Before we can even begin thinking about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the next Marvel Disney+ series arriving this year, we should probably clear up a particular plot point. Well, we should let series co-lead Anthony Mackie clear up the plot point since it's about his character, Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Falcon. Mackie co-stars on Falcon and the Winter Soldier alongside Sebastian Stan, who's back as Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. The Winter Soldier. The two supes became a pair earlier in the MCU's run through their mutual friend,  Steve Rogers.

And speaking of Steve Rogers, that's exactly why Mackie is going on record to clear up something regarding what's next for Falcon. While appearing on The Jess Cagle Show (via Comicbook) this week, Mackie wanted to clear the air about whether Falcon is actually going to become the MCU's new Captain America. Now, there was some reason for fans to believe this was the case based on Sam's final scene with Steve at the end of Avengers: Endgame. In that scene, Steve goes back in time to return the Infinity Stones to their own timelines and remains in the 1940s so he can be with Peggy Carter. Steve reappears in the present day as an old man and, while speaking with Sam, gives him his Captain America shield. The imagery of Sam alongside the shield reappeared in an exclusive first look at Falcon and the Winter Soldier released during Disney Investor Day back in December 2020, adding fuel to the theory Falcon would take on the Captain America mantle.

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Image via Disney+/Marvel Studios

While on The Jess Cagle Show, Mackie addressed this theory and set the bar of expectation for fans who might be excited to see Falcon transition into a new superhero identity. When asked if Falcon would become Captain America, Mackie shared, "We don't know that yet. The show, the idea of the show is basically, you know, and at the end of Endgame, Cap decided he was going into retirement and he asked me if I would take up the shield, but at no point in time did I agree to or say that I would be Captain America," and went on to enigmatically remark, "So, the show walks the line of who is going to take up the shield and who's going to be Captain America if Steve isn't coming back."

The big takeaway here seems to be that fans may be getting a little cart before the proverbial horse with the belief that Falcon automatically assumes the Captain America identity. Instead, Mackie's comments tell us that Falcon will still be Falcon in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This is confirmed in the first-look trailer from December. But it's also worth noting that the trailer loves putting Mackie next to Cap's shield, which creates a visual reminder that Falcon becoming Cap 2.0 could definitely develop at some point.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres on Disney+ on Friday, March 19. For more, find out what MCU Phase 4 movies are coming in 2021 and beyond.