On Thursday night, Marvel Comics revealed the Captain America you knew is a goner.
"Don't break my heart here. Am I the next Captain America? ... All right, Joe, if I'm not the next Captain America, who is?"
"Sam Wilson, his partner, the Falcon." (Via Comedy Central / "The Colbert Report")
Yes, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada told Stephen Colbert that Steve Rogers would be replaced in the comics. Colbert is a huge Cap fan. (Via Marvel)
Wilson made his big-screen debut in April's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." He was portrayed by Anthony Mackie. (Via Walt Disney Studios / "Captain America: The Winter Soldier")
IGN speculates that we could see Mackie's Falcon take up the title of Captain America in Marvel's film series if Chris Evans doesn't extend his contract to portray Steve Rogers past 2016's "Captain America 3."
Though this actually isn't the first time Rogers has been replaced as Captain America.
Back in 2007 his other partner, Bucky Barnes, made popular as the Winter Soldier after April's blockbuster, took up the moniker in the comics in wake of Rogers' apparent death. (Via Marvel)
But right now, Captain America is on arguably his biggest roll in 70 years. Both movies starring Chris Evans have been big hits — so why rock the boat?
As The Verge points out, having Wilson — who was Marvel's first African-American superhero in 1969 — become the patriotic hero fits Marvel's recent trend of introducing more diversity in its biggest titles.
On Tuesday, Marvel announced a new Thor would be taking up the God of Thunder's hammer — and that the new hero would be a female. Marvel made a point to emphasize that this new Thor wasn't just a spinoff character — in this new story, Thor is a woman.
Thor comic writer Jason Aaron said: "This is not She-Thor. This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is THOR. This is the THOR of the Marvel Universe. But it's unlike any Thor we've ever seen before." (Via Marvel)
It's a lot to wrap your head around.
In the past few years, Marvel has changed other familiar members of its stable by introducing a half African-American, half-Latino Spider-Man, an Islamic Ms. Marvel and an African-American Nick Fury after Samuel L. Jackson's popular cinematic portrayal. (Via Marvel)
The new Captain America comic, appropriately titled "All-New Captain America," will debut with issue No. 1 this fall.
