I looked at several African-American magazines, and used them as the basis of inspiration for bringing The Falcon to life. I approached Stan, as I remember, with the idea of introducing an African-American hero and he took to it right away. I always found their features interesting and so much of their strength, spirit and wisdom written on their faces. I drew as many different types of people as I could into the scenes I illustrated, and I loved drawing black people. One of the biggest steps we took in this direction came in Captain America. in the late 1960s Vietnam War and civil rights protests were regular occurrences, and Stan, always wanting to be at the forefront of things, started bringing these headlines into the comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, he came about, Colan recalled in 2008, The character first appeared in Captain America #117 (Sept. Samuel Thomas Wilson, known as the Falcon, was the first African-American superhero in mainstream comic books. 1 Concept, creation, and characterizationĬoncept, creation, and characterization.He is set to reprise the role in the film Captain America: New World Order, currently in development. The character is noted for being the first black Captain America in the MCU, and Mackie's portrayal of Wilson has been met with positive reception. Wilson is a central figure in the MCU, having appeared in six films as of 2021 and takes a lead role in the miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021). He later joins the Avengers and, following Rogers' retirement, is personally appointed by him to become his successor, receiving Rogers' shield and the title of Captain America. Wilson is depicted as a veteran United States Air Force Pararescueman who flies using a jet pack with articulated wings, and a close friend and ally of Steve Rogers. Samuel Wilson, more commonly known as Sam Wilson, is a fictional character portrayed by Anthony Mackie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and known commonly by his original alias, the Falcon.