This April marks one year since Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson took up the Captain America mantle in the series finale of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. On the same day that Mackie was first seen donning the iconic Stars and Stripes, Captain America 4 was revealed to be in development for the big screen, with Disney+ showrunner Malcolm Spellman returning to pen the script.
Almost a year later, there is still no word on how pre-production is getting along, with the Captain America: Civil War sequel presumably still in the writing stages. Marvel Studios is still yet to even properly announce the film, despite the cast and crew having talked openly discussed its existence and progress.
As Spellman continues to write, Captain America 4 is yet to sign a director. However, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier director Kari Skogland has thrown her hat in the ring to reunite with her Disney+ collaborators.
Even with no word on how things are progressing, Anthony Mackie is clearly ready to don the suit once again as he has revealed how he's preparing for his MCU comeback.
Anthony Mackie Is Feeling the Music
During an interview with Variety on the 2022 Grammy Awards red carpet, the MCU's former Falcon actor Anthony Mackie revealed which song he's been listening to throughout his preparation for Captain America 4.
Mackie has a history of using music to further his acting preparation, having once used John Legend's "Ordinary People" in the build-up to his role. The Sam Wilson actor claims to have been using a Tupac song for his MCU return, but he told Variety he "can't say it on camera" due to the NSFW lyrics, although he did offer a hint:
“I can't say it on camera, but it’s a Tupac song. And it starts off, ‘First off, dot dot dot dot dot dot … ‘”
The song Mackie described is “Hit ‘Em Up,” a rap hit by Tupac Shakur. The song was released in 1996 as a dis track against East Coast rappers, whose rivalry with Tupac's West Coast musical roots remains notorious.
The full song can be heard below:
How is Captain America 4 Getting Along?
Funnily enough, Mackie actually played Tupac in 2009's Notorious, a biopic depicting the life of legendary rapper The Notorious B.I.G. Even after a close analysis of the NSFW lyrics, it's hard to imagine how “Hit ‘Em Up” could relate in any way to Captain America 4, but perhaps the song may just be a favorite of Mackie's.
Disney recently revealed four 2024 release dates for unannounced blockbusters, and Sam Wilson's big-screen solo debut will almost certainly occupy one of them. With roughly a year having now been spent on the script and Anthony Mackie already preparing for the film, filming may commence soon.
Before the cameras can start rolling, Marvel Studios will need to bring a director on board. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Kari Skogland seems like the obvious choice with much of the Disney+ band getting back together, but her directing commitments to Gal Gadot's Cleopatra biopic may get in the way of her MCU return.
With Marvel Studios expected to return to San Diego Comic-Con and Disney's D23 expo later this year, official news on Captain America 4 may come at one of the major fan events. Since production will probably begin this year or next, one of the events will likely bring confirmation of a title, release date, and some cast.
Anthony Mackie recently confirmed he was on the set of this year's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, leading to speculation he may appear in the Wakandan sequel. But unless those theories come to fruition, Captain America 4 is currently set to be Sam Wilson's next MCU appearance, with no release date having been announced at this time.
