Captain America’s shield is not just an important object within the MCU story, but it’s an icon all on its own. The pursuit of the shield is the main premise behind the new Disney Plus series, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier.
However, the shield’s legacy goes beyond this story or even the MCU. Captain America from the comics has been an inspiring figure. The symbol of America gets represented even more tangibly through his shield.
Naturally, the character and the object mean a lot to many throughout the world. One of those people is The Falcon And The Winter Soldier actor Desmond Chiam, who shared his own inspiring Captain America story.
An Inspiring Captain America story.
Sharing a long thread on Twitter, Chiam posted a behind-the-scenes picture with him holding Captain America’s shield. The accompanying post reveals how much that moment meant to Chiam.
The actor was recently seen in the newest episode of the show. Chiam discusses what the American symbol of patriotism, meant to him as a young Chinese boy growing up in Australia.
Throughout the Twitter thread, the young actor refers to the current landscape of Asian representation in the entertainment industry. From Steven Yeun’s Oscar nomination for Minari to Simu Liu as the MCU’s next leading superhero.
It’s an emotional post where Chiam’s personal experiences directly tie into the cries for representation in the industry for decades. While small strides are being made, stories like Chaim’s experience are directly the result of those strides, however little they may be in the larger scheme of things.
For him, holding the American symbol of the American Way, juxtaposed with the progress in Asian-American representation, was a key moment in his career.
What Captain America’s shield means to the world.
Chaim’s story is also an example of what and icons and symbols can mean to many, not just those it’s originally meant for. Famously, Captain America is a representation of America and its nationalism.
While the MCU movies on the character portray him as one whose ideas transcend any nation or politics, that was the intention behind the character’s creation. Similarly, the real-world impact of the character does something similar.
For non-Americans, Captain America symbolizes the American way, what the American dream means to those aspiring to live by those ideals and those opportunities.
Especially when those ideals are also more obviously represented by a man at the peak of physical fitness. It’s an amalgamation of tangible and intangible morals that can be aspired to.
Chiam’s story is but one of many that showcase how an inspiring character, despite their origins, can become a symbol to others. In a variety of different ways.
The Falcon And The Winter Solider is currently streaming on Disney Plus.