Awesome: Marvel Comics Thor Is Now A Woman, Captain America Is Now Black

Captain America

Thor

So if you’re a misogynist or a racist you’re having a bad week.

Yes I’m a few days behind on part of this story but it’s been a busy summer.

So here’s the skinny: Thor will still be Thor, but a woman will be picking up Mjolnir. Thor will be at some point judged unworthy of wield it (which has apparently been in the works for a while, the team keep meeting future Thor’s who don’t have the hammer). Since only the worthy may wield the power (note: Captain America is worthy in the comics, if that doesn’t become the big hero shot in _Avengers 3_ I’ll eat my hat) another worthy soul will pick up the hammer and that soul will be a woman.

Also, Captain America is now aged to his true age after the Super Soldier Serum was removed from his system and as a result Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, will be assuming the role of Captain America.

Overall I think this is a good thing. If there is one thing comics lack it’s diversity. I think it’d be a better thing though if I had any confidence that this “new status quo” was going to last for any significant length of time. Every time there has been a major change in the past it’s been undone within a year or two (Captain America dying, Bucky as Cap, Human Torch dying, all the fallout from Civil War, all the fallout from Avengers vs. X-Men, etc) so I kind of expect this to happen again.

On the upside if Captain Falcmerica and New Thor prove popular they’ll get their own books regardless and that’s still a huge step forward. Marvel boasts that New Thor is their 8th female led title as if that’s a big number (and in comics, it is).

It also opens up possibilities for the future of the movies. When Chris Evans wants to stop being Captain America it’s been widely assumed that Sebastian Stan would take up the mantle as a reformed Winter Soldier (as in the comics) but now it might be Anthony Mackie’s Falcon (as in the comics), which would be awesome as Mackie is one of the better parts of _Captain America: The Winter Soldier_. No idea who would pick up Mjolnir in the movies when Chris Hemsworth wants out but now at least there are fewer limits.

Here’s the new Avengers team too:

Avengers

They are Scarlet Witch, The Winter Soldier, Medusa (of the Inhumans), Angela (a Spawn character Marvel bought and introduced as Thor’s long-lost sister), new Thor, Captain America, new Iron Man, Dr. Strange, Inferno (a new Inhuman), Ant-Man and Deatlok.

That’s quite the line up. Note that Iron Man has a new armor in this image too so there may be yet another announcement upcoming.