Marvel Announces Sam Wilson as the Next Captain America

Fast on the heels of the announcement that the new wielder of Mjolnir will be a woman, Marvel announced on the Colbert Report last night that the new comic book series “All New Captain America” will feature Sam Wilson–the character also known as Falcon–as Captain America, marking the first time a black character has taken on that persona.

This adds some much needed diversity to Marvel’s line-up, as Marvel’s Nick Fury from the Avengers is the only other notable character of color (though, outside the Marvel universe, the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot does have Johnny B. Storm being played by African-American actor Michael B Jordan).

Steve Rogers, the original Captain America, will remain in the comics as Sam Wilson’s mentor. Rogers was stripped of his power–and became an aged, frail man–when a long-time enemy drained the serum from him. Rogers passes the shield to Wilson.

“This is the fireworks factory we’re arriving at, and now everything’s going to blow up and be very pretty and exciting to look at,” said Rick Remender, writer of the new comic book series. “I’ve been having a lot of fun writing Sam. It’s a completely different attitude. The fact that he’s not a soldier shifts things up a bit. Sam’s not going to be Steve. Steve can be very rigid. That can be kind of joyless at times, whereas Sam is absolutely not that.”

Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie, was a pivotal character in this year’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The character was first introduced into the comics in 1969.

You can view the full announcement on The Colbert Report  here.

What do you guys think of Sam Wilson as Captain America? Let us know in the comments!