Captain America: Brave New World shows how Sam Wilson’s Captain America will differ from Steve Rogers, but one of the differences is beyond either of their control. The fourth film in the Captain America series marks the official start of Anthony Mackie’s Captain America era. Chris Evans famously played the MCU role for almost a decade with Mackie by his side for a number of those years. When Steve decided it was time to retire by the end of Avengers: Endgame, he passed the shield onto Sam knowing that it would be in capable hands.

Ever since Steve’s passing of the torch, the major Captain America discussion amongst Marvel fans has been how Sam’s iteration of the hero will differ from Steve’s. The two characters clearly share similar principles, seeing as how well they worked together, but they also have different approaches to leading, which is what will make Sam’s development as Captain America an interesting watch. Both characters have a different physical skill set, but one of their physical differences on-screen is actually not a difference in the comics.

Anthony Mackie Is 5’10” And Chris Evans Is 6’0″

Despite being decently tall by normal standards, both Mackie and Evans are around average in height when put up against other MCU actors. According to their respective IMDb pages, Mackie is 5’10” and Evans is 6’0”. Steve and Sam first became allies in Captain America: The Winter Soldier when they joined forces with Natasha Romanoff to uncover the secrets behind S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Winter Soldier. The two-inch height difference between the two stars was barely a visual detractor while on-screen, though it is a noticeable difference nonetheless.

Mackie and Evans have shared the screen plenty of times since then and, while Mackie is shorter, they both still feel bigger than the average citizen in the universe. Their height difference actually plays well with their characters. Steve grew taller when he took the super soldier serum, but Sam has a normal human physiology. It’d make sense for Steve to be taller from the effects of the serum, offering a visual reminder of the two iterations of Captain America.

Sam Wilson And Steve Rogers Are Both 6’2″ In Marvel Comics

While Sam and Steve have a height difference in live-action, they are actually the same height in Marvel Comics. According to the official Marvel website, Sam and Steve are both 6’2”. It is considerably taller than both of their live-action counterparts. However, it makes sense as a lot of things in comics are exaggerated, especially in the superhero genre. There is more room to play with exaggerated physicality when dealing with illustrations.

If anything, their matching comic heights make Sam seem even stronger. Whether in the comics or live-action, Steve gained a lot of his height thanks to the super soldier serum. Comic Sam isn’t physically enhanced, just like his live-action counterpart, but he still managed to reach a height of 6’2” which is considerably tall, even for a man. Despite the slight height difference between him and his former Marvel co-star, Mackie proves in Captain America: Brave New World that height is no issue and that he is perfectly capable of filling the big shoes of Captain America.