There are few reputations as hard to live up to as Captain America's, but that doesn't mean plenty of people haven't tried. In fact, leaked set photos from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier indicate just how far other characters will go to emulate the Sentinel of Liberty.
If Marvel Studios is going to plunge in the source matieral for new characters to emulate Steve Rogers, which other Caps could make the transition to the MCU?
WILL: U.S. AGENT
This entry comes as the safest bet on the list, as John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, is already confirmed to appear in the upcoming The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Played by Wyatt Russel, concept art from Marvel Studios: Expanding the Universe showed the hero's Captain America-inspired costume design, and in leaked set photos from the Disney+ series, it looked like he was wielding the iconic shield as well.
U.S. Agent is a complicated character in the comics, and it will be interesting to see just how good (and how bad) the MCU makes him. Although Walker is known to deeply idolize Cap, he also proves easily manipulated as his dogmatic faith in the U.S. government would frequently put him at odds with the other Avengers.
WON'T: WILLIAM BURNSIDE
As much of a sure bet as John Walker is to appear, William Burnside is on the other side of that argument. Burnside's history goes back to the early days of the Captain America comics, which remained in print well after World War II. When Cap reappeared in The Avengers during the Silver Age, however, the explanation was that he remained frozen ever since a botched mission during WWII. Retroactively, Marvel needed a way to explain just who the Captain America that appeared during the '50s was, and since it couldn't be Steve Rogers they made it William Burnside.
Burnside turned out to be a fanatical devotee of Steve Rogers' legacy. Burnside legally changed his name to Steve Rogers, underwent plastic surgery to look like Steve Rogers, and even found his own "Bucky" to fight at his side in the name of his country. The demented character would be a weird fit in the MCU, and given that the U.S. Agent is already a surefire bet, it would be a little repetitive to introduce another Cap fan gone bad.
WILL: FALCON
In the MCU and the comics alike, there are few people as worthy of wielding Cap's shield as Sam Wilson. Although he's best known for fighting alongside Cap for years as the Falcon, he succeeded Steve in taking up the star-spangled outfit to carry on his legacy. Gaining the shield didn't mean losing the wings, though, as Falcon donned one of the coolest Cap suits to date.
It's inevitable that Sam will take up the red-and-white-and-blue mantle in the MCU, as Avengers: Endgame concluded with the symbolism-laden passing over the shield. While Steve may be retired, his companion Sam could well fight the good fight in his place as early as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
WON'T: ULTIMATE CAP
It may seem like an obvious choice to say that the MCU won't just replace Captain America with another Captain America from a different reality, but the appeal may be greater than you think. With Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness rumored to open up infinite worlds of possibilities, it could be enticing for Marvel Studios to introduce the modernized and morally grey Steve Rogers of Earth 1610 to the MCU.
The problem is that the MCU is still far too young for a reboot. It took decades before the Marvel Universe was ready to try out its Ultimate line, and the idea of it being mimicked in live-action is likely far off in the distant future.
WILL: ZOMBIE CAP
If the problem with the Ultimate Captain America is that he's too similar to the main reality's version to appear in the MCU, then the appeal of Marvel Zombies' Colonel America is that he's miles away in the opposite direction. Existing in a world that is familiar to many Marvel fans, but with tiny differences, Colonel America became a victim of an infectious zombie plague that consumed his whole universe.
With the MCU venturing out into the multiverse there's no doubt they will visit some of the craziest possible timelines imaginable, and the Zombieverse is a great way to go. And based on images from the upcoming animated What If?, it looks as if Marvel Studios will bring a version of Marvel Zombies to Disney+, one which includes an undead Captain America.
WON'T: BUCKY BARNES
Just like Ultimate Cap's problem is that he's too similar to the MCU"s Captain America, Bucky as a successor is too similar to Sam Wilson to really carry on the role. The two characters definitely have strong differences in who they are, what they bring to the table and what kind of stories they're in, but the MCU just isn't big enough for two Captain Americas.
Steve already chose Sam as his successor, and by the time Falcon is ready to pass on the shield, there's no telling the point Bucky will be at. Who will inherit the shield after Sam is anyone's guess, but it seems extremely unlikely that Sebastian Stan will want to sign up for another spat of MCU films after doing so many already. Bucky's time in the comics as a spar-spangled outfit was definitely cool, but he'll probably never get his shot in live-action.
Directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell and Daniel Brühl and will be available on Disney+ in fall 2020.