Anthony Mackie Learned He Was An Avenger When He Watched Age Of Ultron

You would think there is a formal ceremony for becoming an Avengers, or at least something along those lines. Nope. Not for Anthony Mackie.

The actor who brings Sam Wilson, a.k.a. The Falcon, to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t know he was an Avenger until after he watched Avengers: Age of Ultron. In fact, he even had a line in the movie where he told Captain America he would leave all the avenging stuff to him while he stayed back and investigated a case (I smell Bucky).

“When we were at the premiere, I was like ‘Cool, I’m with my son and he gets to see his daddy in two scenes in The Avengers,’” Mackie tells Yahoo!. “By the end of the movie I turn around and they’re like, ‘Avengers Assemble!’ I’m like, ‘Holy s–t! I’m an Avenger!’”

Avengers-hood is a long way from Papa Doc in 8 Mile. Mackie was excited, as you’d imagine.

“So I turn around to everybody with me and they were like, ‘Dude, you’re a frickin’ Avenger!’ ‘This is f–king amazing!’” Mackie says. “So, that’s the story of my Marvel life.”

He truly didn’t know that he was an Avenger. “I had no idea. I flew in, Chris [Evans] and Scarlett [Johannson] are up top and the rest of us are standing there,” Mackie admits. “It was like, ‘Cut. Anthony, fly in. Action. Hrm-hrm-hrm. Cut. Alright, thanks!’ That was pretty much it.”

“Six months later you go to a premiere and you s–t yourself. Everybody was like, ‘Why are you so excited?’ I’m like, ‘I just found out I’m an Avenger!’”

Mackie’s next go as The Falcon comes in Captain America: Civil War which blasts into theaters May 6.