Anthony Mackie has been an MCU staple since his debut as Sam Wilson in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier. After playing Steve Rogers' sidekick for years, Brave New World marked Mackie’s first time leading a Marvel movie. So, it’s no surprise the We Have a Ghost star hasn’t stopped talking about his set experience since filming wrapped. This time, he opened up about Captain America 4 being a "full-circle" moment in his Marvel experience.
The Sam Wilson actor has played the high-flying MCU character for nearly a decade. The character finally got the spotlight in the acclaimed Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier before the Marvel sequel was announced. According to The Wrap, filming Captain America: Brave New World was new yet familiar to Mackie. The MCU star said:
It kind of brought my Marvel experience full circle because we shot in D.C. at the same hotel that we shot ‘Winter Soldier’ at. One of my first Marvel scenes was me sitting at a table talking to the senator and me and Chris [Evans] and Scarlett [ Johansson] kidnapping him and we go back and we stay at the same hotel and we shot at that same area. So in that regard, it was really emotional to think how far my character has come and where he is now after the 10 years that I’ve been in the MCU.
Understandably, Anthony Mackie would be emotional about the new film. The Winter Soldier was filmed and took place in Washington, D.C., which is where Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson first met. Filming at the same locations as the beloved sequel was surreal for him given how far Falcon has come since his first appearance. Maybe that signals something special might be brewing with Brave New World since Captain America 2 is regarded as one of Marvel’s best movies.
Working on multiple Marvel projects with the same cast and crew fostered a tangible bond throughout the years. Mackie recalled seeing the same people go through various life changes, including divorces and births, after filming several projects together. The MCU star compared the on-set experience to summer camp, saying:
These Marvel movies have kind of turned into summer camp. You go to set and there’s people that you’ve known for 10, 12 years now that you’ve worked with and got to know and people have kids and people get divorced and people buy homes. So, it’s like going back to see your old friends. So, it was really easy. At no point in time did I feel like it was a different experience from any of the other Marvel movies I’ve done. It was just a great experience, you can only go down from here.
Seeing and interacting with familiar faces seemingly made the Twisted Metal star comfortable since he, not Chris Evans, will play Cap in the new sequel. Mackie recalled sitting “outside of the White House” having a cigar and whiskey with the crew to “watch the sunrise.” Being on set sounded like a big family reunion for longtime MCU stalwarts.
Audiences will see Anthony Mackie take up the Captain America mantle when Captain America: Brave New World arrives in movie theaters on July 26, 2024. Before Captain America 4 premieres, multiple upcoming Marvel movies are coming out, including The Marvels. The Captain Marvel sequel will hit movie theaters on November 10. Also, check out our 2023 movie schedule to see what new movies are set to premiere.
