First Lady Thor and now Captain America?!
Marvel made a big announcement Wednesday night when they revealed that the new Captain America is going to be Sam Wilson, aka the Falcon.
What's the big deal? Well, not only is a popular character changing hands, but Sam Wilson – who had long played Cap's friend and crime-fighting partner as the Falcon – is black.
It is a progressive move by Marvel, who recently announced that the mantle of Thor would be taken on by a woman in coming story lines.
Marvel revealed the news on The Colbert Report, and host Stephen Colbert has long been a Captain America fan, even having the hero's iconic shield hanging on the wall of his show's set since the supposed murder of Captain America in 2008.
Now, Steve Rogers - Cap's alter-ego - is giving up the title of Captain America after he was drained of the super soldier-serum that gave him super strength and longevity, aging him 65 years. It only makes sense for his longtime partner to take over the role.
RELATED PICS: 7 Sexiest Superman Stars
The move is part of a push by Marvel to increase diversity among its massive cadre of heroes, including the creation of a teenage superhero Ms. Marvel - who is a 16-year-old Muslim girl named Kamala Khan - and the creation of an African American Spider-Man with Miles Morales taking on the role of Spidey in the Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man series.
In Marvel's Captain America film franchise, Chris Evans stars as Cap, while Anthony Mackie recently starred as the Falcon in the Winter Solider installment of the movie series. It's unclear if this move by Marvel will have any effect on future film adaptations.
