Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson takes on several villains inCaptain America: Brave New World, but there are many more antagonists he could battle in theMCU, since he’ll likely be sticking around for a while. Even though Anthony Mackie has been in the MCU for the last eleven years, having made his debut asSam Wilson’s Falcon inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, 2025 marks his theatrical debut as Captain America. He’s expected to have a strong big-screen debut as the Star-Spangled-Man, setting him up for many more adventures in the MCU’s future.
Speaking recently toEsquire,Anthony Mackie revealed that he expects to play Captain America for"a solid ten years.“This meansCaptain America: Brave New Worldwill be the start of a long and bright chapter for Sam Wilson, which could see him come face-to-face with some ofCaptain America’s most iconic villainsfrom Marvel Comics. He’ll battle the Red Hulk, the Leader and Sidewinder, among others, inCaptain America: Brave New World, but Marvel could pit him against some even more powerful foes over the next decade of Captain America stories.
10Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin
Sam Wilson Could Be Involved In A Major Upcoming MCU Event
Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk has been set up to be the primary antagonist of theMCU’s ever-expanding street-level stories, andDaredevil: Born Againis set to make this role even more prominent.Fisk will establish himself as the new Mayor of New York City, which hints at Marvel Studios gearing up to adapt Marvel Comics' iconicDevil’s Reignstoryline into live-action. This event saw Kingpin outlaw vigilantism in New York, which affected a huge number of heroes, including Daredevil, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and Captain America.
WhetherDevil’s Reignis adapted forDaredevil: Born Again,Spider-Man 4or another upcoming MCU project, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America would be a fantastic addition to the story.Neither Sam Wilson nor Wilson Fisk have any superhuman abilities, though both are extremely skilled, so a battle between the pair would be intense and raw, perhaps even more so than Wilson’s upcoming fight against Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk. Fisk has the potential to be a villain to countless MCU heroes, and Captain America is a clear candidate in apossibleDevil’s Reignadaptation.
9Henry Peter Gyrich
Sam Wilson Has Dealings With Gyrich In Marvel Comics
Marvel fans may knowHenry Peter Gyrich as a villain to mutantsand the X-Men, though, in Marvel Comics, he is actually a United States government liaison to the Avengers. He doesn’t just oppose mutants, but the entire superhuman community, which has brought him to odds with many heroes of different origins, and this could also be the case in the MCU.Captain America: Brave New Worldwill rely heavily on political themes, so it would be great to see Henry Peter Gyrich debut in the Phase 5 movie, beginning a possibly long-running feud with Sam Wilson.
Henry Peter Gyrich was briefly played by Matthew Sharp in 2000’sX-Men, though he never posed a significant threat to the X-Men in 20th Century Fox’s franchise.
Back in the 1970s, while overseeing the Avengers directly, Henry Peter Gyrich forced Sam Wilson’s Falcon to join his version of the superhero team. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson will be urged by President Ross to rebuild theAvengers inCaptain America: Brave New World, which could similarly lead to a version of the team working under the thumb of the United States government.Gyrich’s debut would present a wonderful human antagonist for Captain America, and could also excitingly tease the MCU’s upcoming X-Men storylines.
8Green Skull
Green Skull Would Be A Relevant MCU Villain
Steve Rogers' first adventure as Captain Americain 2011’sThe First Avengersaw him take on Johann Schmidt’s Red Skull, but Marvel Studios hasn’t yet introduced his eco-friendly copycat, the Green Skull.Introduced back in 2012’sCaptain America (Vol. 7) #1, the Green Skull was an eco-terrorist who believed that the only way to save the Earth was to eradicate humanity. He was only featured as a minor antagonist to Sam Wilson shortly after he became Captain America in Marvel Comics, so he could be a one-and-done foe for Anthony Mackie’s hero in the MCU.
I Rewatched Avengers: Infinity War & There’s 1 Missing Story I Want Marvel To Show Us
After rewatching Avengers: Infinity War, I’ve realized that there is one missing MCU story that I desperately want to see brought into live-action.
The Green Skull’s “Omega Fertilizer” weapon would create some pretty cinematic deaths in the MCU, as it causes roots and branches to grow out of its target, so he could be a fun and fantastical villain to pit against Sam Wilson’s Captain America.The Green Skull’s debut could also establish a sense of continuity between Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson’s careers as Captain America, as both will have taken on a villain with a colorful cranium. It’s unlikely the Green Skull would be the main antagonist of a futureCaptain Americamovie, but he’d be a fun addition nonetheless.
