Anthony Mackie got quite the upgrade this past year during his first Disney+ show. While the series started with the hero going by the moniker of Falcon, but the time the finale's credits rolled, he was that no longer—instead, he finally accepted what Steve Rogers offered up to him in Avengers: Endgame: the mantle of Captain America.
It's quite the promotion, especially since the character first made his debut all the way back in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Little did Mackie know that eight years later, his journey in the MCU would only just be beginning.
While The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was his first project truly in the spotlight, Captain America: New World Order will be Anthony Mackie's first solo film—not including the many co-stars he'll have.
From there, the star will almost certainly go on to play a major role in other stories down the line, including Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Now Mackie has commented on his future, revealing that he's probably under Marvel's control for the foreseeable future.
Mackie Addresses His Marvel Studios Future
In an interview with Variety, Anthony Mackie talked about his new mantle as Captain America and what his future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will look like.
Right off the bat, the star shared how he's using his new onscreen status to help those in the real world in need, noting that his new Captain America status "isn't that valuable if you don't do anything with it:"
"That’s what was great about the whole Captain America thing. It’s not so much that I get to do the movies or I get to hold the shield and all that stuff. It gives me the opportunity to work with companies like GAF (a roofing manufacturer) and on initiatives like this (to help areas damaged by natural disasters), and people take notice of it. You use that to show the disparity in these communities and ask yourself, “How can we help?” That’s what’s so fun about the moniker of Captain America. It isn’t that valuable if you don’t do anything with it."
When asked if he'd be partaking in Thunderbolts as well as New World Order, the star shared how he had no idea but bluntly noted that Marvel Studios "own[s] [his] ass," so he'd go wherever directed:
"I have no idea. You know how it works. They call you the week before and are like, 'We own your ass.' Come get in the movie.”
The star revealed how the process for him has been "very inclusive" and that he knows what the story for Sam will be "going forward and how it'll fit in this new Marvel universe:"
"They’re definitely very inclusive. When we did The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, [writer] Malcolm Spellman and I talked at length about what that character was turning into, what we wanted him to be, what we wanted that narrative to be. Now with Malcolm writing [Captain America: New World Order],” it’s the exact same thing. We’ve talked and communicated about what we want that story to be going forward and how it’ll fit in this new Marvel universe. You definitely get the idea of collaboration, but you don’t get to tell them what it’s going to be."
In a separate previous interview with Variety, Mackie joked how he's hoping to still be in the MCU "two decades" from now and if he could keep holding that shield when he's "65 [years old]," he'll be in a good spot:
"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."
How Long Will Sam Go On?
It's undeniable that Sam Wilson will have a lot to worry about in the coming years. Not only is it perfectly reasonable to assume the character could pop up in Thunderbolts, but he'll also likely be leading a team of Avengers by the time The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars rolls around—not to mention with the Leader involved in New World Order, Captain America may also have a role to play in the long-rumored World War Hulk project.
But, when thinking about the future of Sam Wilson, one has to ask: will Chris Evans' Steve Rogers ever re-enter the picture? What would happen then?
In the comics, the two have ended up both running around with their own shields, being active around the Marvel Universe simultaneously, doing their own things. At one point, Sam also willingly let go of the Captain America mantle and took up Falcon once again.
When it comes to this situation playing out in the MCU, it's probably a safe bet that it would likely be closer to having the two active at the same time.
Hopefully, a big event like Secret Wars could answer that once and for all.
Captain America: New World Order hits theaters on May 3, 2024.
