Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson will finally officially become the new Captain America in the fourth film in the First Avenger saga, Brave New World, which wrapped production earlier this week amid the potential actors’ strikes in Hollywood.

Mackie began his career in 2002 in the famous movie 8 Mile, which loosely adapts the life of rapper Eminem, starring the musician himself. From that moment, he participated in big projects like Million Dollar Baby or Real Steel. However, there is no doubt that his popularity exploded in 2014, when he first appeared as Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, considered by many one of the best films in the franchise.

Quickly becoming one of Steve Rogers’ closest friends and allies, Sam became a key player around the Avengers, eventually having his own series alongside Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, which set up the ground for his definitive introduction as the heir to the shield in the next film.

However, it seems that while Mackie wanted to be a part of the Marvel universe long before he was hired, he had a very different character in mind.

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Marvel Studios

In a recent interview with Inverse promoting his next big project, the Twisted Metal series adaptation, the actor confessed that initially thought he was going to play another character in the MCU:

“I had been contacting Marvel a lot about Black Panther,” Mackie said. “I had written them letters. I was trying to find a way to make them make Black Panther. And I wanted to be Black Panther because growing up I fucking loved Black Panther. I’ll never forget. Joe Russo said, ‘Listen, so we’re doing this movie. We want you to be in it. We can’t say what character you’re playing or who else is going to be in it. Would you do it?’ And that was it. I was like, ‘You know what, I like y’all dudes. I’ll do it. I’ll go on this ride with you.’ What other major comic book figure has enough of a presence to have his own movie? So when they hit me up and they were like, ‘Yo, so it’s Sam Wilson,’ I’m like, ‘Really?’”

Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal as Black Panther was one of the most unforgettable in the entire franchise. However, there is no doubt that Mackie would have been a very good choice for the role. In any case, his performance as Sam Wilson has been just as excellent and has led him to become the new Captain America.

Captain America: Brave New World is set to hit theaters on May 3, 2024. The cast of the movie is rounded by Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross, replacing the late William Hurt; Danny Ramirez as the new Falcon; Shira Hass as Sabra; and the return of Live Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson as Betty Ross and Samuel Sterns, the roles they played in The Incredible Hulk.