7Anti-Cap
The Office Of Naval Intelligence Creates Its Own Captain America In Marvel Comics
As part of the United States' Navy’s attempts to create its own version of Steve Rogers' Captain America in the 2000s,an unnamed man who was rejected from enlisting underwent an experimental procedure using the AVX patch, a super-drug based on Luke Cage’s powers. This patch, along with a spinal implant that released a regular dose of the drug, was activated when the subject was shot, birthing a volatile new super-soldier that the Navy quickly deployed. When he got too much for the Navy to handle,Steve Rogers and Sam Wilsonwere sent to apprehend him.
Anti-Cap’s real identity has never been revealed.
Anti-Cap would be a great dark mirror to the Captain America mantle for Sam Wilson to take on in the MCU’s future. The idea of secretsuper-soldiers has already been establishedwith the introductions of Alexei Shostakov’s Red Guardian, Isaiah Bradley and HYDRA’s other Winter Soldiers, so it would make sense for there to be even more hiding in the shadows.Sam Wilson ends up briefly teaming up with Anti-Cap in Marvel Comics before battling him again, culminating in the latter’s demise, and this would be an interesting story to explore in the MCU’s future.
6Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch Manipulates Sam Wilson In Marvel Comics
While working to bring down Anti-Cap in Marvel Comics,Sam Wilson began to exhibit strange behaviors, those of his “Snap Wilson” persona, a dark side to him that had been created by the Red Skull’s manipulations decades prior. This was revealed to be because ofWanda Maximoff, a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch, whose insanity had driven her to recreate many of the Avengers' greatest trials and tribulations. While he is eventually restored, his actions as Snap Wilson put a huge strain on his partnership with Steve Rogers, and the pair end up parting ways.
Marvel Just Admitted To The Biggest Loophole To Bring Scarlet Witch Back To The MCU
There’s a huge loophole in the Scarlet Witch’s death that Agatha All Along has just hinted could be the perfect way to bring her back to the MCU.
This would be an incredible story to explore in the live-action MCU, though it would take a great deal of set-up to pull off effectively.Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch became a bona fide villain inWandaVisionandDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and she has been heavily speculated to return. This could lead to aHouse of Madaptation, which was preceded by Wanda manipulating the Avengers, including Sam Wilson. Having Sam Wilson display his darker tendencies at the hands of the Scarlet Witch would give Anthony Mackie the chance to show new sides to his MCU character.
5X-Men
Sam Wilson’s Captain America Could Be Key To The MCU’s Avengers Vs. X-Men
Okay, the X-Men aren’t technically villains, but the team of mutants has been featured as antagonists opposite the Avengers in Marvel Comics on a number of occasions, most notably in 2012’sAvengers vs. X-Menstoryline. Since Anthony Mackie’sSam Wilson will likely become the Avengers' new leader, and Marvel Studios is getting prepared to finally debut a new version of the X-Men team in the MCU,Avengers vs. X-Mencould be on the horizon.A version of this memorable event might have already been set up inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The MarvelsandDeadpool & Wolverine.
Avengers vs. X-Menran for 12 issues between April and October 2012, and also included many tie-in comics and smaller storylines.
It’s highly unlikely that the Avengers and the X-Men will butt heads immediately, but Marvel’s next Phase could end with anAvengers vs. X-Menadaptation. This storyline sawCable travel back in time with a warning that the Avengers would be responsible for Hope Summers' death and a desolate future, and he sets to work finding and kidnapping the Avengers, starting with Sam Wilson, which leads to an all-out war between the two superhero teams. This would be fantastic to see unfold in the MCU, with Anthony Mackie’s Captain America at the center.
4Johann Fennhoff’s Doctor Faustus
Doctor Faustus Is A Long-Running Captain America Villain In Marvel Comics
Introduced back in 1968’sCaptain America #107, Johann Fennhoff’s Doctor Faustus is one of Captain America’s oldest villains, so it would be great to see Sam Wilson’s Captain America take him on in the MCU.Fennhoff is a master of psychological warfare, so he would fit perfectly into the MCU’s grounded and gritty Captain America stories. During 2006’sCivil Warstoryline, Doctor Faustus manipulated Sharon Carter into assassinating Steve Rogers, proving his influence, though it was soon revealed he’d actually taken Captain America into his custody.
