Anthony Mackie Is “Moved” Kids Get to See a Black Man as Captain America

The shield and moniker of Captain America are in "good hands" with their inheritor Anthony Mackie, who says it "moves" him to know children will see a black man as Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Taking place after the events of Avengers: Endgame — where an older and long retired Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) passed the shield to Sam Wilson (Mackie) — The Falcon and the Winter Soldier sees Wilson, a.k.a. the Falcon, eventually slinging the shield when once again teaming up with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) just as the U.S. government backs John Walker (Wyatt Russell) as a patriotic poster boy.

"It's monumental, man," Mackie said of picking up the shield on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. "I mean, with this movie, with The Banker and the history of this country with African Americans, for Marvel to select a young black man in America to represent the moniker of Captain America is unprecedented. There's nothing that can compare to that."

Mackie now stars alongside his Captain America: The Winter Soldier co-star Samuel L. Jackson in The Banker, inspired by the true story of two of the first African-American bankers in the United States. When he returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this time as Captain America, it will be a moving experience for Mackie.

"It moves me not only that my kids get to see a black man as Captain America, but all of their friends — white, black, Latino, and Asian — can see a black man as Captain America," he said. And the shield, Mackie said, is "in good hands."

The actor previously noted stepping into the role has been "extremely emotional," telling Deadline, "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."

There's another weight of carrying the shield: Mackie estimates the prop shield weighs at least 12 pounds.

"That thing is heavy, dude," Mackie recently told ComicBook.com. "That thing is 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."

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities — and their patience — in Marvel Studios' The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The all-new series is directed by Kari Skogland; Malcolm Spellman is the head writer.

Also starring Emily VanCamp and Daniel Brühl, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier premieres this fall exclusively on Disney+.