Rick Remender Confirms A New Captain America But Won’t Say Who It Is

Well, that was … anticlimactic.

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Marvel had been teasing all weekend that it would reveal today that there would be a new Captain America due to the events of Rick Remender’s Captain America run, which have left Steve Rogers without the Super Soldier Serum. As a result, he’s now closer to his actual age, which is, in a word, old.

Remender talked with Marvel.com about Rogers passing the torch to someone else now that he’s effectively out of action for the time being, as well as what Steve’s role would be going forward. But he stopped short of telling us exactly who would suit up and carry the shield.

Here are the hints the writer dropped:

"It’s quite possible that the new Captain America isn’t one to be a soldier. Then you start getting into some questions. Somebody who wants to serve their country and is still highly motivated to do so, but isn’t a soldier, isn’t someone with experience taking orders or navigating that world. It offers up a lot of new opportunities and a lot of new drama as well as getting to tell Captain America stories with an entirely different character, a character I have a real affinity for and like to write."

Speculation has focused on Sam Wilson, better known as the Falcon, and he’d qualify on all counts. Not only is he not a soldier (unlike his movie counterpart, who is a military man) and even more prone to question orders than Rogers, he’s already appeared in the current volume of Cap, and we can assume Remender likes writing him. He’d also absolutely step to the plate if Steve asked him, whether he really wanted to or not.

Speaking of Rogers, he may be taking on a role similar to Oracle had in the pre-New 52 DC universe, providing eyes and tactical advice behind the scenes.

"He’s a man in his 90s now without the frame or physical strength, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of the fight. He’s basically orchestrating things and playing tactician, fighting against Zola, using his friends in the Avengers to try and do so. He’s waging a war from a room rather than the front lines, which is new for Steve."

So we’ll just have to wait and see who ends up behind the mask, with Remender teasing that issue #23 would bring back some characters who may expand the list of candidates. While we wait, you can check out this brief rundown of every man to officially serve as Captain America so far.