The Falcon and the Winter Solider: Anthony Mackie opens up about using the shield

Anthony Mackie talks about what it was like to use Captain America’s shield for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a new Captain America, and his name is Sam Wilson. Disney Plus’ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will mark the beginning of Sam’s career as the Sentinel of Liberty. And one aspect of that job is wielding the red, white and blue shield. Now, Mackie is sharing details about what it’s like to carry the iconic weapon.

Mackie, who was first shown throwing the shield in the recent teaser, told ComicBook.com that he was shocked to be the one actually flinging it. He believed a stunt double would be brought in to perform the act:

"“I was surprised that they used me because you have a double, a dude that looks like you who’s like a gymnast and he does all this stuff. That’s when they’re like, ‘All right, Anthony, you do it.’ And I’m like, ‘Dude, you just saw what this dude did! How you gonna ask me to do that?’ So, I was surprised when I saw the Super Bowl trailer that they actually used me throwing the shield.”"

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It was a signature moment from the trailer but, while the scene and the shield may look cool, actually having to carry it is another story, as Mackie had to admit that the prop isn’t as light as some may think:

"“That thing is heavy dude,” Mackie went on. “That thing is it’s like 12 pounds. So you’re standing there with 12 pounds on your arm all day after a while your shoulder just gives. So, we have some pretty cool shield throwing sequences.”"

The shield has been synonymous with the Star-Spangled Avenger since his comic book debut in 1941, which has also been the case in the MCU over the past decade. Now, Sam Wilson is poised to become only the second person in the franchise to use the weapon on a regular basis. There’s just one key difference between Wilson and Steve Rogers’ use of the shield.

Unlike Rogers, Wilson doesn’t possess a body that’s been enhanced by the super-soldier serum. In other words, Sam Wilson isn’t a metahuman, and this element alone adds an entirely new layer to Wilson’s combat style as Cap. Of course, he’ll likely also have his wings to give him a boost.

As for the kinds of action sequences that’ll be featured on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, we’ll just have to wait until the show arrives on Disney Plus in August.