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!hola - MJ Marfori - The Philippine Star
February 8, 2025 | 12:00am
Meeting Anthony Mackie back in December in Singapore made me realize that choosing him to be the next Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) just makes perfect sense.
His portrayal of Sam Wilson in previous films laid the groundwork for this transition, showcasing not only his physical prowess but also his depth as an actor. As the newest incarnation of Captain America, Mackie brings a fresh perspective to the iconic superhero while staying true to the character’s legacy. Here’s why he’s the perfect fit for the role.
Firstly, Mackie has demonstrated an incredible range of emotion and skill in his role as Sam Wilson. Mackie’s portrayal of Sam was full of charisma, humor and vulnerability. Over the years, he has developed Sam’s character, showing a man who is not only a hero but also someone grappling with identity and purpose and he did not need a super serum to catapult him to superhero status.
As the newest incarnation of Captain America, Anthony Mackie brings a fresh perspective to the iconic superhero while staying true to the character’s legacy. He has demonstrated an incredible range of emotion and skill in his role as Sam Wilson.
During the recent press conference with the creatives and cast of the latest installment of “Captain America,” Mackie shared the similarities he had with the previous Captain America Steve Rodgers that made sense to pass it on to him.
“Well, I think Sam and Steve are similar in a lot of ways. I think that’s why Steve chose Sam to give the shield to, because of his distinct integrity and humanity,” he said.
Falcon/Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez).
“But you know, with Sam, there’s a certain level of compassion and understanding that comes into Sam Wilson because, remember when we met him, he was a counselor. He was a veteran. He was just an open book of intentions and goodwill. So, I think with that, you know, that informs who he is as Captain America and, you know, who he is as a human being. It takes a very compassionate person to be a listener and a counselor.”
Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony, center) and President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison, right). — Photo courtesy of Marvel
We were one of the lucky ones to get to screen a 30-minute teaser about the film and in essence, “Captain America: Brave New World” seemed to us that it is more than just a superhero film, it’s a cultural reset for the MCU. The film that the audience is about to see is prioritizing a balanced storytelling of emotional depth that will hopefully end the era of Marvel fatigue, offering a new chapter that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly new. The film’s conclusion sets the stage for a more focused, meaningful MCU moving forward.
Mackie talked about the reality of having the pressure of being the driving force for what’s next in the MCU. “I remember one day. Weirdly, we were on set and Kevin (Feige) came and we were talking and Kevin was like, you know, it’s gonna take some time. We were on set of ‘Endgame.’
“And Kevin said just honestly, it’s gonna take some time for people to get over ‘Endgame.’ It’s gonna take us time to get over, as, you know, the cast and the crew. It’s gonna take us time to get over ‘Endgame’ because it was such a crescendo of emotion. It was such a unbelievable storm that we witnessed of just film excellence, culminating to that moment.
“I think of ‘Captain America: The First Avenger,’ which started all this. And it was a foundation. It was a building block that, you know, the MCU built and built and built to that amazing moment of Steve Rogers standing on that peak, looking out at Thanos’ army and all of us standing there with him, knowing that this was the end, you know?”
He continued, “Like, the movie was called ‘Endgame’ for a reason. It was the endgame, you know? And I feel like this movie, ‘Brave New World,’ just like ‘Captain America: The First Avenger,’ is that foundation, that building block to build to that next crescendo, massive moment in the MCU universe. And I just, I’m proud that we’re here at the beginning. Like, I’m proud to say that we’re that footprint that is at the beginning of that walk.”
Luckily, with the best team, Mackie said that he knows that whatever the outcome may be for his new role as Captain America, he had the best team with him along the way. He had Harrison Ford as his co-actor, Julius Onah as his director and Kevin Feige guiding them all along the way as the producer.
He shared, “And I feel like Marvel gave me the best crew, the best script, the best cast, the best opportunity possible for us to make the best movie we could. And I’m just, I’m proud of it. Looking at all the stuff that they’ve done before, and this being now, I’m just, I’m really proud of it.”
Kevin, on the other hand, who was all hands-on deck on this one as he is with many of the landmark movies of Marvel, said his hopes for “Captain America: Brave New World.”
He further said, “I think in many ways, the victory has already happened, but it’s that full acceptance of Sam Wilson as Captain America, right? That shield has been passed and it feels like the audience knows it was passed to the right person. And I think this movie will solidify that more. And again, even just hearing all of the amazing cast speak today, that is all poured into this movie. And it is with great enthusiasm that I’ll see all of them in person for the premiere next week.”
Catch the film in Philippine cinemas on Feb. 12.