Ralph Brown portrayed Johann Fennhoff in Marvel Television’sAgent Carterseries, though it’s unclear if this series is canon to the MCU.
Doctor Faustus is incredibly charismatic, charming and manipulative, so would make an excellent villain for the unpowered Sam Wilson in the MCU. He could even be introduced to explain away the controversialvillainous turn of Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter, who was revealed to be the Power Broker of Madripoor inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Interestingly,Doctor Faustus has also sometimes worked against some of Marvel’s more powerful villains, so he could be a great new long-running antihero in the MCU.
3Sin
The Red Skull’s Daughter Could Continue Her Father’s Legacy In The MCU
While the Green Skull would be an entertaining way for Sam Wilson to battle someone continuing theRed Skull’s legacy in the MCU, there might be no better villain to fill this role than the Red Skull’s actual daughter, Sinthea Schmidt, a.k.a. Sin.Aged up by her father and given superhuman abilities, Sin becomes Mother Superior and the leader of the Sisters of Sin, a group that would make incredible antagonists to Sam Wilson’s Captain America in live-action. She later became the leader of a new Serpent Squad, which could be teased inCaptain America: Brave New World.
10 Captain America Villains Still Missing From The MCU
Captain America has faced several iconic villains in the MCU, but there are many in Marvel Comics that have yet to debut in the live-action franchise.
Giancarlo Esposito is set to make his MCU debut asSeth Voelker, a.k.a. Sidewinder, the"King of the Serpent Society,“inCaptain America: Brave New World. This villainous group precedes the Serpent Squad in Marvel Comics, but could easily lead to Sin’s first live-action appearance, with her perhaps emerging to pick up where her father left off decades prior.Sam Wilson’s Captain America facing Sin would create a clear connection to Steve Rogers' first adventure as Captain America, stressing that Sam Wilson is now continuing his predecessor’s legacy.
2Karl Malus & The Sons Of The Serpent
The Sons Of The Serpent Would Be Hugely Important To Sam Wilson & Joaquín Torres’ MCU Stories
It’s the evolution of Danny Ramirez’s Joaquín Torres that makes Karl Malus' MCU reintroduction so important. Karl Malus was previously played by Callum Keith Rennie in Marvel Television’sJessica Jonesseries on Netflix, and could easily return now that theDefenders Saga has been confirmed to be canon to the MCU, despite his death inJessica Jonesseason 2, episode 11, “AKA Three Lives and Counting.“Karl Malus is central to Joaquín Torres' transformation into the Falcon in Marvel Comics, as he splices Torres' DNA with that of Sam Wilson’s falcon, Redwing, giving Torres biological enhancements.
Joaquín Torres became the MCU’s new Falcon after being gifted Sam Wilson’s old wing-suit.
Joaquín Torres' introduction inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierestablished a very different backstory for him in the MCU, as he is a United States Air Force intelligence officer instead of an abducted teenager. However,Byrdie’s appearance inWhat If…?season 3may have tested the waters for Torres' to get his bird-like upgrades, which could occur at the hands of Karl Malus.Karl Malus carried out these experiments at the behest of the Sons of the Serpent, another Serpent Society offshoot, soCaptain America: Brave New Worldhas the perfect opportunity to explore this wild story.
1HYDRA’s Captain America
An Alternate Steve Rogers Could Be A Major MCU Villain
Even though he has recently denied his involvement in the Phase 6 movie, reports suggestingChris Evans would be returning to the MCUin 2026’sAvengers: Doomsdayspurred theories that he could be playing an evil variant of Steve Rogers.Theories ran rife positing that the HYDRA-indoctrinated Steve Rogers from 2016’sCaptain America: Steve Rogers #1would join Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doomas part of an evil multiversal Avengers team, and this could still come to fruition. This version of Rogers was raised with HYDRA’s ideals, so would be the perfect villain for Sam Wilson’s Captain America.
The introduction ofHYDRA’s Captain America in Marvel Comicsled to theSecret Empireevent in 2017, which saw HYDRA assume control of the United States. He was eventually defeated by a restored Steve Rogers, but Sam Wilson could get this honor in the MCU.It remains to be seen whether Chris Evans will actually return inAvengers: Doomsday, and if he’ll actually be playing an evil Steve Rogers, but, afterCaptain America: Brave New Worldestablishes him as a key MCU hero, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson could face a dark variant of his lost friend and mentor.
