One of the main plotlines of 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was Sam Wilson’s reluctance to take up the mantle of Captain America. Steve Rogers personally handed his shield to Sam at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, but the series opens with Sam refusing to accept the honor. As the story progresses, Sam realizes what it truly means to be Captain America, and ultimately decides to carry on Steve’s legacy as the Star Spangled Man. After the MCU established its next Captain America, a fourth film in the character’s standalone film franchise seemed like a no-brainer. While it hasn’t been officially announced by Marvel Studios, it’s being reported that the in-development Captain America 4 has found its director.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Julius Onah has been tapped to direct the next Captain America film, which will star Anthony Mackie in the lead role. The film is reportedly being written by Malcolm Spellman, who was the creator and lead writer of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. No other details of the project are known at this time, as it seems Captain America 4 is still very early in its development process. With production not expected to begin before the end of the year, it’s likely the film won’t be hitting theaters until 2024 at the earliest.
Onah is a Nigerian-American filmmaker who mostly directed short films before being selected to helm 2018’s The Cloverfield Paradox for Netflix. The third installment of the Cloverfield franchise starred such MCU alumni as Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Daniel Bruhl, who has played a significant role in the Captain America franchise. Bruhl appeared in both Captain America: Civil War and Falcon and the Winter Soldier as Baron Zemo, and his connection to Onah could result in the actor being cast in Captain America 4. While Cloverfield was Onah’s first foray into franchise filmmaking, Captain America 4 will mark the director’s biggest project to date.
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An Official Captain America 4 Announcement May Be Imminent
Marvel Studios
As Marvel prepares for panels at both San Diego Comic-Con and D23 in the next few months, it’s hard to imagine Captain America 4 not being officially announced in the near future. News of Onah’s hiring leaking so close to Comic-Con in particular may point to Marvel including the film as part of its presentation at the event. Kevin Feige recently said that fans would learn more about where the MCU is going very soon, which means an updated roadmap that includes Captain America 4 may be on the horizon.
The Marvels marks the furthest project out that Marvel has announced a date for, and that film is set to hit theaters next July. Fantastic Four and Blade will be coming after that, but it’s unknown when exactly either project will begin production, let alone have their world premiers. It’s getting close to the point where Marvel needs to put its next foot forward as far as what the future holds for the MCU, which will seemingly include Captain America 4. Even though it may not be for a few more years, it’s certainly exciting that the Captain America franchise will continue to play a pivotal role in the Marvel universe.
