Anthony Mackie Sheds New Light on Chris Evans' Old Captain America In Avengers: Endgame

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Posted:
Chris Evans, Old Captain America, Avengers Endgame Logo

It's been almost two years but fans are still talking about 2019's Avengers: Endgame . The mega MCU blockbuster featured a stockpile of memorable moments that left a mark in the eyes of many viewers, like Captain America wielding Mjolnir or the much-talked-about Portals sequence that showcased the entirety of the franchise's roster.

It's no secret that Endgame was the last hurrah of several founding members of the Avengers such as Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. The latter had a unique exit from the franchise since he simply retired to live his desired life with the love of his life, Peggy Carter.

At the tail-end of the film, Evans surprised everyone when he appeared as a much older Steve Rogers to give Captain America's shield to his successor, Sam Wilson. The actor's impressive portrayal earned the admiration of many fans since Marvel Studios was able to pull off a realistic take on the character by using a combination of physical prosthetics and digital alterations .

Now, an MCU veteran reveals another fun tidbit about the emotional sequence.

NEWS

In an interview with SiriusXM , Anthony Mackie shared more details about creating an older version of Steve Rogers during the final moments of Avengers: Endgame . Mackie revealed that Marvel Studios initially wanted to cast an old actor to play Chris Evans, but none of the choices resemble the MCU actor's look when he's old.

This eventually led to Evans portraying the older version of himself in the film, with Mackie praising his co-star's commitment to the role.

“Well, it's funny, they actually wanted to cast an old dude to play Chris Evans, so they brought in like three actors. They're like, 'This isn't how Chris will look when he's old.' He's like George Clooney, he's going to be 95 and still look handsome, you know. So, they brought in the makeup team and prosthetics and made him into an old man. And how good of an actor Chris is, it actually worked, he pulled it off with his voice and everything. He did a great job.”

Interestingly, Patrick Gorman, one of the body doubles of the older Steve Rogers, actually posted an image of the screen test a few years back. In a way, Mackie's story shed some light on the matter.

Who am I? Haha! You’ll never guess and I won’t tell! Mysteries are fun!!! #actor #actorslife #followyourheart #hollywoodactor #actors

WHAT THIS MEANS

It's always refreshing to hear entertaining behind-the-scenes stories about a significant moment from any film. Mackie's excitement in telling the story of Evans' time on set reinforces the strong bond of friendship the actor sshare that started during 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier .

During the box-office dominance of Endgame back in 2019, the presence of Old Man Steve Rogers inspired discussion from fans, with several of them speculating about the ramifications of the character's decision to live a normal life in an alternate timeline.

While the mystery has yet to be uncovered (at least for now), one of the simple topics that made everyone curious was the process of creating an older version of Chris Evans.

It's understandable that many were curious about the whole ordeal due to the film's effective portrayal. More so, many fans would agree about Mackie's statement that no actor will replicate the look of Evans as a 95-year-old man, and it's a good call on Marvel's end to use the process of de-aging.

Not much is known if Evans will return to play Steve Rogers again down the line , but it will be interesting if he does pop up for a cameo role in future MCU projects. For now, Captain America's shield is expected to be the main focus of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , and it's up to Sam and Bucky to preserve the legacy of their friend moving forward.

Release Date
March 19, 2021
Platform
- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.