Anthony Mackie Never Wanted to be Captain America: “I wanted to be Black Panther”
Anthony Mackie is a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. The actor entered the industry by playing Don Cheadle’s understudy in an off-Broadway production in 2002. He appeared as the major adversary in the film 8 Mile the same year. Mackie’s performance in Notorious brought him critical acclaim in the industry. He has worked on noteworthy films including, Freedomland, The Hurt Locker, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Brother to Brother, Million Dollar Baby, and Hollywood Homicide.
The Hurt Locker star got his breakthrough by entering the acclaimed Marvel franchise. He was cast to play the Falcon in the franchise. The 44-year-old star always wanted to be part of the MCU but wanted to play a different role, not Sam Wilson. Anthony Mackie had a dream superhero role, but Marvel crushed his dreams by offering him to be the successor of Captain America.
Also Read: Anthony Mackie Net Worth- How Much Money Does MCU’s New Captain America Have?
Anthony Mackie wanted to play Black Panther in MCU
Anthony Mackie has made a name in the entertainment industry even before being part of MCU. The actor entered the franchise in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He played the role of Sam Wilson (Falcon) in the film. The actor went on to portray the character in many other films. He is all set to take on the mantle of Captain America in the upcoming film Captain America: Brave New World.
Mackie always wanted to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, the 44-year-old never wished to play the Falcon. He had a dream role in the franchise. During an interview with Inverse, the Outside the Wire actor revealed he wanted to play Black Panther in MCU.
After getting fame in the industry he wrote to Marvel about his dream Black Panther. The actor said,
“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 f*cking loved Black Panther.”
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star’s wishes came true as Marvel set up a meeting with him. He met with Marvel producer Nate Moore and directors Joe and Anthony Russo. The directors offered him a role in the franchise, but typical Marvel, refused to disclose it.
Anthony Mackie recalled,
“I’ll never forget, 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?’ ” Mackie told. “And that was it. I was like, ‘You know what, I like y’all dudes. I’ll do it. I’ll go on this ride with you.’”
It was until a few weeks later that Mackie learned he wasn’t playing Prince T’Challa. The actor recalled his shock,
“What other major comic book figure has enough of a presence to have his own movie?” Mackie said. “So when they hit me up and they were like, ‘Yo, so it’s Sam Wilson,’ I’m like, ‘Really?’”
Whatever the outcome, Anthony Mackie became part of the MCU and is stepping in the shoe of Captain America with his new film Captain America: Brave New World.
Anthony Mackie to play Captain America in the upcoming film
Anthony Mackie made his debut in the MCU as Captain America’s sidekick Sam Wilson/ Falcon. He has appeared in a total of six MCU films since then. Along with Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, he serves as the main character in the Disney+ spinoff series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
The 44-year-old actor will shine as the new captain in the upcoming Captain America film. The actor claims that the plot mostly continues where the spin-off series left off. Sam Wilson, as The Falcon, is still unsure of his position in the superhero community and is assuming Steve Rogers’ moniker.
The filming for Captain America: Brave New World has wrapped. After William Hurt, who had been portraying Thunderbolt Ross, passed away last year, Hollywood legend Harrison Ford stepped into the role in the upcoming film.
Captain America: Brave New World is slated to release on July 26, 2024.
Source: Inverse
