A short version of this article has been printed previously.
With a new comic in the store and a feature film I’m about to drop, I asked my best friend La Williams to celebrate and discuss the character of Captain America’s Sam Wilson.
Sam Wilson – Captain America #1 2025
La Williams: Despite America’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 made his comic debut as Captain America in December 1940, a year before he was directly encompassed by World War II. For decades, Steve has come to represent what America should be. It’s not the white picket fence, garage cars, the Apple Pie American Dream, but Martin Luther King spoke in Washington in March 1963, “deeply rooted in the American Dream.” In other words, Steve Rogers embodies freedom, integrity, justice and protection.
Most superhero fans already know that…
In comics, unconventional and impossible freak accidents occur regularly. …One such accident made Steve a “suspension” from 1945 to the 1960s. (However, the last part is important.)
George Carmona 3rd: Steve, Bro. We’re here to shine the spotlight on Sam!
Law: True Dat. Another of my favorite superheroes is Falcon, created by Stanley and Jean Coran, and debuted in 1969 as the first major African-American superhero. In the comics, his civilian identity is Sam Wilson, a Harlem-based social worker who comes to Sydney Poitier for dinner.
George Carmona 3rd: Sam’s version of MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe; i.e. Marvel films and TV shows) remains relatively faithful to the source material, but some changes to the character are what he says. is a veteran US Air Force Pararescue man, and he is a movie home to New Orleans instead of Harlem.
Law: And Harlemit knows the MCU is wrong about that last part! Where is it? ! ?
GC3: But in all forms of Sam’s core, he is a solid healer and protector and is ready to help out immediately.
Law: And in both comics and films, Sam became the partner of the resurrected Steve, and eventually became his best friend. However, in the comics, Sam has never hesitated to tell Steve how things have changed and what still needs to change since the 40s. Remember in the comics that Steve said it was important to note that he was revived in the 60s? During the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, when Sam pushed Steve into a better Captain America, this groundbreaking character needs governments, businesses and citizens to treat black people and other people better It clearly expressed the black people who communicated this to the country. , as the king said, “living the true meaning of the creed.” I loved Sam saying what he had to say. I loved Steve listening and trying. And when Steve handed out Captain America’s Mantle to his partner (2015 Captain America Comics and 2019 Avengers: Endgame Movies), two of my favorite characters blend into a new work I was really excited: Sam Wilson, Captain America.
Steve gives Sam a shield in the endgame.
GC3: Scheduled to be released on February 14th, Captain America: Brave New World is the latest fare for the MCU starring Anthony Mackie as America’s latest Freedom Sentinel. In the brave New World, Sam is the guardian and the rightful heir of the Shield as a symbol for everyone. In the comics, Sam currently shares the cap mantle with Steve, and Sam uses a version of the Shield, a gift from his girlfriend, Mystinight. Sam’s Shield incorporates his identity and traits as a flying patriot for people.
Captain America: Brave New World 2025
Law: Superhero stories are expected to be fun and action-packed, but the best stories often tackle social struggles. The 2014 Captain America: Winter Soldier film addressed drone strikes, “first-takes” strikes, and misused algorithms as risks of AI. In the 2015-2016 comics, the backlash that Sam received as the first (publicly recognized) Black Captain America was the person President Obama received as the first (publicly recognized) Black Potus. It was a clear explanation of species discrimination.
The crazy thing about GC3: Sam Being Cap’s rebound is that it’s not the first time the 2015 series has worn uniforms and carried a shield in 1998 Sentinel of Captain America: Liberty #9, author Mark Waido is. Sam, who wears a cap suit while Steve is injured, changes more to fight the white supremacists…
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (1998-1999) #9
Law: Yes, but there was a big difference. Not rude to Waid, but the story was just one issue and not even the main book on Cap, not to mention in other Marvel Comics, so it was easy to overlook or ignore. But when Marvel changed the mantle of the iconic character that had existed since 1940 in 2015 and placed a black man there, it was a bigger deal and therefore a big backlash. But where was I?
oh yeah. Captain America: Civil War films in 2016 are about finding a balance between individual freedom and collective accountability. The 2021 The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV series addressed US historic abuse of black soldiers. All the stories I mentioned also address the importance of the dangers of deserved loyalty and unquestionable loyalty.
GC3: Falcon and Winter Soldiers also showed treatment for returning black veterans. After helping Sam save the universe, he sees him suffering from a relationship with the flag when Sam is refused for loan. I loved the way that the series gave Sam a room to accept the significance of carrying shields for a country that treats black people like second-rate citizens.
In the end, Sam is better Captain America than Steve. Yes, Steve is the top 10 fighter and tactician in the Marvel Universe, but don’t let it twist: Sam level up his hand skills, and his Wakandan flight suit is not sneezing. there is no. Beyond being a charismatic leader and intuitive tactician, it’s the comics of a social worker who better caps Sam Whether it’s a film as a whole, it’s more sympathy for him. 95% of the time, the solution to Steve’s problem is to put his fist in his face. Steve’s compassion forces him to jump into the fight and become a guardian. But Sam sees a bigger picture, from fighting the bad guys to helping the victims, to sometimes helping the bad guys in a fight.
Law: If you have to go to war, I want Steve. If you want to prevent it, you want Sam. But one thing they have in common is courage. The brave new world promotion shows the undirected Sam, who has not retreated from one of the strongest beings of the planet, the Red Hulk. It reminds me of Steve, who hasn’t stepped back from Thanos in Endgame. It reminds us that we all need the courage to face America’s challenges today.
In the first episode of GC3: Falcon and Winter Soldier, Sam says, “Every time something gets better for one group, it gets worse for another.” That’s not just an example of Sam’s perspective. This is an example of Captain America’s mythology not a stranger to a captain who opposes an unfair regime to fight for social justice and change. The government’s current targeted attacks have led to attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs within government, schools and businesses, with the symbol “this is my country too.”
In addition to being a fun thrill ride, my hope for a brave new world is to maintain energetic, progressive social progress where they are Sam Wilson, aka Captain America. Honestly, I believe there is an argument that Sam can carry a shield and lift Thor’s hammer. In today’s world, we need more Sam.
Blood Hunt #3
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: Sam Wilson’s Shield (Collected Short Stories, 2025)
Subscribe to Beat for the official review of Captain America: Brave New World.
Guest contributor La Williams has star sputtered adamantium/vibranium alloy shield and his star-spread to protect and promote the history and culture of Harlem at WBAI-FM, Rhythmandsoulradio’s Harlem Connection Radio Show. He is a former DC comic editor who uses an epic music selection. com, Moc Radio, and later.
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