Winter Soldier star addresses rumors that next Captain America could be black or a woman

Captain America: Winter Soldier star Frank Grillo revealed who he thinks could replace Captain America. While not revealing much, he did address a long-standing rumor.

Marvel fans may or may not be preparing for the end of the world right now, with what could be Chris Evans’ very last run as Captain America upon us. Evans gave us all a scare a few weeks ago when he tweeted something of a final goodbye to his character after he wrapped Avengers 4 reshoots… but he later backtracked to clarify the tweet didn’t necessarily mean Cap was going to die.

Despite what Chris Evans may have to say about the matter, it still seems like a sure bet that Steve Rogers will give up being Captain America one way or another in Avengers 4. But that doesn’t mean it’ll be the end for Captain America, the superhero. Just like in the comics, someone else can step up to the plate and take on the Captain America moniker to honor Steve’s legacy.

And one person who seems to be in the know about this is Captain America: Winter Soldier star Frank Grillo. The actor is best known for playing Crossbones in the Captain America sequel, as well as Civil War. Appearing on Larry King Now late last week (as found by CBR.com), Grillo was straightforwardly asked by King, “Who’s going to be the next Captain America?”

Grillo started off by saying that he doesn’t know for sure, but he offered a bit of insight about what he knows, saying:

"There have been rumors that Captain America could be African American, or it could be a woman. You know, so, they’re looking."

Unfortunately, Larry King didn’t follow up on that answer, and instead jumped right on to the next topic. But Grillo’s answer still raises some questions about what he knows about the future of Captain America. On one hand, it’s possible that Grillo has a little insider information about what’s going on in Marvel. And that could mean Marvel might seriously be considering letting a person of color or a woman be the next Captain America.

The most likely fit for this (as rumors go) is Sam Wilson, who would trade being the Falcon to become the new Captain America — reminiscent of one of the newer comic book series, Captain America: Sam Wilson. While it’s also possible that Bucky could become Captain America instead, Sam seems to be a fan favorite choice.

Adding to the speculation, in one of the Sam Wilson issues, Misty Knight (known for Netflix’s Luke Cage) even wields Captain America’s shield at one point. Really, seeing Simone Missick come to the big screen as Misty Knight/Captain America would probably be one of the most exciting moves Marvel could make. It’d finally give Marvel the chance to form a two-way connection between the TV shows and movies (we all know MCU movies don’t like to associate themselves with their TV show counterparts). And, not to mention, it’d breathe a little more life into the canceled legacy of Luke Cage.

But, on the other hand, it could be that Grillo is just addressing rumors that have been circulated by fans, and his answers might not come with the Marvel-insider information we were hopeful for. Since he’s no longer involved in the franchise, it may be that he knows just as much information as the rest of us. (That is, unless he’s the mystery character to get his own spinoff on the Disney streaming service. Then, he might actually be in the know for real.)

Suffice to say, Marvel can always use more diversity in its movies. If Marvel were to make Captain America a woman or person of color going forward, they have the potential to inspire hundreds of little ones to know that they, too, can be a superhero like the ones on screen.