Sam Wilson (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Sam Wilson is a character portrayed by Anthony Mackie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and known commonly by his alter ego, Falcon.

Sam Wilson
Marvel Cinematic Universe character
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon in Ant-Man (2015)
First appearanceCaptain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Created by
Based onFalcon
Adapted byChristopher Markus
Stephen McFeely
Portrayed byAnthony Mackie
In-universe information
Alias
OccupationU.S. Air Force Pararescue Jumper
Affiliation
NationalityAmerican

Mackie first appeared as the character in the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier.[1][2] In the film, Wilson is a veteran United States Air Force Pararescueman who flies using a jet pack with articulated wings.[3] Mackie reprises the role in the 2015 films Avengers: Age of Ultron,[4] and Ant-Man,[5] the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War,[6][7] the 2018 film Avengers: Infinity War,[8] and the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame.[9] Redwing makes a first appearance in Civil War as Falcon's bird-shaped robotic drone.[10] In Avengers: Endgame, an elderly Steve Rogers passes his shield and the mantle of Captain America to Wilson.[9] The character is next slated to appear in a lead role in the Disney+ TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Concept, creation, and characterization

Samuel Thomas Wilson, known as the Falcon, was the first African-American superhero in mainstream comic books.[11][12] The character first appeared in Captain America #117 (Sept. 1969).[13] Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan,[13] he came about, Colan recalled in 2008,

...in the late 1960s [when news of the] Vietnam War and civil rights protests were regular occurrences, and Stan, always wanting to be at the forefront of things, started bringing these headlines into the comics. ... One of the biggest steps we took in this direction came in Captain America. I enjoyed drawing people of every kind. I drew as many different types of people as I could into the scenes I illustrated, and I loved drawing black people. I always found their features interesting and so much of their strength, spirit and wisdom written on their faces. I approached Stan, as I remember, with the idea of introducing an African-American hero and he took to it right away. ... I looked at several African-American magazines, and used them as the basis of inspiration for bringing The Falcon to life.[14]

He was introduced as an unnamed former resident of New York City's Harlem neighborhood, who had adopted a wild falcon he trained and named Redwing (His own name, Sam Wilson, was not given until page five of the following issue). After Wilson came into conflict with the supervillain the Red Skull, Steve Rogers inspired Wilson to take on the costumed identity of the Falcon, and Wilson underwent training with Rogers.[15][16] Through most of the 1970s, the Falcon and Captain America were a team in New York City, and the series was cover-billed Captain America and the Falcon from issues #134–192 and 194–222 (February 1971 – June 1978).[17]

The Falcon eventually became a member of the Avengers from issues #183–194 (May 1979 – April 1980), and had a solo issue.[18] After regularly appearing in Captain America vol. 2 (November 1996 – November 1997), the Falcon rejoined the Avengers in The Avengers vol. 3, #1 (February 1998). This time, he remained with the team, becoming one of its most prominent members by issue #57 (Oct. 2002). In 2014, Marvel announced that Wilson would succeed Rogers as the new Captain America, a mantle which the character thereafter assumed in several additional runs.[19][20][21]

In the mid-2000s, Kevin Feige realized that Marvel still owned the rights to the core members of the Avengers, which included Captain America and his associated characters, including Wilson. Feige, a self-professed "fanboy", envisioned creating a shared universe just as creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had done with their comic books in the early 1960s.[22] In 2005, Marvel received a $525 million investment from Merrill Lynch, allowing them to independently produce ten films, including Captain America. Paramount Pictures agreed to distribute the film.[23][24][25]

Mackie at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.

In July 2012, Anthony Mackie entered negotiations to star as Wilson/Falcon alongside Chris Evans in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.[26] In November 2014, Mackie was confirmed to be returning in Captain America: Civil War.[27][28] In early July 2015, an international teaser trailer revealed that Mackie would appear as Wilson/Falcon in Ant-Man.[29] Mackie appears in the post-credit sequence as well, along with Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan as Steve Rogers / Captain America and Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier, respectively.[30]

Characterization

Entering the role, Mackie said "[Wilson is] a really smart guy who went through major military training and becomes a tactical leader."[31] He also remarked, "He's the first African-American superhero. It makes me feel all the work I've done has been paying off. I have a son, nephews and nieces, and I love the idea that they can dress up as the Falcon on Halloween. They now have someone they can idolize. That's a huge honor for me."[32] Marvel, who cast Mackie because of his "energy and sense of fun",[33] did not let him read a script before signing on.[2] Mackie spent five months doing two-a-day workouts and eating an 11,000 calorie per day diet to get into shape for the role.[34] Commenting on Rogers' relationship with Wilson, Evans said, "Meeting Mackie's character, he used to serve, now he works at the VA counseling guys who come home with PTSD — they connect on that level. I think they're both wounded warriors who don't bleed on other people. Cap has no one to bleed on. I think Mackie knows how to handle people like that. … Sometimes when things are bad, trusting a stranger is the way to go".[35]

On including Falcon in Ant-Man, director Peyton Reed said that it was not done just to include the character, rather "[i]t served a plot point; a purpose in our story" and allowed them to enhance Michael Peña's "tip montages", which were written by production writers Gabriel Ferrari and Andrew Barrer,[36] also adding Falcon "seemed like the right character — not a marquee character like Iron Man or Thor, but the right level of hero".[37] Rudd and McKay decided to include Falcon after watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier.[38]

