Summary

Anthony Mackie didn’t look to any comics for inspiration for Sam Wilson’s Captain America in Captain America: Brave New World.

Compassion and empathy are key values the veteran MCU actor wants the mantle and shield to represent while he carries the role.

Mackie dishes on his relationships with Harrison Ford and Danny Ramirez.

Marking his ninth MCU project (including What If…?) and his first solo movie, Captain America: Brave New World is one of the most well-deserved arcs in the entire MCU. Aside from being one of the longest-tenured actors in the franchise, Anthony Mackie has also been a crucial connective tissue throughout the almost two-decade history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe across projects like Ant-Man, Avengers: Age of Ultron, as well as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
As he enters into his role as Captain America, he’s not looking toward any specific comic book arcs for direction – he’s using his decade-plus experience and Brave New World’s tight script to form his superhero. Mackie has made headlines recently for revealing what the mantle of Captain America means to him, puzzlingly sparking a controversy over things that are eerily similar to things uttered by close friend and predecessor Chris Evans in the past (and yet were received without similar backlash). Mackie isn’t going to let that detract from the great honor that the mantle holds, as he acknowledges the depth of empathy that Sam Wilson carries. Most importantly, Mackie impresses on the importance of the humanity of Captain America rather than his race. Check out the full interview below for all the details.
What Does Anthony Mackie Want the Shield To Symbolize During His Tenure As Captain America?

“There’s a huge responsibility that comes along with that.”

COLLIDER: It’s a pleasure to meet you. And congratulations on donning the shield.
ANTHONY MACKIE: Thank you so much, I appreciate it.
For fans of the Captain America films, is there anything you want to tell them about this franchise’s fresh start?
MACKIE: Captain America is everyone’s hero. He is truly the most — he’s truly the best part in all of us. And that’s what makes him so great. That’s what makes him everyone’s Captain America.
Yeah, absolutely. You’ve played this character for over a decade now, but this being your first solo film, did you turn to any comics for inspiration?
MACKIE: No. I literally just focused on the script. I mean, these, these stories are so interesting because they don’t do the comic books page by page by page.They use the comic books as a blueprint or outline. So you can have three or four different comic books in one movie. So I stayed away from the comic books and just utilized the script and the story and the background that we’ve created of Sam Wilson to develop him into the Captain America he is in the movie.
Captain America — the mantle and the shield — are really both symbols. So what do you want those to symbolize during Sam Wilson’s tenure?
MACKIE: There were two words that kept coming up on set every day we shot this movie, and it was compassion. And it was empathy. I think when you look at, you know, with great power comes great responsibility. Right? And Sam Wilson has now taken on the mantle of Captain America. So there’s a huge amount of responsibility and understanding that comes along with that. There’s a huge amount of empathy that him, as a counselor, brings to the table that Steve Rogers didn’t have. And so when you think of the shield, when you think of that moniker, I want you to, I want people to think of that: understanding, compassion, and empathy.
The world could use a little bit more empathy, right now.
MACKIE: Yeah.
You’ve spoken before on what it means for a Black man to take up the mantle of Captain America. Do you think that that challenging of ideals is even more important now with the current state of the country?
MACKIE: I think just anyone taking up the mantle of Captain America, there’s a huge responsibility that comes along with that. And my responsibility is not just to Black kids. It’s very important for Latino kids to look up and see a Black Captain America. It’s very important for white kids to look up and see a Black Captain America. When I was a kid, one of my favorite superheroes was Superman. And I’d never been to the planet Superman was from. I never, you know, could be a white dude. But watching him, the integrity of the character made me want to put a sheet around my neck and fly around the house.
Beautiful.
MACKIE: So it’s about what’s inside you. It’s about that idea of, when you see it, and you aspire to it, it’s the beauty of humanity that answers that question, not the symbol or the emblem and what you want to put on it. I think, you know, there are problems all over the world. You know, and I think the, the beauty of mankind is what will fix them.
I hope so.
MACKIE: Yeah.
How Is Anthony Mackie’s Relationship With Danny Ramirez Compared to Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan?

“He’s like the little brother I never had.”

Obviously, you, Chris Evans, and Sebastian Stan have formed quite the brotherhood over the years. Are you and Danny [Ramirez] on your way to forming something special? And what’s that relationship like?
MACKIE: You know, Danny is a really good dude. He’s a very good actor. But from the first moment we met, we clicked. And it’s so funny because he’s like the little brother I never had. You know, and when we were on set, I would come on set every day, and he would come on set and he’s just bouncing all over the place, and it reminded me, you know, like that amount of enthusiasm, that amount of appreciation, that amount of excitement he had to be in this movie, it just reminded me of how fortunate and lucky I am. Like, how fortunate and lucky we are to be able to do what we love on a consistent basis, to be able to represent something magnificent as Captain America with Harrison Ford, directed by Julius [Onah]. I mean, it was just it was the perfect storm of, you know, everybody getting their American Dream to come true.
I love that. So Sam isn’t a super soldier; he’s not a Norse God, so what makes him think that he can go toe to toe with the Hulk?
MACKIE: Well, that’s where the suit comes in. The best thing about going to Wakanda and getting a new, improved suit and new, improved wings. You saw the clip in the trailer where he cuts the car in half and all that. Yeah. So all of this stuff, all of this tech that he has now makes him more of a superior being, instead of having to take the serum.
There’s still no worry in him?
MACKIE: No.
Oh, I love that.
MACKIE: I got Wakanda on my shoulder, nah.

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So Sam has really a lot of qualities of a leader. Do you see a future where he leads the Avengers? And if so, what does that look like to you?
MACKIE: Well, there were, if you look at the comic books, there’s an Avengers where, you know, it’s him and Old Steve leading the Avengers. There’s an Avengers where it’s him just leading the Avengers. So it all depends on what that, what that is. I mean, I feel like Sam Wilson definitely has the ability, to keep his fellow soldiers out of harm’s way.
Yeah.
MACKIE: And I think that’s something that a leader, you know, a leader should definitely possess, is care and appreciation of their team around them.
Anthony Mackie Says Harrison Ford Will “Have You Cracking Up”

“There’s nothing better you can ask.”

Image via Marvel Studios

Absolutely. I can imagine acting across from a legend like Harrison Ford is a little bit daunting. So what was it like working with him, and did you learn anything in particular?
MACKIE: Man, I’ll tell you, Harrison was kind of amazing. Like, I was blown away by how he came to set and just had fun and chilled out, laughed, and joked. He always hung out with the crew like he didn’t separate himself over in some VIP area. He was really just down to Earth, and really nice, cracking jokes. I was just surprised.
That’s the best you can hope for, really.
MACKIE: There’s nothing better you can ask for than Harrison Ford just showing up and supporting the team for the whole shoot. It was great.
Where you meet your heroes, and they actually turn out to be heroes.
MACKIE: It’s pretty dope. It’s pretty dope. But I think because “he talks like this [imitates Ford],” you know, he’s so standoffish, people think he’s like a grumpy man, but he’s not, man. You spend five minutes around him, he’s going to have you cracking up.
Captain America: Brave New World smashes into theaters on February 14.