Promising an epic installment, Mackie teased, “It’s literally the best movie it can be. It stays in the lines of Marvel, it stays in the lines of Captain America, and it’s fun and big.”
Anthony Mackie believes his acting career has included multiple award-worthy performances but considers his portrayal of Captain America as his personal “Oscar.” In a candid interview with Esquire, the 46-year-old actor expressed his thoughts on being overlooked during awards season.
“I know I’ve done at least four performances that could have been nominated — if not for a Golden Globe, then an Oscar or an Emmy,” Mackie said. “Captain America is my Oscar because I’ve been overlooked so many times in my career.”
Despite his extensive filmography, including Spike Lee’s Sucker Free City and She Hate Me, Mackie humorously pointed out that he holds the title of starring in the director’s two least-watched films. “I always tell people I hold the title of being the lead of the two Spike Lee movies nobody saw,” he quipped.
Rather than focusing on accolades, Mackie is now fully embracing his role as Sam Wilson, who inherited the Captain America mantle from Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers after 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. However, he admitted that playing such an iconic superhero comes with significant challenges.
“The expectations of this role are something nobody talks about,” Mackie explained. “When I walk out of this hotel, I don’t walk out as Anthony Mackie. I walk out as Captain America. It’s a heavy weight to realize people look up to you. How much of yourself do you allow them to see? You’re not allowed to be human.”
Mackie will next appear in Captain America: Brave New World, where his character teams up with the new Falcon, played by Danny Ramirez, to thwart a global threat. The film will also see President Thaddeus Ross, portrayed by Harrison Ford, reveal himself as Red Hulk.
Promising an epic installment, Mackie teased, “It’s literally the best movie it can be. It stays in the lines of Marvel, it stays in the lines of Captain America, and it’s fun and big.”
Looking ahead, Mackie predicted a decade-long future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with confirmed roles in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
“I give it a solid ten years,” Mackie said. “You have the two Avengers movies, hopefully another Captain America, and random plug-and-plays like Spider-Man or Fantastic Four. But I don’t want to be a sixty-year-old Captain America.”
As Mackie continues to balance the weight of his superhero role and explore future opportunities in the MCU, he remains a force to be reckoned with both on and off the screen.
