Anthony Mackie Explains Whether His Captain America Will Get Steve’s Super Serum

There’s a new Captain America in the MCU, and Sam Wilson is about to lead his very first feature film from Marvel Studios. Captain America: Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie as the titular Captain America, having been hand-picked by Steve Rogers to be his successor. Now it’s a full-time gig for Sam, who dons the iconic shield in a much different America than his predecessor, and without the super soldier serum that made Steve a superhero.

Sam has a suit that allows him to fly, and does some work to protect him, but he’s not an invincible force of nature like Steve was. Don’t expect that to ever change for Sam. Being an every man appears to be a defining characteristic of this new Captain America, at least according to the man who plays him.

While speaking to ComicBook ahead of the Captain America: Brave New World premiere, Mackie explained why his version of Sam Wilson shouldn’t ever take the serum.

“Yeah, I don’t think he will. I think if you look at Sam, Sam is every man’s Captain America,” Mackie told us. “You know, so the idea of him just being a regular guy that’s been thrust into this position of leadership is something that we all can identify with, something that we all can relate to. So I think it’s important for him not to get the serum, because then that takes him out of the realm of the possibility of any of us being Captain America.”

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There are a few key differences between Sam and Steve Rogers, but the serum is easily the biggest of them. Sam can’t do the same things that Steve could, but that’s what makes his choice to be Captain America all the more important.

Sam’s risk in becoming a hero is much greater than Steve’s was when he took on the mantle of Captain America. Not to discredit anything that Steve did, but Sam simply has more to lose, and less to offer when it comes to standing toe-to-toe against powerful foes like the Red Hulk. The fact that Sam still chooses to do so, despite the fact that he could be killed at any moment, makes him an incredibly compelling hero.

Would it be cool to see Sam Wilson get the kind of powers a super soldier serum could offer? Absolutely. But he’s a much better Captain America without it.

Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on February 13th.