Anthony Mackie has been a staple in the MCU for years now thanks to his ongoing role of Sam Wilson, who has now taken the mantle of Captain America in the post-Avengers: Endgame timeline.
After being a supporting player on several big-screen projects, he will finally become the lead this time around in the upcoming film Captain America: Brave New World which will mark his first solo turn as the titular hero.
However, while Mackie has become known now for his role as the original Falcon in the MCU, the character wasn't his first choice when he was trying to join the franchise during its earlier years.
Anthony Mackie Tried to Convince Marvel to Let Him Play Black Panther
In a recent interview with Inverse, Mackie revealed that before landing the role of Sam Wilson, he was trying to get convince Marvel Studios to let him play Black Panther in the MCU since he is a huge fan of the character.
"I had been contacting Marvel a lot about Black Panther. I had written them letters. I was trying to find a way to make them make Black Panther. And I wanted to be Black Panther because growing up I fucking loved Black Panther," he said.
Fortunately, Mackie managed to eventually nab a meeting with Marvel Studios where the Russo Brothers, who were helming Captain America: The Winter Soldier during that time, told him that they are finally casting him for a major role.
"I’ll never forget, Joe Russo said, ‘Listen, so we’re doing this movie. We want you to be in it. We can’t say what character you’re playing or who else is going to be in it. Would you do it?'" he recalled.
"And that was it. I was like, ‘You know what, I like y’all dudes. I’ll do it. I’ll go on this ride with you.'"
Weeks later, Mackie learned that he will be playing Sam Wilson, which is a role that he didn't expect to get.
He said, "What other major comic book figure has enough of a presence to have his own movie? So when they hit me up and they were like, ‘Yo, so it’s Sam Wilson,’ I’m like, ‘Really?’"
As we all know, Marvel Studios eventually introduced the Black Panther in the MCU a few years later when they cast the late Chadwick Boseman to play the role in Captain America: Civil War before his solo movie.
For Mackie, he became a consistent player in the MCU as he appeared in several more projects afterward. Now, he is Captain America in the current timeline and is also set to be one of the leads in the upcoming Avengers movies.
While he didn't end up getting the role that he originally wanted, he still had an iconic character in the franchise that he is now famously known for and now he has a much bigger presence than ever before.
Also Read: The Marvels Star Reveals More Characters Will Take the Captain Marvel Mantle
Captain America: Brave New World is slated for release in theaters on July 26, 2024. You can check more details about it here.
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