Film news: How ‘proud’ Chris Evans told Anthony Mackie he’d be taking on Captain America
It’s less than two weeks until Anthony Mackie flies into movie theatres in Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World.
The moment comes nearly six years after Avengers: Endgame saw Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers pass on the legendary Captain America shield to Mackie’s Sam Wilson and seven years after filming on one of the biggest movies of all time concluded.
Film News Blitz’s David Bason marvels at the moment Evans told Mackie he’d taking on the extraordinary mantle of Captain America.
The passing of the shield
As the dust settled on the incredible battle in Avengers: Endgame and Earth’s mightiest heroes had thwarted the legendary Thanos, audiences said goodbye to Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man and Evans’ Cap.
Downey’s bow as Iron Man was an iconic moment of sacrifice, a snap of the fingers that brought his character’s time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - one that kicked off the whole saga - to a resounding end.
Evans’ Rogers, another pillar of the MCU amid its journey to Endgame, had a romantic bow as Captain America whisked off back in time to reunite with his love Peggy Carter.
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Just before we saw that heartfelt ending on screen, old man Cap returned to the MCU’s present to pass on his shield to Wilson, aka the Falcon, in a moment that passed the torch onto Mackie’s character.
Speaking on BBC’s Graham Norton Show, Mackie said he learned of his MCU promotion from Evans himself.
“I was at Chris Evans's house for a party, and he said, ‘I am so happy for you, it's really great,’” said Mackie.
“I said I had no idea what he was talking about, he ran out of the room and got the script and gives me the scene and he's standing there looking at me like a proud dad.
“I read the scene and I'm like ‘this can't be real’ and he goes ‘that's the scene, that's what we're shooting this week, you’re getting a shield!’
“So we literally jumped up and down and hugged each other.
“It was really funny because I was so excited but I was thinking back at it now I was so surprised how excited he was because I'm like ‘you're about to be unemployed fool!’”
Mackie’s Brave New World
Opening in theatres on February 14, Captain America: Brave New World will see Mackie’s hero make his big-screen bow.
The film comes after the Disney+ mini-series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which aired in 2021.
In the series, Mackie’s Wilson wrestles with taking on the mantle of Captain America in a world where some rebel against the notion of a black man wearing the stars and stripes.
With the support of Sebastian Stan’s Bucky, Mackie’s Wilson becomes Captain America on his own terms.
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His journey continues in Brave New World, where Mackie’s Captain America will encounter The Red Hulk (aka Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross).
Per the official synopsis: “After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident.
“He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.”
The cast is complemented by Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder, Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns (aka Leader) as well as Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres, who is poised to take on the mantle of Falcon under the watchful eye of Director Julius Onah.
Captain America kicks off a pivotal year for the MCU
Since the events of Avengers: Endgame, the second highest-grossing film of all time, the MCU has traversed troubled waters.
What was once a series of inter-connected guaranteed hits with critical acclaim is now a franchise unsure of itself.
Last year saw just one MCU instalment, but it was a big one: Deadpool & Wolverine.
The Merc with a Mouth drew $1.3 billion worldwide at the box office, but that was largely built on the enigmatic Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool meeting up with the modern movie phenom that is Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine.
It’s back to basics with the MCU this year, with Brave New World leading Thunderbolts and The Fantastic 4: First Steps.
Nailing the takeoff with Brave New World will be an important gauge of whether the MCU has rediscovered its mojo.
As it stands, Brave New World is tracking for a $95 million-plus four-day opening in theatres, which would put it ahead of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ($94.6M 4-day), as well as DC films Black Adam ($67M) and The Flash ($55M).
Here’s to hoping Brave New World is a successful launch for Mackie’s Captain America and the MCU finding a new vigour.
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