
It Could Finally Clear Up What’s Going On With The Sokovia Accords
Since Captain America: Civil War revolved around the U.N. instituting the Sokovia Accords to keep superheroes in check, Captain America 4 might continue this story thread. The Accords were quietly dropped from the MCU’s ongoing narrative when Earth was threatened by Thanos (proving the Accords were useless to begin with).
However, after Sam directly influenced political action in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s finale, he could become more active in the fight against the Accords in his first solo movie.
Sharon Carter Could Sell Secrets That End Up Bringing Down The Government
The final episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier revealed, as expected, that Sharon Carter was the Power Broker all along. But only the audience knows that so far. Since most people in-universe are none the wiser, Sharon has been reinstated at the CIA with government clearance.
She’s made it apparent that she intends to use this clearance to sell classified information on the black market, which could lead to a serious catastrophe that brings down the whole U.S. government.
The Contessa Could Be Rebuilding Hydra
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ cameo appearance as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine was one of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s most surprising moments. Since the Contessa has recruited Walker for a mysterious assignment, the Seinfeld star could be in the MCU for a while.
In the comics, the Contessa is sometimes known as “Madame Hydra.” This alias could suggest that she’s rebuilding Hydra after Steve Rogers brought it down in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Sam Could Dig Deeper Into Isaiah Bradley’s History
One of the comics that inspired The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was Truth: Red, White & Black, one of Marvel’s darkest all-time storylines, which was told through the eyes of Isaiah Bradley, who was introduced on the show, played by Carl Lumbly. Captain America 4 could dig even deeper into Isaiah’s harrowing backstory than the series.
As the new Cap, Sam has the position to expose what happened to all the Black soldiers who, like Isaiah, got wrongfully imprisoned and experimented on against their will while the government tweaked the Super-Soldier Serum. The museum exhibit seen in the finale episode might just be the beginning.
Bucky Might Get A New Name
Bucky’s alter ego wasn’t changed when Sam’s was in the finale episode’s Captain America and the Winter Soldier title card. But Bucky is still working on rejecting his past misdeeds as the Winter Soldier.
His “White Wolf” moniker is constantly mocked and doesn’t seem to be sticking, so he might get a new name altogether if he appears in Captain America 4.
General Ross Could Recruit John Walker To Lead The MCU’s Thunderbolts
Ever since General “Thunderbolt” Ross re-entered the MCU ensemble in Civil War, Marvel fans have expected him to assemble his own Thunderbolts team using characters from the franchise.
In the comics, the Thunderbolts are a team of reformed supervillains, sort of like Marvel’s own Suicide Squad. As a hard-edged antihero, John Walker might be recruited to lead the MCU’s Thunderbolts team as its Rick Flag figure.
Chris Evans Could Return As Steve Rogers
A lot of Marvel fans were expecting Chris Evans to return as Steve Rogers in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but he never made an appearance. Still, his shadow loomed large over the story as both Sam and Bucky struggled to carry on his legacy. It was implied that Steve had died of old age, but the word “dead” never came up; instead, they just said he was “gone.”
Since Evans didn’t appear in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Marvel might be saving him for an appearance in Captain America 4. He could give Sam advice as he becomes the new Cap.
Sam Could Reform The Avengers
After one of their leaders died and the other one retired into the distant past, the Avengers disbanded at the end of Endgame. But since it became a highest-grossing movie of all time, Marvel surely won’t keep them disbanded for very long and will start building toward Avengers 5 at the earliest opportunity.
In Captain America 4, Sam might reform the Avengers and put together a new line-up. This will surely include She-Hulk, the Mighty Thor, and everyone else taking on the mantle of an iconic previous Avenger.