Although the conversation around Marvel has recently (and rightfully) been dominated by theories and reactions to Wandavision, some fans are looking beyond that eery series to the next slated installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Scheduled to be released on March 19, 2021, the series will follow Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and the Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), as they try to pick up the slack following Steve Rogers’ retirement and face off against a returned Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl).
While trailers for the series have kept plot points vague and key characters hidden, the central conceit of the show appears to be debating who has the ‘right’ to assume the mantle of ‘Captain America’: Falcon (Rogers’ choice for the role), or someone handpicked by the US military? Facing against Wilson, in this regard, is John Walker (Wyatt Russell) – a sycophantic member of the army who goes by the moniker ‘U.S. Agent.’ Plagued by mental health issues in the comic, it will be interesting to see if this live-action version of the character also suffers from conditions like psychosis. But beyond Wilson and Walker, a third, ‘surprise’ character may actually be the final successor to Cap’s legacy: a young black teenager called Elijah Bradley.
Indeed, Kevin Feige has recently stated in an interview that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would “end” by revealing who the MCU’s next Captain America is; the series would conclude by finally settling on who would be the new Cap moving forward. While many have interpreted this phrasing to be a reference to Wilson’s emotional arc in the show (i.e., learning to believe that he can and should be the next Captain America), some leakers have indicated that it’s instead confirmation of Bradley’s appearance – that the character would be ‘revealed’ at the end of the series. While this, of course, would be shocking to fans, seeing how Wilson is widely seen as the right successor, it is not out of the realm of possibility.
In the comics, Elijah Bradley comes from a family of crime-fighters. After losing the secrets of the Super Soldier serum following the death of Dr. Abraham Erskine in WW2, the US government experimented on 300 African-American soldiers in Mississippi in hope of recreating the formula (experimentation on Black citizens actually happened, so there are real-life accounts of this). The only soldier who survived this gruesome scientific process was Isaiah Bradley, Elijah’s grandfather; through his bloodline and bloody legacy, Elijah inherited both the Super Soldier abilities and the motivation to fight systemic injustices.
Known mostly in the comics as ‘Patriot’, Bradley has occasionally assumed the Captain America role, leading some leakers to predict his involvement in the MCU. This theory is further substantiated by the revelation that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would delve into the charged, timely theme of race. Although many thought Disney (one of the most risk-averse entertainment companies) would attempt to avoid this issue, multiple cast and crew members have confirmed that the series discusses the socio-political ramifications of a black man assuming the Captain America role. With Bradley’s comic story deeply entrenched within the systemic injustices felt by the Black community in America, his appearance would definitely help highlight and progress the show’s racial themes.
Moreover, the idea of Bradley appearing fits with another long-running fan theory: that the MCU is setting up a ‘Young Avengers’ team. With many of the Phase 4 films and Disney Plus series introducing ‘younger’ versions of classic Marvel heroes, such as Kate Bishop in Hawkeye (2021), Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel (2021), Riri Williams in Ironheart (2022), and Cassie Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2022), there is a whole catalogue of adolescent heroes ready to step-up. With Bradley poised to enter the fray as a youthful version of Captain America, it would cement the possibility of a ‘Young Avengers’ film actually happening.
Of course, this is all speculation at this stage: no casting information for Elijah Bradley, or any figure vaguely resembling the character, has been released, and most of the applicable information comes from semi-unreliable leakers. Furthermore, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier already features the return of Zemo, Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp), and Georges Batroc (Georges St-Pierre) and only has a reduced count of six episodes; does the mini-series have the time to adequately introduce and set-up Bradley’s character? Although Marvel has never been one to shy away from off-hand introductions (like when Aaron Davis, played by Donald Glover, alluded to Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Homecoming), for a character as critically important as Bradley, it doesn’t feel appropriate.
Either way, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is still largely shrouded in mystery, so there’s every chance they surprise fans by revealing Elijah Bradley as the new Captain America – with March right around the corner, viewers won’t have to wait long for answers.