Marvel Studios did a phenomenal job keeping Avengers: Endgame's biggest secrets under wraps. Among them was the moment an older Steve Rogers passed his shield to The Falcon, Sam Wilson, making him the new Captain America.
In The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, it was revealed that Sam had ultimately decided against wielding the shield. Everything that happened with John Walker eventually changed his mind, of course, and the hero will next take centre stage in Captain America: Brave New World.
During a recent interview to promote tickets for the movie going on sale, actor Anthony Mackie reflected on learning he'd be the MCU's Star Spangled Avenger.
"It was a bunch of us at his house - [Chris Evans] had this crazy house - sitting there watching a game, shooting the sh*t. So he goes, 'Have you read the new script?' I said, 'Nah.' And he was like 'Tou don't know?' And you know, being black, I’m like 'I'mma die, damn. They're getting rid of me, man. I don't even cause no trouble. I stand in the back, like I don't bother nobody.'"
"So he's like 'C'mon, c'mon.' In his house, he had like a trap door that went to a basement that was like the man cave of all man caves. He has all of his Marvel stuff laid out, his new script and all this stuff. And I’m like 'Oh, this is your prep room.'"
"He gets the new script. He goes to like the last 10 pages, and he goes 'Read it!' So me thinking they killed me off I get to the part and it's like, you know, I’m reading the scene between us, and it goes 'He hands him the shield.' I’m like, 'So why did you give me the shield? He’s like, 'Because you’re f**king Captain America.' We hug, we jump up and down. It was hilarious."
After recently addressing Red Hulk's role in the movie, Captain America: Brave New World director Julius Onah was also on hand to explain why Sam is the right fit to pick up where Steve Rogers left off.
"What's been so great about the Cap movies, in the corner that they have in the universe, is they've operated as these incredibly relatable, grounded thrillers, right?" the director explained. "I think it's so important for a film like this when you have somebody like Sam Wilson at the center. This is a guy who is an earthy, grounded Captain America."
Describing Sam as "someone we can see ourselves in" and "relate to because of the choice he made for how he wants to have his role work as Captain America," Onah said his goal was "bringing that style, bringing that energy, [and] bringing that sense of danger and vulnerability."
You can watch the full interview in the player below.
In Captain America: Brave New World, after meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam Wilson 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 movie stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford. The movie is directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth serve as executive producers.
Captain America: Brave New World opens in U.S. theaters on February 14, 2025.