The superhero epic to end them all, AVENGERS: ENDGAME, was just about bringing things to an end as much as it was about the beginning of something new. That couldn’t be symbolized better than in the ending between characters Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) and Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie), with the former showing back up an old, peaceful man after being sent back in time to return the Infinity Stones. During the talk between the two friends, Rogers opens up a case, and hands Wilson the iconic shield, passing on the mantle of Captain America.
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That’s a huge deal not only for the character but also the actor playing him, and in a new issue of Men’s Health Mackie is donning the cover while wearing a Captain America t-shirt, signifying his new role. In the interview, he opens up about learning how he would get the shield, which we can thank Evans for.
Mackie recalls being at Evans’ house to watch a football game with some of his other famous friends, when he told the host he hadn’t even got to read the full script for ENDGAME, what with Marvel’s strict security. “Chris gets the look of a six-year-old kid on his face, runs away, and comes back with the script,” Mackie recalled. “I’m reading it, and it dawns on me what’s happening.”
When it came time to shoot, it still didn’t feel real for Mackie. “They were like, ‘Are you ready for tomorrow? You’re getting your shield,’” he said. “I’m like, ‘Get the fuck out of here.’ When he got his new mantle it “was like winning the Oscar. I was nervous. I was excited. I was stumbling over words.”
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Co-director Joe Russo also spoke about this moment, saying, “His performance comes across as genuine, because it’s the way he actually felt: both vulnerable and steadfast.”
Mackie’s plate has been rather full this year, not only with ENDGAME checked off but also a stint in the new season of BLACK MIRROR (the episode “Striking Vipers”) and the new season of ALTERED CARBON on the way. He was passed the shield in the mega movie, and in October he may finally get to use it when he starts shooting the Disney+ series FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER, which pairs him with Sebastian Stan. At the time of the mid-May interview, he said he wasn’t sure about the role he would take on in the show, still Falcon and not yet fully Captain. “I’m guessing I’m Fal-Cap, or . . . I don’t know,” he says. “I haven’t even seen a script.”
Seeing Mackie with the shield will be a big change for all of us who have spent so much time with Evans holding it, but they've done a great job building up Falcon as a character that he is an excellent choice to take on the role. Mackie has made that character his own and a worthy successor to Rogers, and only time will tell how he's factored into Marvel's future.
AVENGERS: ENDGAME is on digital July 30 and Blu-ray August 13.