Where Is Captain America? Marvel Rumor Explains Anthony Mackie's MCU Absence

It's only been two years in real-world time since Marvel released "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" on Disney+, which means that it's only been two years in real-world time since we got a full-fledged adventure from the latest Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). Despite this seemingly small window, the Marvel Cinematic Universe features more than 20 other films and television shows than it did in April 2021. It's a staggering feat of production on Marvel's part but it does beg the question ... where is Cap? Is he taking a super snooze? Why did Marvel wrap up "Avengers: Endgame" with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) passing on the shield if Marvel didn't feel like using the person who got the shield next?

Well, the rumor is that the new Captain America's absence is intentional. As Hollywood insider @CanWeGetSomeToast wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "'Where is Captain America in the MCU?' The answer to that question can be found in ['Captain America: Brave New World'] ... To put it simply, he's been benched. President Ross thinks Sam's time as Captain America is better suited for publicity, while Sam knows he's meant to be in the field. And that is just the tip of the iceberg to their conflict..."

"Brave New World," the upcoming fourth "Captain America" film, is currently set to release on July 26, 2024.

If @CanWeGetSomeToast's information is correct, then we can assume a few things about "Captain America: Brave New World." First, we can assume that Marvel is attempting to model Sam Wilson's trajectory as Captain America after Steve Rogers' own time with the shield. Remember, "Captain America: The First Avenger" sees the U.S. government brand Steve as a marketing tool until he proves himself capable in the field.

The problem with this method is that Steve proves himself a soldier during a time when superheroes were practically unheard of. If the U.S. government is using similar tactics against Sam, then they are employing willful ignorance. Everyone in the multiverse knows how powerful and helpful a superhero can be, which means that other forces are at play if President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt, Harrison Ford) is benching Sam.

Considering the new president of the United States of America in "Brave New World" is the alter ego of the Red Hulk ... "other forces" wouldn't be particularly surprising. Still, it's frustrating to see a character disappear right after achieving such an important narrative milestone. 

Despite the gap between releases, Anthony Mackie is stoked about "Captain America: Brave New World." During an interview with The Wrap, which was released during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike but was conducted prior, Mackie described filming his solo adventure as being a "full circle moment" that brought him back to his first appearance in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" in a positive way.

"These Marvel movies have kind of turned into summer camp ... there's people that you've known for 10, 12 years now that you've worked with and got to know and people have kids, and people get divorced, and people buy homes," explained Mackie. "So it's like going back to see your old friends ... it was really easy. At no point in time did I feel like it was a different experience from any of the other Marvel movies I've done. It was just a great experience, you can only go down from here."

Marvel is infamously tight-lipped regarding plot information (Mackie once hinted at intense security surrounding the "Brave New World" script), so it's not surprising that Mackie focused his talking points around vague personal experiences but it's worth noting that he doesn't sound like he's doing cleanup. It can often be obvious when an actor is less than pleased with a project and Mackie continues to discuss "Brave New World" with the kind of vibrant passion that suggests a certain quality.