The whole world started to know Anthony Mackie’s name when he joined Captain America: The Winter Soldier as Falcon. The Marvel fun didn’t end after Avengers: Endgame either, as he reprised Sam Wilson in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and will again in the 2025 movie release of Captain America: Brave New World, the 35th MCU movie. Being such a busy Marvel actor, Mackie spoke not only about how fatherhood has impacted his acting career, but jokeed about his kids not really caring about Captain America to begin with.
In THR’s Comedy Actor Emmy Roundtable, The Gentlemen’s Theo James spoke about how having kids has led him to make more thoughtful decisions regarding his family compared to taking any role that comes his way. Anthony Mackie reflected on that by explaining that he wanted his four young kids to have more opportunities and advantages than he had growing up:
My kids changed a lot for me, dude. Now, as they get older and I’m working so much, it’s a dangerous negotiation. My dad dropped out of school in eighth grade. My mom went to a Negro-appointed high school. I left home with $435. So, I want to give my kids the opportunity of leaving home with the advantage that all my [Juilliard] classmates had when I got to school. I had a classmate who backpacked across Europe for a year after high school. I was like, ‘How the hell? That’s a thing?’ Coming from New Orleans, every day was an idea of, how are you going to eat?
It’s truly an insane concept to hear of kids in your class going on trips to Europe like it’s no big deal. When you're a parent, it’s natural to want them to have more choices and opportunities in store for them. With Anthony Mackie’s Marvel train not stopping anytime soon playing the new Captain America, his dream of providing his kids with financial stability looks to be an ongoing reality right now.
Imagine having the actor playing the mechanical-winged superhero in a number of Marvel movies living in your house! While you may think Mackie’s kids must brag to everyone in sight about having a Marvel superhero dad, think again. Here’s his joking response to his kids not feeling starstruck by their celebrity father:
Looking at my kids, I’m like, I never want them to experience the struggle. I want them to know what it takes that the regular American man experiences trying to put a meal on the table, but I don’t want them to have the struggle. You’re going to have to fight for it, especially with all this Marvel shit. I have four boys. I tell my boys, I’m like, ‘Yo, I’m the coolest mother … I’m the dad everybody wants.’ And my sons don’t watch Marvel movies. They have no idea. I’ll FaceTime Sebastian [Stan]. I’m like, ‘Yo, man. Say what’s up to my son.’ And my son’s like, ‘Hey?’ They don’t [care]. To them, I’m Dad.
In a way, I think Anthony Mackie should consider his kids not associating him with Marvel all the time to be a good thing. With The Hurt Locker actor being so recognizable, he must get a lot of young fans coming up to him for autographs and pictures. When he’s with his kids, I’m sure it must be nice to take a break from all of that.
Still, you do have to thank Anthony Mackie's superhero films for times when it's brought his family closer. For instance, Avengers: Endgame helped him connect with his son when they both saw the box office hit in theaters. The boy was in awe that his dad would be the future Captain America. Doesn’t that bring tears to your eyes?
Fatherhood seems to have greatly impacted Anthony Mackie’s career in making sure his kids have all of the advantages his Julliard classmates had growing up. Maybe his kids aren’t so dazzled right now having Falcon/Captain America as their dad, but at least that presents some normalcy in the household. Maybe when the upcoming Marvel movie Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on Valentine’s Day next year, they’ll feel differently.
