Through the last 12 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become one of the most successful franchises of this century. Anchored by record-breaking films and a stellar cast, there is no denying that the billion-dollar franchise has provided fans quality content and memorable moments along the way.
Outside the in-universe storylines, there are many captivating stories from behind-the-scenes that surfaced over the years. Previously, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn shared a funny story of how Spider-Man star Tom Holland was introduced to Marvel legend Stan Lee. On top of that, Ant-Man star Paul Rudd also recalled his first time meeting Captain America star Chris Evans, which essentially led to a hilarious time on set. And now, based on a new interview, it seems that another amusing story from the MCU set has surfaced.
NEWS
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly , Falcon star Anthony Mackie shared details about his time during the set of Civil War , with him breaking down his plan to successfully "land like a bird" during one of the scenes:
"The Marvel movies were the first time I had to an action thing. My character's the Falcon, so I show up, I sit with the graphics team and the directors, and they're like, 'We want you to land like a bird.' Because you have wings… you have to pull your legs in, swoop your core in, let your wings slow you down, and then land on your feet. Being the weird actor that I am and going back to my mime and clown days, I went and started studying all these birds and the way they land, the way they took off, they way they flew, and all this stuff. "
However, Mackie admitted that it was difficult to execute, and it eventually led to a "comedy of errors" on set:
"The first day — I think we were doing Civil War, and there's the scene where [Vision] shoots Rhodey out of the sky and I land to see if he's okay — I'm supposed to land, so they pull me up like 30 feet off the ground and I'm on a pendulum, so I'm supposed to pull my legs under me and land to a stop. I didn't realize how much my lower body weighed, so I pull on the ropes to try and bring my legs under but I can't get my core in, and I literally land face-first in the dirt and bounce for about 10 feet. I have grass and mud all in my face. The crew is just dying laughing. Everybody is dying laughing. "
"It became a comedy of errors of every day when I had to land and how they were going to kill me," he said. "To this day: 'How do we crash him into something?'"
WHAT THIS MEANS
Mackie's story about his time while filming Civil War is a testament to how doing stunts is no easy feat. While the MCU has been consistent in providing a visual treat to fans, the hard work of actors and the crew behind-the-scenes shouldn't be dismissed. Even though Mackie's story is hilarious in nature, it goes to show that the actor was committed in terms of delivering the right performance for the role.
Captain America: Civil War was a major team-up event during the Infinity Saga, which saw the heroes divided for the first time due to the Sokovia Accords. Given that Civil War was an intense affair for the beloved MCU heroes, it's quite refreshing to read amusing stories about the experience of the actors when filming. Mackie's reveal of studying actual birds and incorporating his mime experience for the Falcon role should provide fans more depth about his portrayal of the Marvel character.
Fans will get to see Mackie next during his much-anticipated debut as the MCU's Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier . Due to years of practice for the role, it's safe to say that Mackie will have a better landing on set while also providing fans a new take not just for the Falcon character but to the Captain America persona as well.
