Without a doubt, one of the greatest moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe last year was when Sam Wilson finally took up the shield and became Captain America. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier The Disney+ series followed his journey of self-discovery as he discovered what it meant to hold the mantle that Steve Rogers left behind. The big pick came in the show’s finale, and that’s where his new coat and cap outfit made their debut.

His design, a vibranium upgrade straight from Wakanda, looked like it was lifted from the comics. Instead of being mostly red with white detailing, Wilson now flew in red, white and starry blue – even Red Wing got a new paint job.

Needless to say, the accuracy of Captain America’s costume was appreciated by fans. Now, thanks to a new art book, the world can see some of what might have appeared on screen in a different timeline.

Other designs by Sam Wilson

In Marvel’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier: The Art of the Seriesconcept art has revealed alternate designs for Sam Wilson’s Captain America, as seen in his Disney+ series.

The book featured several drastically different looks for Sam’s new outfit, like these very unique wing shapes seen below.

There was clearly a lot of talk about what color the wings should be to complement the costume. Those red wings are definitely reminiscent of Sam’s Falcon look, while the white ones would definitely make a statement.

Artist Josh Nizzi noted how, in the end, “[he] was very happy with the way [the] the wings are revealed”, and that “it’s all about speed” when it comes to packing them credibly into a backpack.

“I was very happy with how these wings turned out, and it’s always interesting with the magic of folding these things into backpacks, I think it’s just a matter of speed. I’ll find something thing that makes sense if you had these materials it could do anything. But for credibility, if you can do it fast enough, it’s like, ‘Okay, sure.’ Sometimes you can lose too much freshness when it seems too much like magic.

The wings also had other uses, one of them being a parachute if the need arose.

In the concept stage, they could even completely untie and envelop enemies to prepare for arrest.

Of course, Red Wing also got various redesigns, as it sported a new red, white, and blue color scheme.

At one point, Sam’s new wings might even hold and throw his shield for him.

Has Marvel nailed the Captain America costume?

Based on Sam Wilson’s alternate costumes depicted in the art book, as seen above, it looks like Marvel Studios never really strayed away from the comically accurate look. What seems to have been most in contention was simply the color and details of her accessories, such as the wings.

Some of these alternate fenders would have been great, but using a nice balance of the three base American colors certainly made the most sense in the end. That said, having those all-red fenders would have been a good way to keep his previously very red Falcon design.

One of the interesting things about Sam’s costume compared to Steve Rogers’ is how bright and vibrant his is. The character of Chris Evans has never been so brilliant as with his avengers held, generally continuing to have darker color schemes with each passing film.

Could it be the same for Sam? Fans will have to wait to see how much of his first costume remains when he shows up in Captain America 4.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney+, and Captain America 4 does not yet have an estimated release window.