Anthony Mackie Admits It Has Been “Extremely Emotional” Taking on the Captain America Mantle

Life is really different now for Anthony Mackie after he accepted Captain America’s shield near the end of Avengers: Endgame. He sat down to talk to Deadline about his upcoming projects in Seberg and The Banker. Mackie took some time to reflect on his journey with Marvel Studios as well. It is not lost on the star that he’s been placed in a very blessed position with how his career has unfolded. Part of the gravity of being Captain Americais how much that character means to so many people around the world. It’s a lot to carry, but Mackie understands the task in front of him. He has the support of his co-star, Sebastian Stan, heading into The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The new Captain America has come from a background that allows him to sit back and look at all the progress in the movie business that would allow him to be in a position to play one of the biggest superheroes in the world on the big screen.

“You know what, to be honest, it’s very emotional,” Mackie mused. “I’ve been in the business for 20 years and I’ve been fortunate to do some amazing stuff and work with amazing people. For me, to be a Black man in 2019 and be given the helm of Captain America with the history of Black men in this country is a monumental step, not only in entertainment, but also in my life. It’s been extremely emotional. Look, my grandfather was a sharecropper, you know what I mean? There’s a lot of history and pain and triumph and joy that comes along with me being Captain America.”

Mackie has talked about the moment that Chris Evans broke the news to him, and the story is one that people might not expect. There’s no way anyone could be prepared to step into that role after the job Evans has done, but that’s where the actor finds himself now.

“We were shooting in Atlanta and Chris Evans had a bunch of us over to his house to watch a football game, because we all hate the Patriots and he loves the Patriots,” Mackie began. “He and I go downstairs and he’s showing me the house and he’s like, ‘So are you excited?’ I’m like, ‘I mean yeah, it’s gonna be a football game. I love football, I watch football every week, but I didn’t know you were this into it.’ And he’s like, ‘No, about the script. You haven’t read the scene?’ I was like, ‘No.’ So he jumps up, runs out of the room and back in with the script and hits me with the script. He’s like ‘Page 85! Read it! Read it!’ And he sits there like a kid watching.”