Long before Marvel made Stephen Colbert the Falcon, the comic book publisher gifted the comedian with a Captain America shield, which can be seen nightly on the set of “The Colbert Report.”
Colbert, who is set to take over CBS’ “Late Show” once David Letterman retires next year, explained the origin of the shield during an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” on Tuesday.
Also read: Stephen Colbert Says Ferguson Mess Had Nothing to Do With Racism
“About six years ago in Marvel Captain American got assassinated, and I got a letter and the shield,” Colbert told host Seth Meyers during the interview (above). “I got a letter [from Joe Quesada, the head of Marvel comics] that said, ‘We read Caps will, and in his will he said there was only one person patriotic enough to wield the solid vibranium shield, and it was you Stephen Colbert.’”
Also read: Marvel Reveals New, Black Captain America on ‘The Colbert Report’
“What I liked about it is I’m a real person playing a fake version of myself on a real television show, who received an actual shield from a fake character who died,” Colbert added.