Before ‘Avengers: Endgame’, ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Star Anthony Mackie Disagreed With The Idea Of Replacing Chris Evans: “I Don’t Think We Need A New Cap, I Don’t Think Cap Needs To Be Changed”
What a difference a decade makes – While his latest appearance in Captain America: Brave New World sees him fully step establish himself as the latest live-action incarnation of the Star-Spangled Avenger, star Anthony Mackie once held that should Chris Evans ever step away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise could do without trying to replace him with a “new Cap”.
Surprising as that may be to believe, Mackie did in fact offer this opinion while making a panel appearance in promotion of the then-upcoming Captain America: Civil War at the 2015 Salt Lake City Comic-con.
At one point met with a reference from panel moderator Jay Whittaker to his Marvel Studios co-star Sebastian Stan playfully answering “myself” when asked who would be a better choice between Bucky and Sam to succeed Steve Rogers in wielding the shield, Mackie gave a hearty laugh before admitting that while he both heroes would make an excellent Captain America, he didn’t necessarily the point in promoting either of them to the role.
“You know, to be honest, I’ve been very fortunate, I’ve done a lot of movies, I’ve worked with a lot of people,” Mackie told the audience. “I don’t think anyone would be able to give Cap the respect and dignity that Chris does. You know, [Chris and I] joke about, but he’s Maverick and I’m Goose. Like, he’s Maverick and I’m Ice Man.”
“It’s one of those things where I don’t think we need a new cap,” he added. “I don’t think Cap needs to be changed. I think Sebastian would be a great Cap, but then we’re left without Bucky. I think I would be a great Cap, but then we’re left without The Falcon.”
From there, Whittaker would close out this particular part of their time together by jokingly suggesting that if Mackie didn’t want to take the job, he would readily accept the chance to hop into Cap’s star-spangled tights.
As noted above, given that this interview took place roughly two years before Avengers: Endgame began production, it’s interesting to see the stark contrast between Mackie’s thoughts on the topic of ‘Who Will Wield The Shield’ prior to Sam Wilson being given the mantle of Captain America following Thanos’ defeat.
For example, despite his prior assertion that the character did not need to change, a February 2023 interview with Yahoo! Entertainment’s Kevin Polowy saw the actor confirm that Sam’s version of Captain America would be very different from Evans’.
“My Cap, he’s not a superhero,” he explained. “I just see him as more of a humane Cap, as opposed to a Cap of judgment, where this is right, or this is wrong. There are decisions that make you choose right or wrong.”
For example, in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode of the titular studio’s behind-the-scenes Marvel Studios Assemble series, the actor asserted, “For Marvel to give me the opportunity as a black man, from the south, to become Captain America, I think, says a lot, not only about the work that I’ve put in to get to this point that they would entrust me with that. But with the way that they’re hoping to change the way society looks at itself.”
Likewise, Mackie is even a fan of the fact that rather than even attempting to have Sam emulate his predecessor’s fan-favorite, shield-throwing-centric fighting style – with a little of his own flight prowess thrown in for extra strategic options and style points – Marvel Studios has instead opted to turn him into, essentially, Wakandan Iron Man.
“It’s a high-tech suit,” the actor told Deadline regarding his character’s new upgrades. “I went to Wakanda, met with everybody in Wakanda, we had dinner. It was a great time. They threw me a welcome party. It was dope. But when I was leaving, they gave me a suit, right? I put it on. I can kick harder, I can fly faster, and it gives me the ability to be more agile in my skills, so it’s taking all my skills to a completely different level.”
All in all, fans can catch Mackie’s starkly different take on Captain America on the silver screen in Captain America: Brave New World, which after numerous delays and reshoots is now playing.
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