Anthony Mackie Says It’s Been Extremely Emotional Becoming Captain America

Anthony Mackie has some big shoes to fill. At the climax of Avengers: Endgame, the now-elderly Steve Rogers passed the mantle of Captain America onto one of his best pals, Sam Wilson. The Falcon was clearly overwhelmed when he was handed the shield in that scene, and it seems that was just fiction mirroring reality as Mackie was pretty overwhelmed by the situation himself.

Ahead of his return in Disney Plus’ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV show, Mackie has opened up about what it’s been like stepping into the boots of Chris Evans, particularly what it means for him as an African-American.

“You know what, to be honest, it’s very emotional. I’ve been in the business for 20 years and I’ve been fortunate to do some amazing stuff and work with amazing people. For me, to be a Black man in 2019 and be given the helm of Captain America with the history of Black men in this country is a monumental step, not only in entertainment, but also in my life. It’s been extremely emotional. Look, my grandfather was a sharecropper, you know what I mean? There’s a lot of history and pain and triumph and joy that comes along with me being Captain America.”

The Falcon is due to pick up after the events of Endgame, with Sam adjusting to being Captain America along with the help of Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes. The U.S. government is believed to be unhappy with Steve’s choice and so will appoint their own replacement, John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell). But what’s the betting that Sam and Bucky will prove their worth when Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) returns to cause havoc?

Some concept art for TFATWS recently arrived online and teased what we can expect from Sam’s new costume. It actually looks to be very close to the traditional Falcon suit from the comics. The artwork also revealed Bucky’s revamped threads. Filming is now underway, too, so set pics have also started to come in, giving us a glimpse of the actors shooting on location in Atlanta, Georgia. Expect the show to arrive on Disney Plus in fall 2020.