Anthony Mackie has officially been cast in a lead role in Captain America 4, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The 42-year-old actor made his debut in a Marvel Cinematic Universe picture in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier in which he played Sam Wilson aka Falcon. He later reprised the role in five other MCU movies.

His character Wilson officially assumes the mantle of Captain America in the Disney+ limited series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - after Chris Evans' Steve Rogers passes on the shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame.

Last summer, Mackie spoke to Variety about the honor of taking on the role of Captain America in the series.

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He said: "The idea of being Captain America was something that I never fathom, or because it was so so so far fetched. I wanted to be in comic book movies so I could be the guy in Spider-Man that goes, 'It's Spider-Man!'

"That was as far as my ambition could take me in that universe."

It is not yet known whether the upcoming film will involve Sebastian Stan, who starred with Mackie in the Disney+ series as Bucky Barnes.

However, Variety highlighted some possible returns to Marvel in the forthcoming film including Wyatt Russell, who played John Walker, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who portrayed Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the series.

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The yet-to-be-tiled film will be written by Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson who worked together on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. A director and release date for the project has not yet been announced.

Variety speculates that Captain America 4 will not logistically have its premiere until 2023 at the earliest.

Marvel's releases for this year include Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, and, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Next year's releases include Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and the Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels.

Per Deadline, reports confirming Captain America 4 first arose in April, and the reports were accompanied by rumors that the picture would continue the story of Sam Wilson.

Featured image credit: AGENZIA SINTESI / Alamy

Anthony Mackie closes deal to front Captain America 4