The MCU has dominated the Hollywood world for the past decade and a half largely due to its phenomenal plethora of characters for audiences around the world to relate to. From heroes like Iron Man and Thor to Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, the MCU has brought hundreds of Marvel Comic characters to the big screen – and one of the most beloved is Captain America. One of the original six Avengers and a pioneer of what would become the greatest cinematic universe in history, Captain America has become not just a Hollywood staple, but a literal cultural icon of America, despite the fact that he is fictional.
While the MCU put a final end to Steve Roger’s history as the infamous Cap during Avengers: Endgame, it left a big void in the hearts of MCU fans. After all, Steve Rogers was the heart and soul of the entire Avengers team, and despite Chris Evans’ departure, the character had become too big (a symbol, really) for the MCU to part ways for good. Which is why, when Sam Wilson finally took the shield in the latest episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, MCU fans rejoiced to see a worthy hero take up the mantle that Steve Rogers entrusted to him. However, despite the MCU confirming that a Captain America 4 is in the works, it looks like they missed a real opportunity by not having a 4th of July Captain America special to add to their slate of debuting projects this year. .
Several holiday promotions
With the first MCU holiday series arriving late last year (Hawk Eye), Kevin Feige and the Marvel Gang have decided to double down on their investment in holiday specials by choosing to launch not one but two in the coming year. The first will be night werewolfwhich will air on Disney+ on Halloween night and will have the daunting task of (allegedly) introducing werewolves and vampires to the MCU and featuring an all-new character.
Then, MCU fans will be treated to a much-needed dose of interstellar shenanigans when the guardians of the galaxy The Christmas special arrives in December. Not much is known about the plot details yet. However, the events will take place between Thor 4 and Guardians of the Galaxy 3. It seems like the MCU really could have capitalized on a 4th of July Captain America special. It makes thematic sense and would have allowed the studio to revisit Sam Wilson as a new Cap without casting him directly into a new movie.
Sam Wilson as the new Captain America
Speaking of the beloved winged hero (and his awesome new Captain America costume), it would have been a great idea for the MCU to revisit Anthony Mackie/Sam Wilson taking over the shield. The main reason is that Captain America 4 will be a movie, obviously acting as a sequel to the previous three Captain America movies despite featuring an all-new Cap.
While the MCU and Disney+ have a large surplus of loyal fans who religiously wait for every new piece of MCU information to hit the internet, there are still a large number of moviegoers who may have seen the previous one. Captain America movies – and even Avengers: Infinity War Where End of Game — but I didn’t look The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This means they may not know Sam Wilson has taken over the Shield and may mistakenly think Chris Evans is back. A quick one-hour 4th of July special featuring Sam as Cap (since he barely had the shield for one episode) could have potentially helped some confused future moviegoers.
Success of the past 4th of July weekend
It doesn’t just make thematic sense for the MCU to release a Captain America 4th of July special; it also makes statistical sense. Since 2017 (other than 2020), the MCU has released a draft every 4th of July weekend (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Black Widow). They continue this pattern by launching Thor 4 during this upcoming 4th of July weekend. However, rather than wasting the weekend debuting another Thor movie, it would have made sense to launch a Captain America special instead and push Thor’s debut to the end of July rather than the beginning.
That way, the MCU could still have capitalized on the 4th of July weekend while using a big name character in Thor to sell tickets at a time when few other big name movies are coming out. It would have closed the gap between MCU projects this year, as it looks like the next MCU content fans will get after Thor 4 won’t be until August or even September when She-Hulk is spread in the air. However, it should be noted that a Captain America 4th of July special for Next year is not off the cards. The weekend is currently void of any future MCU projects, with the closest movie being Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, is set to debut on July 28, 2023.
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