Anthony Mackie Wanted To Play Another Marvel Character Before Falcon

Marvel

Jul 4

Anthony Mackie is the MCU’s new Captain America; however, before donning Falcon’s wings in Captain America: Winter Solider, Mackie’s sights were set on another character. He spoke with Inverse recently, saying, “I had been contacting Marvel a lot about Black Panther…I had written them letters. I was trying to find a way to make them make Black Panther. And I wanted to be Black Panther because growing up, I fucking loved Black Panther.”

Mackie met with directors Anthony and Joe Russo and Nate Moore, a producer for Marvel Studios, regarding 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Solider. Mackie recalled the conversation and signed onto the project without much information: “...Joe Russo said, ‘Listen, so, we’re doing this movie. We want you to be in it. We can’t say what character you’re playing or who else is going to be in it. Would you do it? And that was it.” And only after signing onto the project did Mackie learn to play Sam Wilson, aka The Falcon, in the film.

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The late Chadwick Boseman portrayed T’Challa, aka the Black Panther, for 2016’s Captain America: Civil War which Anthony and Joe Russo directed.

As to assuming the mantle of Captain America/Steve Rogers set by Chris Evans in the last three phases of Marvel films, Mackie said, “There’s a huge amount of pressure. You throw my dumb ass in the water, and you’re like, ‘Swim.” I’m like, ‘Shit.” But simultaneously, it’s all in the state of mind. I’ve been given a great cast. I’ve been given a great group of people who I’ve worked with before.”

And how will Mackie’s Captain America differ from Chris Evan’s in previous films? Mackie considers Sam Wilson’s humanity as a differentiating quality. Mackie says, “He doesn’t have a super serum, so his superpower is his humanity. I just see him as more a humane Cap as opposed to a distinctive judge Cap – [a] Cap of judgment, where this is right and this is wrong.”

Captain America: Brave New World comes to theatres on July 26, 2024.

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