“I’m like, ‘Really?'”: Anthony Mackie Didn’t Know Sam Wilson Existed Before He Was Offered Falcon Role Instead of Black Panther
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, actor Anthony Mackie is best known for playing Sam Wilson/Falcon. He is currently preparing to play Captain America in the upcoming film Captain America: Brave World Order. After the original Captain America, Steve Rogers handed the shield to Mackie’s character, he assumed the role of Captain America.
The actor acknowledges that taking on the role of Captain America in the upcoming film entails a great deal of responsibility, particularly in light of how masterfully Chris Evans portrayed Steve Rogers on-screen and was able to leave a long-lasting impression on audiences all over the world. However, Mackie also stated that he was open to appearing as a different character in the MCU.
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Anthony Mackie wanted to be Black Panther
During a recent cover story interview with Inverse, Anthony Mackie, who plays Sam Wilson in the MCU, shared that he contacted Marvel Studios wanting to play Black Panther, who was later portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman.
He 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.”
Mackie revealed further that the Russo brothers told him that he is going to be in a movie without disclosing his character or who else was going to be in it and then asked him if he was going to be a part of it. He replied saying, “I was like, ‘You know what, I like y’all dudes. I’ll do it. I’ll go on this ride with you.’”
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Anthony Mackie didn’t know Sam Wilson’s existence
The actor had wanted to play Prince T’Challa in the MCU but when he was told that he was not selected for that role, Mackie was unaware that he would end up being a sidekick to Captain America, played by Chris Evans.
He said in the interview, “What other major comic book figure has enough of a presence to have his own movie? So when they hit me up and they were like, ‘Yo, so it’s Sam Wilson,’ I’m like, ‘Really?’” Talking about the upcoming movie, the actor said that he had no idea why they changed the title from New to Brave adding that it is a huge pressure for him to play Cap following a Chris Evans/Steve Rogers trilogy.
Mackie agreed that what he lacks from the original Cap are the superpowers and he will have to rely on brains more than brawn. He noted, “It’s more so about his ability to connect and counsel. He’s not as rash to bear arms as Steve Rogers was. Having a super serum makes you impossible to beat, so your answer to everything is to fight it out. Whereas Sam Wilson can actually die pretty easily.”
Chris Evans appreciates Anthony Mackie and calls him a ‘true Renaissance man’
During a conversation with Inverse, Evans shared that Mackie’s energy and his versatility both as an actor and as a person make him special adding that he has never seen the actor tired noting that there is nothing that Mackie cannot do.
Mackie also shared sharing screen space with Harrison Ford, stating that the first day was intimidating and he was nervous and couldn’t remember his lines. He added, “There is this aura about him. But he dispels that quickly because he’s such a cool guy. He’s everything a movie star should be. He would say, ‘Let’s shoot this piece of sh*t.’ And everybody was like, ‘Yeah, let’s shoot this sh*t.’”
Lastly, Mackie said that if he gets another Marvel movie, then he is hopeful that he could somehow reunite with his old pals and co-stars Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan with the addition of Chris Hemsworth to create havoc. The actor admitted that he is still trying to figure out the Marvel-verse. Fans hope that he does figure it out because maybe when he does, he could pitch a story for all four of them to the Studios.
Captain America: Brave New World opens in theaters across North America on July 26, 2024.
Source: Inverse
