A decade after Anthony Mackie first took flight as Falcon in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’, the actor will now be seen taking up on the mantle of ‘Captain America‘ for the first time on the big screen.
‘Captain America: Brave New World‘, which begins a new chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Mackie’s Sam Wilson leading the way with his wings and shield. At the global press conference, attended by ETimes, Anthony opened up about the evolution of the MCU since the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame‘. Recalling a conversation with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige during the filming of the 2019 blockbuster, he shared, “I remember one day, weirdly, we were on set, and Kevin came and we were talking. Kevin was like, ‘You know, it’s going to take us time to get over Endgame as the cast and the crew. It’s going to take audiences time to get over it.”
Reflecting on the monumental impact of ‘Endgame’, which saw Robert Downey Jr ‘s Iron Man die and Chris Evans’ Captain America hand over his shield, Mackie said, “It was such a crescendo of emotion and an unbelievable storm that we witnessed of just film excellence culminating that moment.”He also paid tribute to the Evans starrer ‘Captain America: The First Avenger‘, recognizing it as the foundation that led to that unforgettable finale. “And I feel like this movie, Brave New World, just like The First Avenger, is that foundation, that building block to build to that next crescendo, that next massive moment in the MCU,” Mackie said.
“I’m proud that we’re here at the beginning. I feel like Marvel gave me the best crew, the best script, the best cast, and the best opportunity possible for us to make the best movie we could. I’m really proud of it.”
When asked about the differences between Sam Wilson’s leadership and that of his predecessor, Steve Rogers, Mackie highlighted their similarities while emphasizing what makes his character distinct.
“I think Sam and Steve are similar in a lot of ways. That’s why Steve chose Sam to give the shield to—because of his distinct integrity and humanity,” Mackie explained.
However, he pointed out, “With Sam, there’s a certain level of compassion and understanding. Remember when we met him? He was a counsellor. He was a veteran. Just an open book of intentions and goodwill. That informs who he is as Captain America and as a human being.”
He added that one of the challenges of bringing Sam’s character to life was ensuring that his compassion and humanity remained central to his portrayal, even within the high-stakes action of the film.
“Julius [Onah, the director] and I have talked about that from the beginning—how do we get that understanding, that compassion, and that caring into an action movie of this magnitude? How do we display how beautiful of a human being Sam Wilson is, as opposed to just making him a brute force of nature?”
The film’s official plot reads, “After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.”
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ with an ensemble cast featuring Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson and Harrison Ford is slated to release in cinemas on February 14.
