Look, I love Bucky Barnes as much as the next person. In fact, when it was revealed that he was canonically the MCU's White Wolf, I thought, hell yeah. Let's get him suited up immediately.
However, when it comes to whether I'd rather have Sam Wilson or Bucky Barnes take up the Captain America mantle, I, like Cap himself, 100% choose Sam over Bucky.
You might be wondering how that's even possible (I mean, hellllooooo. Bucky's a super soldier), but I have five reasons why I'm glad that Sam is the star of Captain America: Brave New World and not Bucky.
Sam Has A Better Understanding Of What It Means To Be An Average American Than Bucky
You know what? One of my favorite Marvel shows is still The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and that’s mostly because it really humanized Sam Wilson for me.
Yes, as far as superheroes go, The Falcon has always been one of the more grounded characters (which is ironic, given that he flies). In truth, he’s more along the lines of somebody like Hawkeye and Black Widow rather than Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. That said, when it came to movies Like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame, The Falcon seemed larger than life.
Not so in the Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, though. Sam comes back from the Blip wanting to handle some family business, and tries to get a loan from the bank. But, guess what. He gets rejected! Sam Wilson, a bona fide Avenger who helped save the universe…got rejected for a loan at the bank.
If that doesn't speak to the American experience (a Black man being declined for a bank loan), then I don't know what does.
For that reason, I think Sam is better suited to deal with modern day problems than Bucky. Now, I’m not saying that somebody like Bucky wouldn't be a worthy Captain America. I’m just saying that Sam has a better understanding of the struggles of current day Americans, that’s all.
Sam Is Also Just A Normal, Every Day Dude With An Extraordinary Heart
Does Sam get paid as an Avenger? The answer is surprisingly no. Especially since Tony Stark (Who I guess is Doctor Doom now?) perished after the events in Endgame. And honesty, that's messed up.
But, it also really drives home the point that Sam is really just an ordinary guy. He’s not some super soldier with a metal arm. I view him more like a firefighter, or a police officer in that he puts himself in extremely dangerous situations just because he has an extraordinary heart.
Which might be one of the many reasons why Steve Rogers picks Sam in the first place, since, at his core, Sam is very much like a young Steve. If you don’t remember all the way back to 2011 when The First Avenger came out, Steve was always the smallest guy with the biggest heart.
Even before he got the Super Soldier Serum, he was the kind of guy who would leap on a grenade if it meant saving his fellow soldier, and I think that Sam’s willingness to defend his country without getting the serum really speaks volumes.
Yes, Bucky would definitely be the more durable Captain America, but being Cap is more than just about strength; it’s all about heart. And, while I know that Bucky has heart in spades, I think it’s more fitting that just an ordinary dude with extraordinary willpower like Sam is the one who gets the shield.
Sam Is Of The Here And Now, While Bucky, Like Cap, Is Of The Past
Sam doesn't come from a bygone era like Steve or Bucky. He's not a part of “The Greatest Generation” who fought in World War 2. No, Sam is one of us, dealing with current day problems.
Which is one of the main reasons why he had such a hard time accepting the shield after it was given to him. In a lot of ways, he viewed it as a burden, and it was because he was mostly thinking of the present. As a Black man, he didn’t feel like the country represented him, so how could he, in turn, represent the country?
This was mostly before he met Isaiah Bradley, who was one of the first Super Soldiers, but was swept underneath the rug because he was a Black Super Soldier. However, by learning about this man, Sam better understood that while there was still a lot of work to be done in regards to race relations, the fact that he had been chosen to be Captain America shows the leaps and bounds in progress that this country has made, and it would take somebody of this era to fully understand that.
Inversely, Bucky, like Steve, mostly has values from an era that no longer exists. While we’re always looking back fondly toward Americans in World War 2, we do not currently live in that era. Steve knew that he was of the past, and he also knew that Bucky was of the past, as well. When passing on the title, Cap wanted to give it to the future rather than the past.
So, while America needs to occasionally look backward, it can’t live in the past. That’s why I love that Steve chose Sam over Bucky, as his old friend is not the future. Sam is.
A Black Captain America Is One Hell Of A Symbol
Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t bring my own race into this, but since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier wasn’t shy on the subject of race, I’m not going to be shy, either. In truth, I’m happy that Cap chose Sam over Bucky because I like the idea of a Black Captain America in general.
I know, I know. “DEI hires” is the new negative buzzword, and I’ve seen my fair share of comments like that online in regards to Sam being Captain America. But honestly, those people are not going to put a damper on my pride of seeing a Black man (a fictional Black man, sure, but a Black man all the same) representing this entire country as Captain America.
Seeing Sam land in his superhero pose with both his wings, and his shield is one hell of a symbol (I mean, what represents freedom more than wings?). And, I’m overjoyed that Steve decided that even though there would likely be people who’d rather see Bucky as the next Cap, he still chose Sam, because he thought he was the right choice.
Look, I’m not going to lie to you. As a Black man myself, I cried when Obama first took office. I was ecstatic to see that people chose him to lead our country into the future, and he inspired millions to have hope for a better America.
I really don’t want to get political here, since I know a wide swath of people visit this website, and I respect all political views. That said, it’s kind of hard not to get political when talking about a character like Captain America, and I’m happy that Steve chose Sam for the job, because 1: He’s perfectly capable, and 2: he makes me even more proud to be both an American, but also a person of color. Just like Obama himself.
Lastly, I Just Like Anthony Mackie, And I'm Happy To See Him Fronting His Own Movie
Finally, not to take anything away from Sebastian Stan (he had one hell of a 2024), but I’m honestly just happy to see Anthony Mackie frontline his own movie.
I’ve been following Mackie’s career for a long time, and while he’s been a great supporting actor for many years, it’s rare where you actually see him as a leading man, and playing Captain America (rather than just his buddy), is a huge opportunity for him.
Don’t get me wrong. I would love to see Stan play Cap as well, and I’m aware that both Sam and Bucky have been Cap in the comics. However, I’m really just happy to see Mackie have his moment, since I feel he’s earned it.
I loved him as Cap in the last episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and I’ve been highly anticipating this movie for a long time now. So, that’s just another reason why I’m happy that Steve chose Sam over Bucky – it means that Anthony Mackie gets to star in his own movie!
Are you Team Sam, or Team Bucky, and why? You heard my reasons. Now what about yours?
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