Note a shorter version of this article has been previously released in print.
With a new comic in stores and a feature film about to drop, I asked a good friend, L.A. Williams, to celebrate and discuss the character of Sam Wilson, Captain America, leading up to the movie’s release this Black History Month.
L.A. Williams: Despite the USA’s deep flaws, Captain America has always been one of my favorite superheroes. Here’s why:
Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Steve Rogers debuted as Captain America in comics in December of 1940, a year before the U.S.’s direct inclusion in World War II. Over the decades, Steve has come to symbolize what America is SUPPOSED to be. Not the white picket fences, car in the garage, apple pie American dream but rather “deeply rooted in the American dream” that Martin Luther King spoke of at the 1963 March on Washington; i.e., Steve Rogers embodies freedom, honesty, justice, and protection.
Most superhero fans already know that…
- In comics, insane, impossible freak accidents happen regularly, and…
- …one such accident put Steve into “suspended animation” from 1945 until the 1960s. (But that last part’s important.)
George Carmona 3rd: Enough about Steve, bro. We’re here to spotlight Sam!
L.A.W.: True dat. Another of my favorite superheroes is the Falcon, who was created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan and debuted in 1969 as the first major African-American superhero. In comics, his civilian identity is Sam Wilson, a Harlem-based social worker modeled after Sidney Poitier in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
George Carmona 3rd: While the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe; i.e., Marvel movies and TV shows) version of Sam has stayed relatively faithful to the source material, some changes to the character are him being a veteran United States Air Force Pararescueman, and his movie hometown being New Orleans instead of Harlem.
L.A.W.: And Harlemites know the MCU wrong for that last part! Where Feige at?!?
GC3: But in all formats, at Sam’s core, he’s a steadfast healer and protector, ready to help at a moment’s notice..
L.A.W.: And in both the comics and the movies, Sam became the revived Steve’s partner and, eventually, his best friend. But in the comics, Sam never hesitated to tell Steve how things had changed since the ‘40s and what still needed to change. Remember how I said it was important to note that in the comics, Steve was resuscitated in the ‘60s? During the turbulent 1960s-1970s, when Sam pushed Steve to be a better Captain America, this ground-breaking character was clearly representing Black people telling the nation that its government, companies, and citizens needed to treat Blacks and others better if it were to, as King said, “live out the true meaning of its creed.” I loved Sam for saying things that needed to be said. I loved Steve for listening and striving. And when Steve gave the mantle of Captain America to his partner (in 2015’s Captain America comic and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame film), I was thrilled to see the blending of two of my favorite characters into a new creation: Sam Wilson, Captain America.
GC3: Set to release on February 14th, Captain America: Brave New World is the latest fare from the MCU, starring Anthony Mackie as America’s newest sentinel of liberty. In Brave New World, Sam is the rightful heir to the shield as a protector and symbol for everyone. In the comics, Sam currently shares the Cap mantle with Steve, and Sam uses a version of the shield that is a gift from his girlfriend, Misty Knight. Sam’s shield incorporates his identity and characteristics as a high-flying patriot for the people.
L.A.W.: Superhero stories are expected to be fun and action-packed, but the best ones often also tackle societal struggles. 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier film addressed drone strikes, “pre-emptive” strikes, and the dangers of AI and misused algorithms. In the 2015-2016 comics, the backlash Sam received as the first (publicly acknowledged) Black Captain America was a clear commentary on the racism President Obama was receiving at the time as the first (publicly acknowledged) Black POTUS.
GC3: The crazy thing about the backlash to Sam being Cap is that the 2015 series isn’t the first time he’s put on the uniform and carried the shield, back in 1998, in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #9, writer Mark Waid had Sam in the Cap suit while Steve was injured, to fight white supremacists, the more things change…
L.A.W.: Yeah, but there were big differences. No disrespect to Waid, but that story was easy to miss or ignore because it was just one issue and it wasn’t even in Cap’s primary book, let alone in other Marvel comics. But in 2015, when Marvel changed the mantle of an iconic character that’s been around since 1940 and put a Black man there, it was a bigger deal, hence bigger backlash. But where was I?
Oh, yeah. 2016’s Captain America: Civil War film is about finding the balance between individual freedom and collective accountability. 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV series addressed the USA’s historic mistreatment of its Black soldiers. All of the stories I mentioned also address the importance of deserved loyalty and the dangers of unquestioned loyalty.
GC3: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier also showed us the treatment of returning Black veterans. When Sam gets rejected for a loan, after helping to save the universe, we see him struggling with his relationship to the flag. I loved how that series gave Sam the room to come to terms with what it means to carry the shield for a country that treats Black people like second-class citizens.
Ultimately, Sam is a better Captain America than Steve. Yes, Steve is a top ten fighter and tactician in the Marvel Universe, but let’s not get it twisted: Sam has leveled up his hand skills and his Wakandan flight suit isn’t anything to sneeze at. Beyond being a charismatic leader and intuitive tactician, what makes Sam a better Cap is his greater empathy, whether in the comics as a social worker or in the movies as a trauma counselor helping veterans who’ve returned from war. 95% of the time, Steve’s solution to a problem is to put his fist to a face. Steve’s compassion compels him to jump into the fray and be a protector; but Sam sees the bigger picture, from fighting the bad guys to helping the victims, and sometimes helping the bad guys with their struggles.
L.A.W.: If you have to go to war, you want Steve. If you want to prevent one, you want Sam. But one thing they both have in common is courage. Brave New World’s promos show a non-superpowered Sam not backing down from the Red Hulk, one of Earth’s strongest beings. It’s reminiscent of Steve not backing down from Thanos in Endgame. And it’s a reminder that we all will need courage to face America’s challenges today.
GC3: In the first episode of The Falcon and Winter Soldier, Sam says, “Every time something gets better for one group, it gets worse for another.” That isn’t just an example of Sam’s perspective; it’s an example of how the Captain America mythos is no stranger to a Captain who sides against an unjust administration to fight for social justice and change. With our government’s current targeted attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs within our government, schools, and businesses, having a symbol that says “This is my country too” matters.
Besides being a fun thrill ride, my hope for Brave New World is that they keep the energetic progressive social advancement that is Sam Wilson aka Captain America. I honestly believe that there’s an argument for Sam being able to carry the shield and lift Thor’s hammer. In today’s world, we need more Sams.
Recommended Reading List
- Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (1998-1999) #9
- All-New Captain America Vol 1 (2015)
- Captain America: Symbol of Truth (2022)
- Sam Wilson: Captain America (2025)
- Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson (collected short stories, 2025)
Subscribe to the Beat for the official review of Captain America: Brave New World.
Guest Contributor L.A. Williams is a former DC Comics editor who uses his star-spangled adamantium/vibranium-alloy shield and his magnificent music selections each weekend to defend and promote Harlem’s history and culture on The Harlem Connection Radio Show on WBAI-FM, RhythmAndSoulRadio.com, MOC Radio, and beyond.
