Favorite superhero revealed by Anthony Mackie
Although Anthony Mackie portrays both The Falcon and Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he shared that his childhood experiences didn’t revolve around comic books. Instead, he was an avid viewer of animated cartoons, which shaped his early cinematic interests and storytelling appreciation.
Next year marks a significant milestone for Anthony Mackie as he steps into the iconic role of Captain America in the upcoming film Captain America: Brave New World. This long-anticipated feature showcases Mackie’s journey from the sidelines to the forefront of the Marvel franchise. During a recent appearance at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, Mackie recounted the moment he discovered he would take on the mantle of Captain America. He shared that he was at Chris Evans’ house enjoying a football game when Evans surprised him by revealing the script pages from Avengers: Endgame, which included the pivotal scene of Steve Rogers passing the shield. Mackie recalled the excitement: “When I read it, we just hugged each other and jumped around in a circle.”
Interestingly, Mackie disclosed that prior to his casting as Falcon, he had little exposure to comic books. In a candid moment, he admitted, “A lot of people might not like this, but I’ve never read comics. I’ve watched every cartoon, like everything from Tom and Jerry to Teen Titans — if you haven’t watched Teen Titans, that’s my favorite cartoon. Go online and search the ‘Booty Scooty’ [episode]. It’s amazing.” Despite his lack of comic book reading, he fondly recalled his childhood admiration for superheroes, particularly expressing his affection for one specific character.
My favorite character of all time is the Incredible Hulk. I’ve always been a Hulk fan. When I was a kid, I used to watch the TV shows. I just always loved the Hulk.”
Mackie also shared a humorous observation that he has in common with many fans regarding the Hulk’s transformations. He reflected on the peculiarities of the character’s transformations, voicing a shared fan sentiment: “I always wondered, ‘How come everything came off except the pants?’ Everything — his shirt, his shoes — came off, but his pants stayed. I always thought that was weird.”
In discussing his role as Sam Wilson, Mackie highlighted the distinctive differences between his character and Steve Rogers as Captain America. He elaborated, “It’s very different with the serum — you can fight anybody. When you don’t have the serum, you have to be smart and engineer different ways of defeating [enemies]. With Sam, him being a counselor, he uses more of his brains than brawn. He uses more of his wit than his fist. He’s more of a friend to everyone.” Furthermore, he emphasized that Sam’s character evolution is both profound and relatable: “Sam’s evolution is simple. He’s still a counselor. He’s still serving soldiers, but at the same time, now he’s a leader of his community in the country.”
