"I'm Like, 'I'mma Die, Damn'": Anthony Mackie Recalls Chris Evans Telling Him To Read The Avengers: Endgame Script And How He Had No Idea He'd Be The New Captain America

Captain America: Brave New World star Anthony Mackie is ready to officially inherit the mantle of Captain America from his friend and former costar Chris Evans. Mackie has starred as Sam WIlson in many MCU projects starting with 2014’s Captain America: The WInter Soldier, and his character started off as the Falcon, a sidekick to Evan’s Steve Rogers/Captain America. In Avengers: Endgame, Steve passed his iconic shield to Sam, who properly took on the title at the end of the DIsney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Coincidentally, the real-life story of Mackie discovering he would be the new Captain America involved Evans passing the torch. Speaking with Fandango as part of their Big Ticket interview series, Mackie told the memorable story of how Evans delivered the life-changing news, which made both stars jump “around in a circle high-fiving like two 12 year-olds that just met Mickey Mouse.” According to the actor, Evan dropped the news while filming in Atlanta.

Mackie went into further detail, stating:

“It was a bunch of us at his house–he 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 ‘you 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.”

Because of Evans, Mackie “knew [he] could handle” playing Captain America. As such, the actor says he “couldn’t imagine finding out any other way.“

What Anthony Mackie’s Story About Becoming Captain America Means

The story of Mackie learning he will become Captain America parallels that of Sam in some regard. While Evans did not go back in time then bequeath the shield to Mackie, he did still pass on the role friend to friend, which is incredibly special. Evans is synonymous with the role of Captain America, so Mackie receiving his seal of approval is a huge deal. Like Steve knowing Sam could handle the shield, so did Evans with Mackie.

RelatedCaptain America: Brave New World director Julius Onah reveals that stars Anthony Mackie and Danny Ramirez brought “heart and soul” to the MCU film.

Moreover, Mackie seems to draw confidence from Evans’ faith in him. Given that Steve’s legacy looms large in the MCU, this may factor into Mackie’s performance as Sam, who honors Steve’s legacy while remaining his own man. Likewise, Mackie will continue to play Sam as the same character audiences have followed for over a decade, but with a new responsibility attached to his role as a franchise lead.

Our Take On Anthony Mackie’s Story About Becoming Captain America

Mackie has been a reliably entertaining part of the MCU, and his take on Captain America will likely not deviate from this trend. Evans’ enthusiasm bodes well not just for Mackie, but also for audiences as well. It’s heartwarming that the real-life transition between Evans and Mackie playing Captain America mirrors that of Steve and Sam. Regardless, Mackie’s Sam will finally get to shine as a leading man in Captain America: Brave New World.