Discussing the relationship between Wilson and Rogers in Captain America: Civil War, Mackie said, "With Falcon and Cap, what's so great is there's a mutual respect. There's a soldier respect. What's great about ... [Captain America: Civil War] is you get to see their relationship grow,"[39] adding, "He respects and admires Cap because Cap earned his rank as opposed to sitting in an office and just delegating orders."[40] Feige said that it was decided to reshoot the final scene of the film to incorporate the new Falcon suit designed for Ant-Man, which was released after Age of Ultron, as Falcon was originally shot in his original suit from The Winter Soldier.[41] Mackie stated he did not realize Wilson had become an Avenger until he watched the film at the premiere, as he was only given the script for the scenes he worked on.[42]

Wilson uses a pair of submachine guns as his main weapons and flies using a jet pack with articulated wings.[43][44][2] From Civil War on, he is aided by a robotic drone named Redwing.[45] Joe Russo stated that the inclusion of Barnes to Rogers' side forces Wilson to question the dynamic and relationship he has with Rogers going forward.[46] Mackie noted that in Infinity War, Wilson has a grudge with other heroes like Iron Man and Black Panther after the events of Civil War.[47]

Fictional character biography

Wilson is a social worker aiding returning veterans, himself a veteran United States Air Force Pararescueman who had served tours in overseas military actions, and had been selected to test a prototype military wingsuit alongside his friend Riley. Their wingsuits were critical in their missions, as RPGs used by the terrorists prevented the Air Force from using helicopters. After Riley was nonetheless killed by an RPG, with Wilson unable to save him, the latter completed his mission and left the Air Force. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Wilson befriends Steve Rogers during a jog in Washington, D.C., and later helps Rogers and Natasha Romanoff take down Hydra when it's discovered that Hydra had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. from the beginning. In the aftermath of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s collapse, he offers to help Rogers track down Bucky Barnes, Rogers' presumed-dead best friend who had been brainwashed into doing Hydra's bidding as the Winter Soldier. In Avengers: Age of Ultron,[48] Wilson attends the Avengers' party celebrating their victory over Hydra and has a brief conversation with Rogers, indirectly mentioning the ongoing search for Barnes. At the end of the film, Wilson is recruited along with War Machine, Vision and Wanda Maxmimoff for the new roster of Avengers led by Rogers and Romanoff.

In Ant-Man,[5] Wilson has a brief fight with Scott Lang at the Avengers' new facility, where Ant-Man takes a piece of tech necessary for the mission to stop Darren Cross from selling the Yellowjacket suit. At the end of the film, Luis informs Lang that Wilson is looking for the former, the post-credits scene (taken from Captain America: Civil War) revealing that Wilson thinks Lang might be able to help him and Rogers with Barnes. This leads into Captain America: Civil War,[6][49] in which Wilson becomes the first Avenger to oppose the Sokovia Accords, a new law requiring the Avengers to be supervised by the government that Rogers opposes but Tony Stark supports. On a mission at the beginning of the film, he debuts a bird-shaped robotic drone.[50] When Barnes is suspected of setting off a bomb in Vienna that kills the king of Wakanda, Rogers and Wilson attempt to bring Barnes in, only to get arrested along with T'Challa who has vowed to kill Barnes. After Barnes is set loose by the true perpetrator of the bombing, Barnes tells Rogers and Wilson about five other super soldiers that Zemo is allegedly planning to unleash on the world. At Wilson's suggestion, Rogers calls Clint Barton to recruit Lang in addition to breaking Wanda Maximoff out of the Avengers facility. The six of them face off against Iron Man, War Machine, Black Panther, Black Widow, Spider-Man and Vision, the fight ending with Wilson, Wanda, Barton and Lang sent to the Raft while Rogers and Barnes escape to Siberia in the Quinjet. When Stark visits the Raft's prisoners, Wilson tells Stark where Rogers and Barnes went on the condition that Stark go alone. At the end of the film, Rogers breaks Wilson and the prisoners out of the Raft following a fallout with Stark while T'Challa learns the truth.

In Avengers: Infinity War,[8] Wilson, Romanoff and Rogers rescue Wanda and Vision from Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, two of the Children of Thanos who attempt to get the Mind Stone for Vision. The fugitive group return home and reunite with James Rhodes disobeying an order from Secretary Ross to arrest them. They are joined by Bruce Banner warning them that Thanos won't stop until obtaining all of the Infinity Stones. At Rogers' suggestion, the Avengers head to Wakanda with the intention of removing it from Vision (in the hope Vision can function without it) and destroying it so Thanos can't get it. Wilson notifies Rogers of Thanos' invading army and participates in the ensuing battle. When Thanos collects all six stones and does a snap of the fingers, Wilson is among those disintegrated. In Avengers: Endgame, five years after the events of Infinity War, Wilson is resurrected by Bruce Banner along with the rest of the decimated, after the Avengers have retrieved the Infinity Stones from different points in time and used them to undo Thanos' snap. Wilson participates in the final battle against an earlier version of Thanos (as Thanos' older version was killed by Thor after Thanos destroyed the stones). After the battle, during which Stark sacrifices himself in order to destroy Thanos' army, Wilson attends Stark's funeral, and later receives Captain America's shield and mantle from Rogers, now an elderly man (as a result of time traveling into the past to live with Peggy Carter).[9]

Differences from the comic books

A number of differences have been observed between the comic book version of the character and the MCU adaptation. The character's comic book backstory is dispensed with entirely, with Wilson instead being introduced with a military background through which he is able to relate to Rogers.[51] In the comic book, Wilson has the ability to communicate with birds, and is assisted in his heroics by an actual falcon named Redwing. In the films, this is replaced by a drone given that name, which the character is able to control remotely.[51] Wilson's costume is also dramatically different from the bare-chested skintight outfit worn by the character in the comics,[51] though Mackie has indicated that he wanted to wear "red Spandex, head to toe" for the part.[52]

Reception

For his performance in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, in 2014 Mackie was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor,[53] and a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Scene Stealer.[54]

See also

References
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