Sam Wilson’s heroic journey over the past seven years since Captain America: The Winter Soldier has been extraordinary. Anthony Mackie’s character goes from the guy jogging next to Captain America, to the next hero to wield the shield. He’s also Steve Rogers’ first real non-superhero friend in modern day. (Although the “non-super” part didn’t last). But as The Falcon and The Winter Soldier showed us all, it was not an easy decision for Sam to finally take on the Cap mantle.

Thanks to Geeks Are Sexy, we’ve come across a fan tribute video that powerfully illustrates why Sam Wilson is the hero he is. Created by YouTuber Quang Truong, Sam Wilson – Captain America will have you standing up and saluting the former Falcon. You can watch the full video right here:

The nearly six minute video highlights Sam’s journey throughout the MCU. The majority comes from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. But of course  Avengers: Endgame has several moments, since that is when Steve hands Sam the shield. Truong left almost no Sam Wilson stone go uncovered. Well, Sam’s fight with Paul Rudd in Ant-Man isn’t included. But it didn’t fit the serious tone. We still love it though.

Sam Wilson at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, finally taking on the mantle of Captain America.

Marvel Studios

Another big part of this video is the journey of Isaiah Bradley, the ’50s super-soldier portrayed by Carl Lumbly. His tragedy informs a lot of the emotional backbone for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. And his story weighs heavy on Sam throughout the course of the episodes. We would love to see Bradley’s story told as a series itself, set in the past. But as The Falcon and The Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman recently said on Fatman Beyond, that’s a harder sell for Marvel Studios. Simply because it’s a complete tragedy of a story. There’s no “on your left” moment to finish that one, just tears.

For more cool videos from Quang Truong, be sure to head over to his YouTube channel.