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In 1896, the Supreme Court ruled on the case Plessy v. Ferguson. Their ruling created the concept of “separate but equal,” which codified segregation and perpetuated an idea that rang hollow to black men and women everywhere. Decades later, that same concept lingers in an unexpected place: the pages of Marvel Comics. When Sam Wilson was given the shield by Steve Rogers, it should have marked a bold redefinition of Captain America for a new era. Instead, from almost the moment he took up the mantle, Sam has been positioned as something adjacent, a parallel, but never quite the primary, Captain America. Hardly any solo issues, almost no chance to explore groundbreaking ideas for this new era, and a revolving door of narrative resets have quietly reinforced a status quo where Steve Rogers remains the default, and Sam Wilson exists as the alternative. Now with a major motion picture that was hijacked for a Hulk sequel, the question remains: Will Sam Wilson ever be seen as Captain America?
The Passing of the Shield:
12 years ago, Rick Remender ended his dimension-crossing run on Captain America by passing the shield from Steve Rogers to his long-time partner, Sam Wilson. What transpired from there was 6 issues detailing Sam’s first adventure alongside the adopted son of Rogers, having taken over the mantle of Nomad to take down Hydra…right as the entire universe was reset by Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars. From there, we saw the ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT MARVEL initiative from Marvel Comics. A new branding for their relaunch of titles at issue 1, where the universe didn’t fully reboot per se, but enough was changed to where it promised new jumping-on points for modern readers. This would bring the longest run Sam Wilson would have as Captain America to an end, totaling 24 issues. This run would quite literally be prophetic as writer Nick Spencer would create the hashtag, #NotMyCaptainAmerica, in the pages of the run, which would then be co-opted by racist fans once the MCU followed in the footsteps of the comics. Comics would show Sam struggling to carry the weight of the shield in the modern day while being faced with in-universe racism, human trafficking, police brutality, as well as his former partner taking over the world once Steve Rogers resumed his identity as Captain America, having been restored to his youth by the Cosmic Cube, but being made into a loyalist to Hydra.
Sam hadn’t even been in possession of the mantle for 2 years of publication, and potentially even less time in universe, before Marvel brought back Steve as a separate but equal Captain America. Marvel wanted to have their cake and eat it too in the eyes of fans because you had bigoted individuals who would post on social media or make content spouting slurs and heinous statements that Marvel was attempting to “erase white superheroes” and that they had become “SJW Marvel”; while at the same time attempting to keep fans of Sam as Cap happy by keeping him as what appeared to be the primary bearer of the mantle. This would be short lived though, because after the events of Secret Empire, where in the minds of fans everywhere, the Sentinel of Liberty that was created by Jewish writers and artists, whose first issue saw him punching Hitler, had now became aligned with that ideology, Marvel had to pivot to giving Steve Rogers back the shield, and Sam slowly having to fade back into his place as a glorified sidekick in the eyes of the public.
Separate but Equal due to cinema:
5 years later, after Sam Wilson has several new adventures in a new Falcon suit, from fighting vampires and demons to finishing a stint as leader of the Avengers, he would be given a new shield and be placed back in the role of Captain America due to the release of both Avengers: Endgame and Falcon and the Winter Soldier making Sam the new Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Only for Captain America: Brave New World to be handed to us with the controversy of an Israeli character who never had a connection to Sam or has ever been in his comics, and multiple reshoots that hijacked Sam’s movie and turned it into a Hulk sequel rather than a standalone Captain America movie like originally rumored. It was said from behind-the-scenes leaks that Sam and his partner Joquin were going to go up against the Serpent Society, similar to the first volume of the Nick Spencer run, but for whatever reason, these characters were cut, except for Giancarlo Esposito. Plus, with the announcement of Chris Evans returning in Doomsday, many worry that Sam will be undermined by the return of Steve Rogers in the MCU.
Not only that, but in the Zero issue of Captain America, written by both Collin Kelly and Tochi Onyebuchi in 2022, Sam is treated as “Captain America too” yet again. This consistent coddling of bigoted fans because they cannot bear the finality of Steve Rogers as Captain America. It is them saying that they don’t have faith in the storytelling of a competent writer to deliver good stories for Sam and stand behind him as a character, so that Steve’s time can end. Over 80 years of stories, and yet when a new era is attempting to begin, challenging norms and perspectives and showing the ugly truth of America in different but all too similar ways, Sam is seen as inferior. He is not given the chance to be the primary and only Captain America; he isn’t even given an ongoing comic book in 2025 when his movie releases. Instead, Red Hulk, the antagonist of the film, gets one, while Sam only gets a 5 issue mini series.
Meanwhile, writer Chip Zdarsky begins crafting a modern story that yet again shifts the sliding timescale of the Marvel Universe just enough so that Steve Rogers can be deemed relevant again, and Sam Wilson is seen as a backup to hold space on the Avengers. While it cannot be refuted that Zdarsky is crafting a great narrative, Marvel has systematically failed to give Sam a fair shot as the only Captain America in publication, almost from day one. Collectively, only having 14 solo ongoing issues before Steve is brought back into the spotlight. Despite the devious nature he now possesses, it undermines Sam’s credibility as the primary Captain America because fans are given an out, where they don’t need to even attempt to connect and resonate with Sam’s journey. Once Secret Empire concludes, Sam is forced to relinquish the shield to repair the reputation of Rogers, only for years later to be given 14 more issues in Captain America: Symbol of Truth, but again, with a different shield, and the status of the “Other Captain America”. Which then leads to nothing but a 5-issue mini to be released as the Brave New World is in theaters, and the movie’s antagonist is given more of a spotlight in publication.
The mantle has to pass:
One of the biggest problems that plagues modern comics is a lack of progression in the universe. Mantles will pass, but then the status quo has to reset to either align with multimedia or to appease a certain portion of the fanbase. Marvel needs to place innovation above profit. There needs to be a time when leaps of faith are taken, and the past can be just that, the past. The excuse many defenders of leaving Steve as Cap, or other older characters, such as Peter Parker in the case of Miles Morales, is that these characters are timeless, and they can fit any era. But that is a false statement. That is a barely held-up stance so they can still enjoy their childhood heroes. But time isn’t always on their side. Sam collectively has had 49 solo comics since becoming Captain America. He has had next to no opportunities to build a foundation and a legacy as the modern Cap. Whether it’s having multiple events interrupt his most iconic 24-issue run, to having the mantle taken from him, to being given only a spot on the Avengers while his predecessor has a critically acclaimed ongoing, Sam is not given the ability to be an “equal” Captain America.
It is time for Marvel to make the difficult choice: Take the mantle from Steve Rogers. Kill him again, retire him again, or put him back as the director of Shield, something other than being Captain America. Because his time has come and gone, and us playing the “Separate but Equal” card has been nothing but a detriment to Sam Wilson.
