Next year, Anthony Mackie will be revealed as the Marvel Comics character Falcon in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” and the actor has revealed a few small details about the upcoming sequel’s portrayal of the superhero.
Mackie –previously seen in “The Hurt Locker” and “Gangster Squad” — is joining returning star Chis Evans (reprising his role as Cap, seen in 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” and 2012’s “The Avengers”) for the film based on a popular recent comic book storyline, and directed by TV regulars Anthony Russo and Joe Russo.
A comics fan in real life, Mackie revealed his enthusiasm to play the Falcon in an interview with EW. “It makes me very proud, definitely, it”s a big deal,” he confessed. “It”s a cool story and brings in some amazing characters and the Falcon is one of the things that fans are already excited about.”
“The most important thing I got from everybody at Marvel about the Falcon was the need to show that he”s a very righteous, man-forward kind of guy,” Mackie explained. “He would do anything to protect the man next to him and to protect his country. That”s the integrity of the character and the integrity of the man and that that”s what I have focused on.”
In the film, cap’s presumed-dead sidekick Bucky (Sebastian Stan) returns as the Winter Soldier, a formidable assassin. The sequel also stars Frank Grillo, and “Avengers” vets Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders.
Mackie refers to “Captain” as a “bigger-than-life opportunity for me. I”ve had these little milestones along the way and now to play a superhero and to work with people like Robert Redford, Sam Jackson, and Chris [Evans]? It”s just turned into this amazing moment.”
The Falcon is one of Marvel Comics’ few African American superheroes, and Mackie is determined to do the long-running character justice in the film. “The biggest thing for me, the most exciting thing for me, is to come out on Halloween and see all the little black kids dressed up like the Falcon,” revealed Mackie. “There are so many parts of our society that are not catered to or represented fully and this will give a new generation of our society someone to look up to and identify with. That”s why I am so intensely focused on bringing the character to life in a special way.”
Mackie recently starred in Michael Bay’s “Pain & Gain,” and will soon be seen alongside Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake in “Runner, Runner.”
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” opens April 4, 2014.