With less than a month until the release of Captain America: Brave New World, Anthony Mackie is opening up about his journey to becoming Marvel’s new Captain America.
In a recent interview with Fandango, Mackie shared how Chris Evans, the original Captain America, personally revealed the news that Mackie’s Falcon character would take up the shield.
Mackie, who made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Sam Wilson/Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), admitted he initially thought his character was being killed off in Avengers: Endgame.
“Being Black, I’m like, ‘I’mma die… Damn. They’re getting rid of me, man!’” Mackie joked about his reaction after Evans asked if he read the script.
Mackie was at Evans’s home in Atlanta, where they were filming. At one point, he followed Evans into a basement filled with Marvel memorabilia. Evans handed Mackie the Endgame script and directed him to the scene where an aged Steve Rogers passes the Captain America shield to Sam Wilson.
“So I get to the part and it’s like…’He hands him the shield,’” Mackie recalled. “I’m like, ‘So why’d you give me the shield?’ And he’s like, ‘Because you’re f—ing Captain America.’”
Mackie described the emotional moment he and Evans shared after the revelation. The two jumped around in excitement “like two 12-year-olds that just met Mickey Mouse.”
Watch Anthony Mackie reveal how he learned he was the new Captain America in our first Big Ticket interview of 2025! Get tickets now for #CaptainAmerica: #BraveNewWorld – in theaters February 14. https://t.co/85SaAJmJtT pic.twitter.com/IdQkG47R8S
— Fandango (@Fandango) January 17, 2025
Evans retired his role as Captain America after Endgame, when Steve Rogers decided to remain in an alternate timeline with Peggy Carter, living out his life on his own terms. The torch-passing scene between Rogers and Wilson became one of the film’s most iconic moments, setting the stage for Mackie’s Captain America journey.
Mackie officially donned the mantle in Marvel’s Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where Sam Wilson wrestled with the weight and responsibility of becoming Captain America. While the transition was comic-accurate, some fans were initially surprised, as they had speculated that Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) might inherit the role.
As fans gear up for Captain America: Brave New World, rumors swirl about Chris Evans’ potential return in Avengers: Doomsday. While details remain unconfirmed, many speculate that Evans could play Nomad or a variant of Captain America, further intertwining his legacy with Mackie’s ongoing story.
Captain America: Brave New World will hit theaters on February 13, 2025.
