Was That Captain America In The Falcon And The Winter Soldier's Super Bowl Spot?
As casual and diehard fans alike know by now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is growing more complex with each new project that gets created. Things will get even more nebulous in Marvel Studios' forthcoming Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan in their respective roles as Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier begins after the events of Avengers: Endgame — which concluded with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) choosing to live out a life with his love Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) after he returned the Infinity Stones to their rightful places, then coming back to the present day as an old man and handing over his Captain America shield to Sam. The man otherwise known as the Falcon will now have to decide whether he should actually become the new Captain America, or let someone else take that job. Amid this personal crisis, Sam partners up with Bucky to fight the Flag-Smashers, a coalition of anarchists causing chaos around the world.
True to form and living up to expectations, the House of Heroes unleashed a brand-new, full-length trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier during the first quarter of the 2021 Super Bowl on Sunday, February 7. At one point during the trailer, it looks like Captain America shows up — around the 1:10 mark, during a marching band's halftime performance at a football game.
The question now on everyone's minds is simple: Was that actually Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Super Bowl spot?
That's John F. Walker, not Captain America
Sadly, in the place where it looks like the MCU's OG Captain America pops up, he doesn't really.
The person who runs onto the football field, wearing a red-white-and-blue uniform, is John F. Walker. Played by Wyatt Russell of Black Mirror, Lodge 49, and Everybody Wants Some!! notoriety, John F. Walker has been described as Captain America's militaristic successor, masterminded by the U.S. government and rolled out as a replacement for the Star-Spangled Avenger. In the Marvel comics, Walker has gone by the monikers Super-Patriot and U.S. Agent, and did serve as a new version of Captain America for a time. Still, it's not the real Captain America who appears at that moment in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Super Bowl spot; it's just someone the States' government wants to take his place instead of Sam Wilson. (How rude!)
Also, beyond this, it almost goes without saying that unless Marvel does serious retconning and somehow convinces Chris Evans to reprise his role as Steve Rogers, the MCU's first iteration of Captain America won't be included in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – apart from possible flashbacks and memorials, like the mural shown earlier in this new trailer.
Don't be too sad, though: There will still be plenty of Cap-related trials and tribulations to experience in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, slated to premiere on Disney+ on March 19.