The most important superhero showdown of the year, Captain America: Civil War, is coming, and it's coming fast. The third Captain America film is said to change the course of Marvel movie history, pitting Captain America against Iron Man and forcing all other Avengers to choose a side — Team Cap or Team Iron Man. Of the many heroes on Team Cap, The Falcon, aka Sam Wilson, is one of the most crucial. Introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie, is a veteran like Cap who risked everything to help the superhero fight Hydra. With a short appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron and a fun sequence in Ant-Man under his belt, Falcon is a crucial part of the MCU. He's also a fan-favorite. Given Falcon's importance and popularity, fans are wondering, will Falcon get a standalone movie after Civil War ?
While fans might be eager to see Mackie's Falcon lead his own film, Marvel has yet to announce any plans for a solo Falcon movie. And Mackie hasn't so much as hinted towards the possibility. Instead, when asked about the possibility of a Falcon movie in an interview with IGN, Mackie surprised fans by saying he might not even want one. "I don't know, I don't know. That means my dudes are not going to be there," the actor said, noting that he wouldn't want to be on a Marvel movie without co-stars Chris Evans (Captain America) and Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier/Bucky).
It seems that Mackie is perfectly happy with Falcon being Captain America's right hand man/BFF (other than Bucky, obviously). "As long as it's me and Chris [Evans] playing Falcon and Cap, I'm all cool with being Falcon," Mackie said during an appearance on WTTG Fox 5 in 2015. So while a Falcon standalone movie doesn't seem to be coming any time soon, fans can take comfort in the fact that there's a good chance Falcon will appear in Infinity War Parts 1 & 2 alongside Captain America. Marvel contracts are notoriously extensive, so it's likely Mackie signed on to appear in at least five MCU films, with the possibility for more. But, should Falcon get his own movie, there are a few different forms that movie might take.
Falcon Movie In 2020
Marvel has three mystery films scheduled for release in 2020, after the end of The Avengers and the release of the long-awaited Captain Marvel. It's unclear whether or not these three films will belong to Marvel's Phase 3, which begins with Civil War, or kickstart the brand's Phase 4, and there's no word on what, or who, will star in these films. One could very well be a Falcon standalone movie, assuming he makes it out of Infinity War alive.
Falcon Becomes Captain America
A few years ago, it was announced that Sam Wilson would be the new Captain America in the comic books after Steve Rogers' demise. While there is also a comic storyline that has the Winter Soldier become Captain America, choosing to go with Anthony Mackie as a new Captain America could be a smarter choice for Marvel. Despite the studio's addition of Black Panther to its roster of superheroes, the Marvel Universe is still lacking in diversity, and, to put it bluntly, a black Captain America could help bridge that gap. (Of course, Mackie's charm and fan following is more than enough reason to let him put on the stars and stripes.)
Mackie has said that he would be up to taking on the role of the First Avenger, telling ComicBook.com that, if called to action, his responds would be, "First up for duty!" If the Falcon does, indeed, transition into the next Captain America, that could be the start of Marvel's Phase 4. Marvel Studio's Kevin Feige recently teased Phase 4 in an interview with Entertainment Weekly , saying, "I think there will be a finality to moments of Phase Three, as well as new beginnings that will mark a different, a very different, a distinctively different chapter." What's more of a new beginning than ushering in a new Captain America?
If Falcon did become Captain America, that would dash any dreams for a Falcon standalone movie (and a Sam Wilson Captain America movie probably wouldn't be released until after 2020). However, Mackie fans would still get to see him headline his own Marvel movie, so I'm thinking it's a fair trade off.
Images: Walt Disney Studios; Giphy (4)
