Anthony Mackie discusses taking on the mantle of Captain America
By Erik Swann
Anthony Mackie speaks on taking over for Chris Evans as Captain America and what fans can expect from his iteration of the character.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has found a new Captain America in Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. The actor has been a fan favorite since making his debut as the Falcon but, now, he’s ready to spread his wings and don the iconic red, white and blue shield.
Mackie appeared at Celebrity Fan Fest where he opened up about taking over the Captain America role from his co-star, Chris Evans, who he had nothing but praise for:
"“I love Chris. Chris is an amazing Cap. And I feel like, what he’s been able to do with that character, very few people have been able to do in any cinematic universe or span of films. Because he’s played Cap for A LOT of movies.”"
And while he understands the vast amount of responsibility that comes with the role, he told fans not to expect more of the same:
"“To take that over, to be a part of that, the legacy of that, is a huge challenge. It’s something where a lot of people are going to expect me to be Chris Evans in the same suit, but a black dude. And that’s definitely not gonna happen.”"
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Sam Wilson being named Captain America by an elderly Steve Rogers came as a surprise for many general audience members, but it may not have been much of a shock to comic book fans. Following the Marvel NOW! rebrand in 2012, Rogers named Wilson his successor after he was aged into an old man. From there, Wilson went on to headline his own Captain America series. Overall, the Wilson iteration of the character has been relatively well received by fans.
Based on Wilson’s arc in the comics and in the MCU, it makes sense that he would be the new Star-Spangled Avenger. It also makes sense that Mackie doesn’t plan to emulate Evans’ performance. While Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers share key similarities, there are also stark differences between the two. On top of that, Mackie and Evans are also two very different actors.
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Wilson’s next MCU appearance will be in Disney Plus’ Falcon & Winter Solider limited series. It’s unclear if he will have embraced his role as Captain America by that point, especially given the title of the show. But one thing that’s certain is that Anthony Mackie is about to start an interesting, new chapter in his MCU journey.