Anthony Mackie Discusses 10-Movie Deal with Marvel Studios and His New Role. During an interview with Men’sHealth, Anthony Mackie got to delve into his role as Sam Wilson/Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), his relationship with Marvel Studios, and how he found out he would be taking on the mantle of Captain America.
While discussing his role as Sam Wilson/Falcon with Men’sHealth, Mackie said, “Growing up, I’d always loved Falcon, because he was a comic-book hero who was black who didn’t have ‘Black’ in the title.” He continued, “He stood on his morals. He stood on who he was.”
“We wanted to make sure Sam felt like an equal to Steve Rogers both in disposition and in charm,” says Marvel Producer, Nate Moore. “We knew we’d be sunk if we cast a younger actor, or an actor without weight. But when we sat down with Anthony, the Russo brothers and I realized that here was an incredibly talented, credible actor who would be believable as a former serviceman who would be capable of pulling Steve out of his shell in the modern day.”
“He has charisma, but he also has the ability to convey integrity in a way that very few actors can,” said Marvel Director, Joe Russo. “And there’s a level of trust between him and the audience.”
Anthony wasn’t even told he was cast as Sam Wilson until 2 months prior to the filming of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and since moving forward, it has been a whirlwind adventure. Mackie initially signed a 10-movie deal with Marvel Studios, became best friends with Chris Evans, and was genuinely surprised by the news he would be the next Captain America for the MCU.
“We don’t want anything to leak, so we keep everything a secret from the actors, especially Mackie,” Director Anthony Russo says with a laugh. He added, “His performance comes across as genuine, because it’s the way he actually felt: both vulnerable and steadfast.”
Mackie was unaware of his new role until a fateful day during the filming of Endgame. Anthony Mackie and a few other friends from Hollywood were watching football at Chris Evans’s house. Before that moment, Mackie hadn’t seen the entire Endgame script yet. At this realization, “Chris gets the look of a six-year-old kid on his face, runs away, and comes back with the script,” Mackie recalled. “I’m reading it, and it dawns on me what’s happening.”
Anthony claims it didn’t feel real until he was approached on set. “They were like, ‘Are you ready for tomorrow? You’re getting your shield,’” he remembers. “I’m like, ‘Get the f*** out of here.’ ” Mackie had never even touched the shield prior to this moment; now it was being handed over to him by someone he considers to be a best friend. As he recalled the moment he referred to it feeling, “like winning the Oscar. I was nervous. I was excited. I was stumbling over words.”
When asked how it feels to hold the ‘vibranium’ shield, “It’s unbalanced,” Mackie says. “And it’s heavy.”
“I love Chris. Chris is an amazing Cap,” Mackie said during a convention appearance. “And I feel like, what he’s been able to do with that character, very few people have been able to do in any cinematic universe or span of films. Because he’s played Cap for A LOT of movies. To take that over, to be a part of that, the legacy of that, is a huge challenge. It’s something where a lot of people are going to expect me to be Chris Evans in the same suit, but a black dude. And that’s definitely not gonna happen.”
Though Marvel Studios has announced a Falcon and Winter Soldier series is coming to Disney+, Mackie has only participated in the filming of 5 out of 10 Marvel films he initially signed on for. Not even Mackie knows the true fate of his character or if he will complete that initial deal or if a new one will be struck with Marvel Studios. “I just wait for the phone call,” he says.
We are excited to see Anthony take up the mantle as “Cap” and for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Company for all things Marvel!
Photo Credit: Marvel Studios/Marvel
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