Avengers star Anthony Mackie once auditioned for The Mandarin

Before he soared into the Captain America films and became part of the Avengers movies, Anthony Mackie auditioned for a villainous role in Iron Man 3.

Anthony Mackie arrived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2014, when his Falcon character first hit the big screen. It quickly led to a big role with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and in the Avengers films, including Infinity War.

Endgame was Mackie’s biggest moment, but long before that possibility opened, the veteran actor auditioned for another role in the MCU, except on the villainous side.

Per Men’s Health, Mackie auditioned for The Mandarin, which Ben Kingsley eventually won, in 2013’s Iron Man 3.

However, a “lunch with the company’s creative brokers,” which included director Joe Russo, led to discussions about a role in The Winter Soldier. Mackie, of course, won a role, but he did not learn who his character was until two months before filming, the piece added.

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"“Growing up, I’d always loved Falcon, because he was a comic-book hero who was black who didn’t have ‘Black’ in the title,” Mackie said. “He stood on his morals. He stood on who he was.”"

Mackie’s character took the next step in Endgame, however, that rose beyond a side character and into the main role of Captain America, with Chris Evans stepping aside after eight years of movies.

For now, Mackie’s debut as this character may not happen until the Disney Plus streaming service arrives, as he is part of the Falcon and Winter Soldier series that starts filming in October, so the wait will be long for his first turn.

Mackie is poised to take a main role in the MCU’s next phase, but it all began with not receiving the forgotten Mandarin role. Everything worked out okay, it seems.