Skip to main content

The last time fans saw Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), the original Captain America passed his shield over to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). With Rogers now an elderly man, it appeared the Captain America film series was over. Yet, following The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Captain America 4 is in the works. Could Marvel have revealed its story several years ago?

'Captain America: Civil War' stars Anthony Mackie and Chris Evans at Disney's D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ stars Anthony Mackie and Chris Evans at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2015 in Anaheim, Calif. | Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Who is the new Captain America?

As the ending of Avengers: Endgame teased, Mackie’s Sam Wilson aka Falcon has indeed inherited the mantle of Captain America. The movie made the transition seem easy. But Marvel’s Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier went a whole lot deeper into what it means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to have a Black Captain America now.

Wilson does carry the shield in the comics too. But so does Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). So for a while, it remained unclear whether the MCU would commit to promoting Mackie to Captain America. Now the actor is poised to lead Captain America 4, according to Deadline. As fans speculate about the movie, Marvel itself might have spilled the beans back in 2014.

Marvel might have teased ‘Captain America 4’ several years ago

During the unveiling of the Phase 3 line-up in 2014, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige teased what movies lay ahead. Ultimately, he brought out Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans for the reveal that the third Cap movie would be 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. But before that, Feige misdirected fans with another title, Captain America: Serpent Society.

“We had this great idea because Civil War‘s first up, right?” Feige said after the presentation, according to ComicBook.com. “But we don’t blow our wad on the presentation with Civil War right at the front of it. A guy named Mike Pasciullo had the idea to put Serpent Society on there, and I thought it was awesome and hilarious. A part of me thought, ‘Are people going to love Serpent Society and think that’d be really cool?’ … Now it’s on the radar.”

At the time, Captain America: Civil War felt like the final movie in the series. After all, the MCU tends to only give each hero a trilogy of movies. 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder will be the first to break that tradition. So with Captain America 4 happening, Marvel could circle back to the Serpent Society idea now. The stage might even be perfectly set now for its debut.

Related

‘Avengers: Endgame’: Captain America’s Battle With His Past Self Drives His Decision to Stay with Peggy

Did ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ tease the Serpent Society?

In Marvel Comics, the Serpent Society is a snake-themed supervillain team initially formed by baddies called Cobra, Eel, and the Viper. However, according to Marvel.com, that version of the team didn’t last long. And it fell to Madame Hydra to rebuild the team. A few characters have carried that moniker but one just joined the MCU in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus debuted as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the final episodes. And in her brief appearances, she recruits John Walker (Wyatt Russell) for some mysterious purpose. The disgraced former Captain America becomes U.S. Agent, his more morally ambiguous alias. With the Flag Smashers gone, the show teased the rise of another troubling group.

Some fans assumed Walker’s story would lead to the MCU version of the Thunderbolts, another villainous team. But what if Marvel Studios adapts the Serpent Society instead? Captain America 4 could then see a brand-new Cap going up against several villains. Or perhaps the Serpent Society could feature into The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Season 2, if it happens.

Best in Entertainment