Sam Wilson first debuted in Marvel Comics in 1969, but it took many decades before he claimed the shield of Captain America.

Which is one of the main reasons why he had such a hard time accepting the shield after it was given to him. In a lot of ways, he viewed it as a burden, and it was because he was mostly thinking of the present. As a Black man, he didn’t feel like the country represented him, so how could he, in turn, represent the country?

Spurned fanfic shippers, political protests, and a Black superhero long sidelined by fans and Marvel alike: What the release of “Captain America: Brave New World” says about the MCU in 2025.