Anthony Mackie embraces being Captain America: ‘That’s the American dream’

Acting, he said, enables him to interpret the written word in a way that inspires people and makes them think: “Captain America does all of that for me. It’s a nice little pin in my hat … I can now say I played Papa Doc, Tupac, Martin Luther King Jr. and, now, Captain America.”

Mackie has spent the past few weeks promoting the film in Europe and North America, stopping last week in Atlanta, where the film was produced, to meet with media and Morehouse College students.

“Atlanta has meant a lot of different things for me at different points in my life,” Mackie said. “My brother went to Morehouse and Georgia Tech so when I was a kid, the furthest place I’d go from home was Atlanta.”

He noted that key early scenes in “Brave New World” were shot at Tyler Perry Studios, where Perry built a replica of the White House for his BET+ show “The Oval” and has been used in films ranging from “Civil War” to Perry’s “Six Triple Eight.”

“It really meant a lot to stand on those grounds that Tyler Perry built from nothing,” he said. “You’re talking about someone who lived in a car and built himself up to who he is … It meant a lot to all of us to shoot a part of this there. The idea of history. The idea of culture. The idea of charm in a city like Atlanta. It only adds to a movie like this.”

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Being bestowed the Captain America title after years in a secondary role “was humbling, then emotional,” Mackie said. “I was cool with it until my first wardrobe fitting. When I saw myself in the costume, it got me.”

He said when Chris Evans as Steve Rogers handed off the shield to Mackie as Wilson in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” “he meant it. I didn’t take it as acting. I felt it. It was really just my first career out-of-body experience. It was my friend telling me, ‘Congrats, dude.’ Everyone in the world just happened to witness it.”

He acknowledged there is a contingent of fans who still have a hard time seeing Sam Wilson as Captain America and who gleefully jumped on this comment he made last month while promoting the new film in Italy: “To me Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations. It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable.”

He later felt compelled to clarify his comment on social media, noting that he’s “a proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like CAP is the honor of a lifetime. I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country.”

When asked by the AJC about this, he took several seconds to ponder his answer. “It hurt because the reality of it is, Sam Wilson is the embodiment of the best parts of us. When we were shooting the movie, I spoke with (director) Julius (Onah) every day, and two words kept coming up: compassion and empathy. That represents Sam Wilson.”

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

This film features the very busy Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus Ross/Red Hulk, replacing the late William Hurt.

Early on in production, Mackie recalls sitting in a cooling tent with several of the other actors, aware that Ford was in a different VIP location set aside just for him. “We then see Harrison dragging his chair across set and come into our tent with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and starts talking,” Mackie said. “Danny (Rodriguez, playing the replacement Falcon) whispered to me, ‘We’re eating peanut butter and jelly with Harrison Ford!’”

Although Mackie is the titular star of the film, he said Ford was the star on set. “It was (an) unusual experience for the star of the show to just come and kick it with the team,” he said. “He set the tone for the morale of the crew. We all knew that Harrison was one of us even without trying. It spoke volumes.”

Will “Captain America: Brave New World” soar or sink?

It’s been 17 years since the Marvel Cinematic Universe burst out of the gate with “Iron Man” followed by hit after hit for more than a decade. Anthony Mackie was along for the ride as supporting superhero Falcon in several of those massive hits, from “Captain America: The First Avenger” in 2011 to “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019.

But at the end of that film, Steve Rogers passed the Captain America shield to Sam Wilson, Mackie’s character, the first time a MCU character bestowed a title to another. This led to the Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” as Wilson adjusted to life as Captain America. Now Mackie leads his own Marvel movie, “Captain America: Brave New World,” out Friday, Feb. 14.

Since 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” the more recent MCU films have been less consistent and not as universally beloved. It’s unclear yet where this fourth iteration of “Captain America” will land, whether it will be closer to the financial whiff of 2023’s “The Marvels” or a home run like 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore who has been tracking film box office for more than a quarter century, said “Captain America: Brave New World” will probably end up between those two extremes, with current “expectations all over the place.”

“Brave New World” presales so far are comparable to “Black Widow” and “Dune: Part Two,” both which were considered solid wins for Marvel, according to box office tracker Luiz Fernando on X. Box Office Theory, which also follows box office numbers, currently tracks its opening weekend domestically between $86 million and $105 million.

MOVIE PREVIEW

“Captain America: Brave New World”

In metro Atlanta theaters Feb. 14