Anthony Mackie Says He Won't Be Captain America In 'Falcon & Winter Soldier' Series: "I Will Always Be The Falcon"

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With Marvel Studios dominating the film conversation back in July thanks to San Diego Comic-Con and this month, thanks to this past weekend’s D23, you have to wonder if Kevin Feige has plans for each month to make sure we never stop talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Well, if the newly revealed Marvel Studios/Disney+ TV slate is any indication, perhaps we’ll never be without new Avengers stuff to discuss.

One of the series that is set to premiere on Disney+ is the upcoming “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan. After the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” it’s been assumed that the series would focus on Falcon’s new role as Captain America and how he comes to terms with that responsibility. However, when speaking to IGN this weekend, Mackie wants everyone to know that there’s a reason why the show is called “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and not “Captain American and the Winter Soldier.”

READ MORE: Marvel’s Disney+ Series: Wyatt Russell Joins ‘Falcon & Winter Soldier,’ Directors Of ‘Loki’ & ‘WandaVision Revealed [D23]

“I’m not Captain America. Just because he told me to hold his shield, he didn’t say ‘you’re Captain America now,'” Mackie revealed. “He’s like, ‘I’m gonna go back and see my girl, call me if something happens. I don’t wanna carry this dumb shield.'”

When speaking to Variety, he echoes that sentiment once again, but goes so far as to say that he’ll always be known as Falcon in the MCU. “I am the Falcon. I will always be the Falcon. The moniker stays the same,” said the actor.

One person who would know all about the plot of the upcoming streaming series is showrunner/writer Malcolm Spellman. And he also agrees that fans shouldn’t just assume they know what the upcoming series is going to be like.

“I wouldn’t make any assumptions based on ‘Endgame,’” said Spellman. “You know how Marvel is, we can’t say much about that, but it’s not predictable. Where you think ‘Endgame’ obviously aims, that target’s gonna move around.”

Now, let’s be real, for a second — Anthony Mackie is most definitely the new Captain America. And judging by the fact that D23 introduced Wyatt Russell as John Walker, aka US Agent, as a member of the cast, fans will logically be able to see where the thrust of ‘Falcon/Winter Soldier’ is going.

READ MORE: Tom Holland Says He’s Still ‘Spider-Man’ After Emotional Moment At D23

Get ready to get nerdy for a second.

John Walker, in Marvel lore, started as a replacement for Captain America when Steve Rogers walked away from the role. However, he wasn’t the same type of Cap that people expected, as he was a bit more grim and gritty…and violent. Ultimately, he turned out to be a failed Captain America, with Steve reclaiming the title. Walker would later become known as US Agent, with a Cap-influenced costume.

If we had to bet, the series will likely follow the story of the government (or SHIELD) hiring Walker to be the new Cap, but everything goes to shit when the new Cap starts to bend the rules and blurs the line between hero and villain. This is magnified by Sam Wilson not immediately embracing his new role as Captain America, which was hinted at in ‘Endgame.’ Of course, he would then have to team with Bucky, aka WInter Soldier, to save the name Captain America and eventually, take it on for himself.

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So, yes, Falcon will likely go by “Falcon” for 99.9% of the series. But if it doesn’t end with him flying off with the shield and a red, white, and blue costume, then we’d be completely shocked. This is further supported by the new poster (seen below), which features a new costume for Falcon, which seems to incorporate some new colors. Hmmmm.

“Falcon and the Winter Soldier” is set to arrive on Disney+ sometime in Fall 2020.