Former Steve Rogers actor Chris Evans checked in on his friend, Captain America: Brave New World star Anthony Mackie, after the film hit theaters.
The fourth entry in the Captain America film series had its wings clipped by mixed reviews, which contributed to Brave New World's 48% Rotten Tomatoes score.
That is to say nothing of the online complaints and vitriol targeting a sequel where a Black actor took over for a white one, which Captain America 4 screenwriter Rob Thomas laughed off recently over the particular criticism's irrelevancy.
Chris Evans Sent Kind Text to Anthony Mackie Regarding Captain America 4
Speaking to E! News during the press junket for his new film Sneaks, Anthony Mackie's attention was turned to another recent project: Playing Sam Wilson in Captain America: Brave New World.
When asked by the interviewer if Mackie had heard from Chris Evans, the actor behind the MCU's original Captain America before Sam took over, he revealed that Evans briefly reached out to him with a compliment and a capsule review of Brave New World:
"No, I haven't talked to him. I just got a text from him saying 'good job,' and he loved the movie."
Mackie continued, making it clear that both his and Evans' frenzied schedules have precluded a longer conversation about Captain America 4 from taking place between them:
"So, I haven't talked to him because we both been running around. He's in like, middle of Europe somewhere working."
Anthony Mackie and Chris Evans are tight. The longtime pals first worked together on the 2011 rom-com What's Your Number?. But it was their buddy comedy-esque timing and instant chemistry in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier that put not only the stars, Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson, on the map.
In 2022, Evans stated that there was "no one better" than Anthony Mackie to take on the mantle of Captain America after he retired from his tenure as Steve in the closing minutes of Avengers: Endgame.
From a film review perspective, Captain America: Brave New World's reaction was scattered and ultimately failed to move adamantium mountains. The picture was met with a sharply divided response from its audience. Online commentators also put the film on blast, screaming about elements such as Captain America's skin color.
Rob Thomas, one of Captain America 4's six writers, took a calmer approach to offering his thoughts, noting that he loved it and had seen it more than once in the cinema:
"When the audience's marks came in, everybody I saw said like, 'Not only did I love it, but I brought my family to the next week. I've seen it more than once."
If one steps outside the echo chamber of the internet, they may find Captain America: Brave New World's reception to be a bit more nuanced. Certainly, Chris Evans can be counted as a fan as well.
Evans Looks Out for Mackie
Now, the exact timing of Chris Evans's text wasn't specified by Anthony Mackie to E! News. So, there's no way of knowing if Evans was offering friendly reassurance to the Brave New World lead in counter to the Marvel film's middling box office take-home in the weeks following its February 14 release.
It's also possible that Evans was trying to buck up his friend and co-star after noticing the relentless hate campaign aimed at him and the movie. However, it appears that Chris Evans does not spend much, or any time on social media.
The performer's official Instagram account has been cleansed of all personal posts, leaving only paid sponsorship ads which he's contractually obligated to leave up. It feels improbable that Chris Evans is glued to the internet, much less that he's seeking out hateful remarks about others in his life.
Logically speaking, it seems most likely that Evans simply wanted to text his buddy to tell him how much he liked his new movie.
Speculation swirls that Mackie and Evans could soon share scenes again in the MCU, as both are stated to return in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday.
Anthony Mackie will once again suit up as Cap in Doomsday, but digital scuttlebutt points to Chris Evans lending his talents to a Marvel character far more sinister than film viewers expect from him (read more about how Steve Rogers could break bad here).
