Marvel’s Captain America franchise has proven to be one of the most interesting and exciting cinematic series of the past decade, but with so many superheroes to follow, it can be tough to keep track of them all. Luckily, Anthony Mackie, who plays the Falcon in the film series, was more than happy to help us out! Anthony Mackie was generous enough to answer a few questions about his character and what it means to be a superhero in today’s world of politics and entertainment. Here’s what he had to say! Anthony Mackie On Being A Superhero
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How he got the role
In April 2010, Anthony Mackie was cast as Sam Wilson in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He became aware of auditioning for Cap while in Prague filming The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon. I remember thinking ‘I don’t know why they want to fly me to London for an audition. It’s a really small part’, he told Collider. ‘But if they’re flying me out there and putting me up in a hotel and paying for my flights and food, then it must be important.’ Once he arrived at Marvel Studios’ offices, he met director Joe Johnston who told him about his role and sent him off to meet with Chris Evans. He went on to read with Evans who gave him some tips on how best to approach his character.
His thoughts on working with other actors
To be able to work with Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson, who’s been in so many other superhero movies, I didn’t want them to feel like there was a new guy. So I just took up as much space as possible and tried to impress everyone with my acting chops.
The importance of authenticity in portraying a superhero
Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier is due to release April 4, 2014. The movie stars Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson. It also features Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon. Many scenes in Winter Soldier were filmed on location in Cleveland, Ohio with Anthony at their center. We interviewed him about playing a superhero for his role and received some great insight into how he approached being authentic to that character by drawing from real life experience
Anthony’s favorite superhero (other than his own)
Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). I just love everything about that character. I don’t think that a lot of people understand how cool he is, and how deep his character is. And [he’s] so dope, too. You know what I mean? He’s got some swag. He has some style. He has all of these different things going on for him—it’s almost like a James Bond kind of vibe to him as well, which makes it even cooler.
The impact superheroes have on young fans
Most of us have grown up with superheroes in one form or another. There was Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Wolverine and so many more. Even as adults these heroes stay around to entertain our children and ourselves for hours on end through movies and television shows. We all marvel at how strong they are, how fast they are, how smart they are, but in reality none of them could actually exist because their actions would kill everyone around them.
His hopes for the future of the MCU
Anthony has been on set with Chris and Robert, working with an incredible team of filmmakers. It was amazing. I don’t want to give too much away but what I can say is that I’m really looking forward to Avengers: Infinity War, out May 4th 2018. It’s going to be global, like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Anthony pauses. Mind-blowing. He beams. I love Marvel.
Anthony Mackie Reflects on Playing Falcon
Anthony Mackie has been an actor since 2000 and he’s most known for his role as The Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He first appeared in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and reprised his role in Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War. To say he had a good run would be an understatement, but this won’t be the last time you see him on screen because Mackie isn’t done yet! Read more to find out why Anthony Mackie loves playing the Falcon so much.
The Importance of Being Sam
Anthony Mackie’s character, Sam Wilson (aka Falcon), was introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier after making a cameo appearance in The Avengers. This fall, he has a major role in Avengers: Age of Ultron. At Comic-Con International 2014, he spoke with CBR TV about playing Captain America’s wingman and future Marvel Cinematic Universe plans.
Appreciating His Marvel Family
The family you choose is a big part of who you are. What I love about Marvel and what I love about Captain America: Civil War in particular is that it shows all these different superheroes, but they’re not just hanging out by themselves. They’re with their families, he said. And those families have changed them and made them better, so it makes me appreciate my family more.
An American Hero Anthony Mackie On Being A Superhero
When it was announced that Anthony Mackie would be playing Sam Wilson / Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, most comic book fans were overjoyed. The character has long been a favorite of both hardcore and casual comic book readers, and many expected great things from Marvel’s Black Captain America.
Becoming an Actor at 14
Anthony Mackie, known for his role as Sam Wilson / Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, was a teenager when he became interested in acting. He grew up as an army brat, moving around a lot. His interest in acting began at 14 when he went to New York City to try and get into an arts high school but couldn’t because there were no spots available.
First Job & Acting School
I’m an Air Force brat, but I was born in New Orleans. My dad is retired from over 30 years of service, so I spent a lot of time moving around. But my mother would always try to keep me in acting classes and theater; she was very much a supporter of that. I started acting classes when I was ten-years-old, then took summer courses and kept with it while we moved around.
Honesty in Acting
Anthony Mackie is an American actor, known for his work in films such as The Hurt Locker (2008), and more recently, as Sam Wilson / Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). At Comic-Con 2014, he was announced to appear in Captain America: Civil War (2016). He will star in action thriller Triple 9. He co-starred with Mark Wahlberg in Patriots Day.
Practicing vs. Practicing Well
Whether we’re practicing a sport, a musical instrument or any other physical activity, there’s a big difference between simply going through the motions and putting in deliberate practice. The first time I lifted weights at the gym, I did so with very little focus; it was more about checking off a task from my to-do list than anything else.
Writing your own material
As one of Marvel’s newest heroes, Sam Wilson was a controversial choice for The Avengers, but actor Anthony Mackie’s performance as The Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier helped raise his profile. Recently, I sat down with Mackie to talk about playing Wilson/Falcon and using his own material to bring Falcon to life.
