The MCU’s Most Iconic Moment Has a Very Strange Origin

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has its fair share of memorable moments. It all starts in Iron Man, when Tony Stark escapes the cave in Afghanistan and reveals his heroic persona to the world for the first time. After that, it doesn’t take long for the Avengers to assemble in New York City and for Captain America to beat up some goons in an elevator. However, the MCU doesn’t really hit its stride in the highlight department until Avengers: Infinity War. The entire universe comes together to take on Thanos, who plans on collecting all of the Infinity Stones and wiping out half of life in the galaxy.

Of course, the Mad Titan completes his mission in one of the MCU’s most dramatic sequences, using the Infinity Gauntlet to wipe out a good chunk of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. While the losing side accepts defeat for a few years, Scott Lang gives them the idea to time travel to collect the gems and use them to bring everyone back in Avengers: Endgame. The plan works like a dream, but one of the most important lines of dialogue during Endgame‘s climactic scene isn’t what it seems.

Sam Wilson’s Big Endgame Moment Is a Callback

Bucky Barnes is Steve Rogers’ best friend, there’s no doubt about it. Cap goes to bat for him countless times and even loses Tony as a friend after siding with the former Winter Soldier in Captain America: Civil War. Sam Wilson is also by Cap’s side for the entire thing, though, and while he may not have a long history with the hero, he’s every bit as good a friend as Bucky. Cap and Sam meet in Washington, DC, at the start of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and immediately hit it off after the Avenger laps the retired soldier and says, “On your left!” When Cap’s world starts falling apart, he goes to visit Sam, who agrees to help using his Falcon suit. HYDRA gives both heroes a run for their money, but they come out on top, and Sam agrees to help his new friend find Bucky.

Their mission goes off the rails due to the events in Sokovia, which lead to the creation of the Sokovia Accords. Sam sticks with Cap despite him going against the government, and the two end up as fugitives alongside Black Widow. The group spends a few years on the run before Thanos’ Black Order shows up and starts making trouble. Sadly, Sam gets dusted in Wakanda in Infinity War, leaving Cap heartbroken. However, there’s a glimmer of hope when Hulk snaps his finger at the Avengers compound. Hawkeye’s wife calling him makes it seem like everyone’s back, but there’s no time to enjoy the victory because Thanos attacks.

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All of the Avengers go down except for Cap, who prepares to stand alone against all of the Mad Titan’s forces. He looks ready to go down with the ship, but a voice in his ear changes everything. It’s Sam, who says, “On your left,” as portals open around his friend, bringing all of the MCU’s heroes to New York for the battle. The rest is history, but there’s a little-known fact about Sam’s line that makes it seem a lot less epic.

Anthony Mackie Recorded His Most Important MCU Line in a Strange Place

Dialogue as big as Sam’s in Endgame seems like something that would be something thought up years ahead of time. After all, the Russo Brothers directed both The Winter Soldier and Endgame, meaning they knew the power of the words Falcon was going to speak. However, the whole thing came together in a peculiar way. Before the final cut of Endgame was ready, Joe Russo called Mackie and asked him to record the line (via CinemaBlend). Without any better ideas, the actor went into his pantry and put a blanket over his head to block out any background noise.

Mackie forgot all about it until he saw the movie for the first time. His character started speaking in Cap’s ear, and he realized he recorded one of the most important lines in MCU history in the same place where he stores his chips. The story is a perfect encapsulation of the strangeness of the movie-making process, as it’s impossible to tell when a stroke of genius will hit and how it’ll all come together.

Avengers: Endgame is streaming on Disney+.

Did you know that Anthony Mackie recorded his biggest MCU line in a pantry? Does it make you look at the Avengers: Endgame moment differently? Let us know in the comments below!