Marvel Studios is gearing up for a massive second half of 2021, which will have an early kick-off on Disney+ with Loki in June and then an official start in theaters in July with Black Widow. Before these premieres, the comic book movie juggernaut has time to reap the fruits of its labor from the franchise's first two entries of 2021, WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
At the 2021 MTV Movie Awards, both shows took home multiple awards, including Best Performance (Elizabeth Olsen), Best Villain (Kathryn Hahn), and Best Hero (Anthony Mackie).
Mackie found himself evolving from the Falcon into the Marvel Cinematic Universe's new Captain America in his first Phase 4 appearance, taking over the mantle after Steve Rogers' retirement in Avengers: Endgame. Along with getting to tell an emotionally deep journey for Sam Wilson in a post-Blip world, Mackie once again displayed his unbridled enthusiasm continuing to thrive in the MCU.
And, according to Mackie himself, this will hopefully be far from the end for his hero as the MCU continues.
MACKIE WANTS TO CONTINUE WITH MARVEL
In an interview with Variety at the MTV Movie Awards, MCU actor Anthony Mackie spoke of his future in the franchise after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, for which he won the award for "Best Hero."
When asked how many decades he is signed on for with his Marvel Studios contract, he expressed his hope to stick around for "the next two decades:"
"I hope the next two decades, that’s what I’m hoping for. So if I could be 65 and still doing this, I’m crushing it."
The full video of Mackie's interview can be watched below:
Anthony Mackie was originally skeptical about the idea of a Marvel TV series, "I didn't think we would be able to translate on to television what we do on film" #FATWS https://t.co/CTimzb6F6W pic.twitter.com/qtJMtabLBQ
NO INTENTIONS OF HANGING UP THE WINGS
Marvel CCO Kevin Feige has previously teased that the studio has plans for the MCU as far out as 2029. Mackie's quote, if taken seriously, would keep him playing Sam Wilson until sometime around 2041, and while that may not be planned out yet, it simply continues to show how much he loves playing this role.
To date, Sam Wilson has starred in six MCU movies from Phase 2 and Phase 3 before returning in his own Disney+ series alongside Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes. Particularly with Wilson now standing as the new Captain America, Sam Wilson's Cap is in place to play a pivotal role with Earth's Mightiest Heroes for the next few years ahead.
Currently, the next project for which he's reportedly slated is the recently-announced Captain America 4, although no other details surrounding its release or story are known yet. He will most likely be part of the cast in the yet-to-be-announced Avengers 5, which is still a ways from going into development.
No matter what the specifics turn out to be, MCU fans should expect to see Sam stick around with his vibranium wings and shield for a long time to come.
All six episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are available to stream on Disney+.
