Marvel announces Steve Rogers is returning as ‘Captain America’
Steve Rogers ceded the mantle of Captain America to his friend Sam Wilson back in…2014? And now it looks like his friend Wilson isn’t exactly handing Steve back the mantle. More like, sharing it the title? But not the shield!
Steve Rogers will return as Captain America at Marvel Comics this summer, as announced during Tuesday night’s “Marvel’s Captain America: 75 Heroic Years” special on ABC.
It’s not a surprising move given that Marvel Studios‘“Captain America: Civil War” is out on May 6, which stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. The character will star in a new Marvel series titled “Captain America: Steve Rogers,” from the creative team of writer Nick Spencer and artist Jesus Saiz. Current Cap Sam Wilson will remain in the role — and Spencer will remain as writer of “Captain America: Sam Wilson” — meaning Marvel will now have two Captain Americas.
“When Steve handed the shield to Sam, it didn’t come with any caveats. It’s his. Steve respects and admires what his old partner is doing, and wants him to carry on,” Spencer told Marvel.com. “There are enough problems out there, and enough bad guys, to keep both of them busy. They’ll have very different missions; Sam will continue fighting the battles no one else will go near, while Steve is faced with a resurgent threat from his past: Hydra is back, and stronger than ever.”
Sam Wilson, the former Falcon, took over as Captain America in a highly publicized story, with the switch announced in July 2014 by Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada on “The Colbert Report.” In the comics storyline, Steve Rogers lost the Super-Soldier Serum that gave him his age-defying vitality, causing him to dramatically age — though he’s remained an active player in Marvel Comics, mostly operating behind the scenes.
As to how Rogers returns as Captain America, Spencer teased that “something happens that restore Steve to full vigor” during upcoming Marvel crossover “Avengers Standoff.” Additionally, Spencer disclosed that Rogers will remain leader of the Unity Squad in “Uncanny Avengers,” and that Sharon Carter and “a couple of other faces from [Steve Rogers’] past will be cast members in the new series.
Not only will Sam Wilson stay in the Captain America role, he’ll also hold onto the iconic shield — meaning that Steve Rogers has a new one, reminiscent of the character’s original, World War II-era shield. The shield was designed by “Captain America: Sam Wilson” artist Daniel Acuña, and comes with some new twists.
“Its shape is similar to the original shield Cap had back in the 1940’s, the pointy one, but this one has two main innovations: its tip can deploy an ‘energy blade’ so Cap can cut into things, and the shield can be divided in two, so Steve can use both halves, one with each arm,” Saiz told Marvel.com.
