Marvel Comics recently announced that it would be making its character Thor a woman, following years of being a hammer-wielding picture of masculinity. And it's now continuing its commitment to greater diversity in its universe, announcing that the mantle of Captain America will be taken on by a black character, Falcon.

Captain America was originally Steve Rodgers, a relatively feeble man who is given superpowers by an experimental growth serum, and fights the Nazis in World War II. The character is currently at the heart of Marvel's big-screen outings alongside Iron Man, Thor and the Incredible Hulk, with two movies and a spinoff TV show.

In Marvel's comics series, Rodgers faces a terrible foe in Iron Nail, who drains him of his superpowers, rendering him an old and frail man. He will therefore pass his stars-and-stripes shield to Sam Wilson, an ally who goes by the superhero name of the Falcon – he has a winged suit that allows him to fly, and also has a telepathic link with birds. The character appeared in this year's Captain America movie sequel, The Winter Soldier, played by Anthony Mackie.

Falcon was created in 1969, and was one of the first African-American superheroes. But even in 2014, high-profile black superheroes are still relatively rare. The Avengers' Nick Fury being a notable exception, while African-American actor Michael B Jordan will play Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four in a forthcoming movie reboot – which is traditionally a white character.

"This is the fireworks factory we're arriving at, and now everything's going to blow up and be very pretty and exciting to look at," said Rick Remender, the author of the forthcoming book series. "I've been having a lot of fun writing Sam. It's a completely different attitude. The fact that he's not a soldier shifts things up a bit. Sam's not going to be Steve. Steve can be very rigid. That can be kind of joyless at times, whereas Sam is absolutely not that.

"He's a modern day man in touch with the problems of the 21st century. For most of his professional life, Sam has worked as a social worker, so he's seen the worst of urban society up close, and how crime, poverty, lack of social structure and opportunity can affect the community. So he's got perhaps a greater focus on the plight of the common man, and perhaps a greater empathy for the underprivileged than maybe even Steve himself."

In the new series of stories, Falcon will be mentored by the former Captain America in taking on the terrorist organisation Hydra. The series will carry the name All-New Captain America, and will debut in the autumn.

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk