It looks like fans weren’t the only ones to cry during Avengers: Endgame. When it was time for Chris Evans to pass his character’s shield on to Anthony Mackie, both men became emotional.
Once Thanos is finally defeated, Captain America goes back in time to return the Infinity Stones to where they belong. While there, however, he decides to change his fate by marrying Peggy Carter and thus passing his responsibility to Falcon. The entire scene is incredibly powerful, most of all for the real-life actor who now’s stepping into the iconic role that Evans has been anchoring since 2011.
According to Mackie, he had yet to see the script and was informed of this pivotal moment by none other than Evans himself:
“We were at his house and he goes, ‘You excited?’ And I go, ‘What are you talking about?’ and he goes, ‘You don’t know?’ He jumps up, runs out of the room and comes back in with the script.”
The two friends have been acting together in Marvel movies since 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Now that the next phase of the franchise is set to begin though, Mackie will take on the role of one of the group’s most notable superheroes.
While the moment was incredibly moving for the 40-year-old actor, he knows that the promotion is even bigger for his family and community, saying:
“It means a lot to me for my sons to see Captain America as a black dude and for me to be that dude to my sons. So that moment was not just, ‘Hey, we’re acting.’ It was more of a thing. And then they cut and I cried. And Chris cried. And the Russos cried. And everyone cried. It was an emotional day.”
Mackie’s first assignment as Captain America will presumably be in the upcoming Disney+ series entitled Falcon and Winter Soldier. The show will co-star Sebastian Stan and is expected to fill in the gap between the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame and any future Captain America adventures. Stay tuned for more.
