Well before he even stepped foot on the set of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” officially becoming Falcon for legions of Marvel fans, Anthony Mackie was a great actor with a ton of quality roles but had somehow stayed under the radar. But now, if the end of “Avengers: Endgame” is any indication, Mackie is the new Captain America. And in a recent interview with Men’s Health, it appears that the actor isn’t sure exactly what that means for the future.
Mackie’s biggest pre-MCU role was in Kathryn Bigelow’s Academy Award-winning film, “The Hurt Locker.” And according to the actor, that’s the calling card he used when approaching Marvel Studios in a blind email.
He said, “My line was ‘Yo, I’m the black dude from ‘The Hurt Locker.’ I would love to work with you guys.’”
The folks at Marvel Studios read his email and tried to find him a role in one of their projects, including as the Mandarin in “Iron Man 3.” However, it wasn’t until he met with the Russos that he was offered the role of Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, in ‘Winter Soldier.’ From there, Mackie became a regular in MCU films, including appearances in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Ant-Man,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and most recently, “Avengers: Endgame.”
And it’s that last film that holds the most significance for Mackie’s future, as he was given the shield from Chris Evan’s Captain America character, making the actor the new face of the MCU. According to Mackie, when it came to that day on set, he wasn’t prepared at all.
“They were like, ‘Are you ready for tomorrow? You’re getting your shield,’” Mackie said. “I’m like, ‘Get the fuck out of here.’”
Having never even touched the iconic shield, the actor said the experience “was like winning the Oscar. I was nervous. I was excited. I was stumbling over words.”
As for the upcoming series that was announced prior to the big ‘Endgame’ revelation, “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” Mackie isn’t sure what’s going on. He’s starring in it, that much is known. However, he’s not aware of who he’s playing.
READ MORE: Marvel Reveals Details Of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Extras Released In Theaters This Weekend
“I’m guessing I’m Fal-Cap, or . . . I don’t know,” said Mackie. “I haven’t even seen a script.” (For those not good at deduction, or just not a huge nerd like me, “Fal-Cap” is the term that Marvel Comics readers developed when Falcon took over the Captain America title in the books a couple of years ago.)
He’s clearly playing coy, and we wouldn’t expect anything less from the Marvel veteran. Hopefully, we learn what the future holds for Mackie and the new Captain America when Marvel Studios announces their upcoming film slate and more details are released about the spin-off Disney+ TV series.