Anthony Mackie Says There’s A Big Difference In His Captain America
Anthony Mackie says his version of Captain America will be more humane than the Chris Evans Cap.
Anthony Mackie has been expertly portraying the famed Captain America wingman, Sam Wilson’s Falcon, for nearly 10 years. Ever since Captain America passed down his shield to Wilson as his successor in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, fans have wondered what ramifications this change in leadership would hold for the flagship Marvel team of heroes.
After putting his leadership skills on full display in the Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Mackie recently sat down with Empire to outline the future of Sam Wilson’s Captain America, stating “I just see him as more of a humane Cap as opposed to a distinctive Cap. — [a] Cap of judgement, where this is right and this is wrong. There are decisions that make you choose right or wrong.”
After facing off with villains of galactic impact such as Thanos, Mackie has taken significant stock of his role within the next chapters of the MCU. Anthony Mackie referred to his own New Orleans origins influencing his portrayal of Captain America moving forward, citing fights that he encountered in childhood as strengthening his resolve.
During his interview, he joked that Wilson’s lack of genetic powers makes him approach the struggles and tribulations of being an Avenger from an empathetic and humble standpoint. That’s opposed to characters such as Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner, who utilize their superhuman strength to defeat their foes.
Anthony Mackie also teased some details about his upcoming appearances as Captain America in Avengers films such as 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and 2026’s Avengers: Secret Wars, suggesting he may be taking a minimized role compared to that of Chris Evans’ Captain America.
While The Falcon and The Winter Soldier series followed Wilson and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes contending with their respective roles in the new post-Endgame world, the show’s first season concluded with Sam Wilson seeming to step into a leadership role. According to Mackie’s comments, it seems likely that Wilson will actually represent an important cog in the Avengers machine rather than leading them into battle as his predecessor always had.
Beyond Anthony Mackie’s upcoming MCU work as Captain America, the Altered Carbon star has been keeping incredibly busy. Mackie has a staggering 13 projects in various active stages of production, including starring roles in If You Were The Last, Panopticon, and Christopher Landon’s We Have A Ghost. Mackie touts a highly impressive filmography of over 70 esteemed roles, dating back over two decades, not too bad for a formerly scrawny kid from New Orleans.
Regardless of where Anthony Mackie’s illustrious film career takes him beyond the shield and spandex of Captain America, his certified Avengers status will certainly be needed in order to topple the incoming threat of Jonathan Majors’ Kang The Conqueror. Having firsthand experience with intergalactic threats such as Thanos and Ultron, Sam Wilson’s seniority within the team will no doubt prove indispensable.
While the role of Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is still not clearly defined within the Avengers team, or for the future of the Captain America franchise, we’re nearing ever closer to the arrival of new information. With Mackie currently doing press for We Have A Ghost, we can anticipate more answers to our MCU questions any day now.
