After years as a supporting player, Anthony Mackie will finally take center stage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when he shares top billing with Sebastian Stan in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. And based on the title of the show, Mackie’s name will no doubt come first in the credits, which has been a long time coming for an actor that’s been part of the franchise for close to seven years.
Looking at the final minutes of Avengers: Endgame, we already know the ultimate destination of Sam Wilson’s character arc, but it isn’t going to be as straightforward as accepting Steve Rogers’ shield with open arms, visiting whoever it is that’s in charge of the Avengers’ wardrobe department and updating his regular look for a more star spangled ensemble.
Mackie has cast doubt on Sam becoming the new Captain America, too, and based on the first trailer, it certainly looks as though Wyatt Russell’s John Walker has first dibs on the role. But there’s one title that the Outside the Wire star has already claimed for himself. In a recent interview to promote his Netflix sci-fi actioner, the 42 year-old said that the title of ‘America’s Ass’ now belongs to him.
“Chris and I laugh and joke about it all the time, I have a much better ass than Chris Evans. So one day we’re gonna do the biking shorts test, or the compression shorts test, and we’re gonna have everybody choose, which is America’s ass. I think it’s gonna be 50/50 split. Some people like their pizza lightly toasted, some people like a little bit of char on their pizza, you know what I’m saying? So it’s all about how you like your buns cooked.”
Of course, that might all be set to change in the near future with Chris Evans in talks for a swift return to the MCU, but Mackie will no doubt try and defend his self-anointed honor of having the United States’ marquee rear end. In any case, Endgame‘s ‘America’s Ass’ joke took on a life of its own, so it wouldn’t be surprising to discover that it gets written into The Falcon and the Winter Soldier when the Disney Plus exclusive arrives in March.
