At the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it was revealed that Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson would be taking up the mantle of Captain America, making him the first Black man to ever assume the role on-screen. Although his tenure as the new Captain America has just begun, fans are already questioning exactly how long Mackie will be donning the Star-Spangled shield. Well, it looks like he has an answer for that.
In a recent interview with Variety, Mackie spoke about the importance of Black representation in both fictional works and real life. At some point in the discussion, his role as Captain America came up and he took the opportunity to give an estimate on how long he thinks he'll play the character. "I've got a solid six to eight [years] in me," he said, adding that he definitely does not want to be a 55-year-old Captain America. Given that the Infinity Saga spanned a period of 10 years and many of the original cast are nearing the end of their time in the MCU, the time frame Mackie provided seems reasonable.
Of course, Mackie's contract isn't the only one fans are curious about. As Marvel introduces a new assemblage of superheroes to the MCU's Phase 4, it's unclear how many more projects the studio has planned for its veteran actors. Currently, most of the original cast is tied to film and television productions that are set to release within the next two to three years. However, there's no word on whether they will still have a place in the MCU beyond that.
Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson are perhaps the biggest question marks in this equation since both of their characters died in Avengers: Endgame. While there's probably a way for writers to resurrect them, it's unlikely that will actually happen given that the studio is much more focused on adapting other storylines from the comic books. As much as fans would love to see them play their roles forever, their departures seem definitive at this point. For now, we can at least take comfort in the fact that actors like Mackie will still be in the MCU for a while.
It's hard to imagine anyone else other than Chris Evans playing Captain America, but as with all superhero tales, the passing of the torch is necessary to keep the legacy alive. Thankfully, Evans' beloved role is in good hands with Mackie taking up the shield.
Captain America 4 is currently in development at Marvel Studios.
Source: Variety