Before Donning Falcon's Wings, Anthony Mackie Was Eyeing Another MCU Hero

Sam Wilson, also known as the superhero The Falcon (Anthony Mackie), first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the 2014 film "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." Sam was a veteran of the United States Air Force who was equipped with a unique piece of state-of-the-art military technology: a pair of powerful, mechanical wings. Sam could fly great distances and work spy missions with aplomb. The Falcon appeared in five MCU movies, and was promoted at the end of "Avengers: Endgame." It seems Captain America wanted to retire and, knowing that Sam was a brave soldier, passed his rare American-flag shield to his compatriot. In the subsequent TV series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Sam became the new Captain America in earnest, complete with a new (unfortunate) costume. Luckily, he was allowed to keep his Falcon wings.

So Mackie has, essentially, played two notable superheroes during his time with the MCU. Mackie may feel ambivalent about the expansive Marvel machine and the state of modern Hollywood — he understands that characters and intellectual properties are more important than actors and directors — but he has seemingly always admired Marvel comics and was very passionate about one character in particular. When interviewed by Inverse, Mackie revealed that he — back in the early 2010s, prior to his casting as the Falcon — wrote multiple letters to Marvel Studios pleading that they make a movie about Black Panther. He always loved Black Panther and would have loved to play the part.

It might have been the letters that attracted Marvel to Mackie's talents and caused them to cast him ... albeit in another role.

In Anthony Mackie's words: 

"I had been contacting Marvel a lot about Black Panther. [...] I had written them letters. I was trying to find a way to make them make 'Black Panther.' And I wanted to be Black Panther because growing up I f***ing loved Black Panther." 

Director Ryan Coogler would ultimately make "Black Panther" in 2018, although actor Chadwick Boseman was selected for the titular role. That doesn't mean Mackie missed out entirely. Mackie recalls getting a call from his agent about meeting with Antony and Joe Russo, who wanted to suggest he play a secret role in a secret project. Mackie remembers the ritzy Malibu home where the meeting took place, as well as how frustratingly oblique the Russos had to be. Luckily, he was game for whatever it was. 

It was the Falcon, a character with significance all his own. Mackie recalled: 

"I'll never forget, Joe Russo said, 'Listen, so we're doing this movie. We want you to be in it. We can't say what character you're playing or who else is going to be in it. Would you do it?' And that was it. I was like, 'You know what, I like y'all dudes. I'll do it. I'll go on this ride with you.'"

For several weeks after the meeting, Mackie was in limbo. During those few weeks, it seemed entirely likely that he would be cast as the legendary Black Panther. When they revealed he would be playing Sam Wilson, Mackie merely said "I'm like, 'Really?'"

The experience of working in the MCU, it seems, was a little overwhelming for Anthony Mackie. He was stirred into a massive superhero ensemble, forced to act alongside a panoply of great actors. Mackie says that, quite luckily, he took to the experience well, mostly because of the support of his co-stars. He explained:

"There's a huge amount of pressure. [...] You throw my dumb ass in the water, and you're like, 'Swim.' I'm like, 'S***.' But at the same time, it's all in the state of mind. I've been given a great cast. I've been given a great group of people who I've worked with before."

Mackie will next appear in the film "Captain America: Brave New World," currently scheduled for release on July 26, 2024. He will be playing the title character and will be seen flinging the Captain's famous razor frisbee shield. Mackie described Sam Wilson as a more down-to-earth character than the previous Captain America, as the old guy had superpowers and Sam is merely a skilled fighter with talents for command and diplomacy. He wanted to assure readers, however, that the film will also feature the requisite amount of action for these sorts of projects. Rather directly, Mackie said:

"All the flying, CGI, and all that s***. That's going to happen."

Indeed.