Summary

Anthony Mackie discusses the difficulty of being creative in the MCU compared to his other projects.
Mackie enjoyed the freedom to create and experiment with characters in his Peacock series
Twisted Metal,
particularly when compared to the constraints surrounding the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Mackie values the relationships he formed on
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
set, expressing disappointment in not working with Sebastian Stan and Daniel Brühl in 2025’s
Captain America: Brave New World.

Anthony Mackie is now the bearer of Steve Rogers’ legacy, and he’ll soon be showing off his Stars and Stripes in Captain America: Brave New World, but he also stars in and produces Peacock’s series, Twisted Metal. And during Mackie’s sit-down on the One More Life podcast, the Marvel Cinematic Universe alum addressed the difficulties of being creative within the MCU. Mackie said (per the Radio Times):

“I would say the Marvel thing is completely different, just because it’s such a space of controlled entertainment.
Like, there’s only so much you can do. There’s only so much creativity you can bring to the table, because Stan Lee gave us so much content
. Whereas with this [Twisted Metal], it was like, ‘There’s a guy and a girl… go!’ So, we were really able to build the world around it.”

Mackie was then asked about his and the other producers’ ability to create and/or even kill off characters in the Twisted Metal series, which is certainly a creative choice that is much harder to get away with when it comes to the confines of the MCU. Mackie elaborated in the same podcast:

“Exactly.
And that’s the hard thing about the Marvel universe. It’s like, you can’t really go outside of the lines of those comic books
. You know, when we introduced the Falcon, and the growth of the Falcon to Captain America, all of that had to coincide with what Stan had already gave us. So, it’s an interesting juggle to be a part of that world. And this was more like, ‘Let’s just have fun and figure it out as we go.'”

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Anthony Mackie on Those MIA in Captain America: Brave New World

Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson might lack the strength and experience of the original Captain America, but the latest character to wield the famous Vibranium shield got plenty of on-the-job training in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Sam’s version of Cap returns in Brave New World, but unless the filmmakers are pulling a fast one to try and keep their involvement hush-hush, neither actors Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes nor Daniel Brühl’s Helmut Zemo will return for the 2025 film. Mackie said during the same podcast:

“The Falcon and [the] Winter Soldier, I really enjoyed doing that show. I was actually excited to do a second season, just so me and Sebastian [Stan] can get paid to hang out. Because it’s like me, him and Daniel Brühl. It’s kind of like the perfect storm of happiness. When they decided to go back to the movies, it is what it is. But I don’t have my friends anymore, so it kind of dampens it a little bit. Anything I can do to hang out with Daniel, a dancing Daniel Brühl, makes me very happy.”

For those who haven’t seen Mackie’s series yet, Twisted Metal is available to stream or binge-watch on Peacock right now. And be sure to check out MovieWeb’s Twisted Metal review to find out more about all the “action-packed carnage.”

Captain America: Brave New World
opens on Valentine’s Day 2025.