Anthony Mackie has described the monumental significance of carrying Captain America’s shield in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Marvel Studios wrapped up a decade’s worth of storytelling earlier this year, concluding a huge 22-film saga with Avengers: Endgame. Garnering positive reviews, the film ultimately became the highest-grossing film of all time. The franchise shows no signs of stopping, however, with newly revealed details of Marvel’s Phase 4 plans and even elements of Phase 5 frequently emerging.

As well as dominating the big screen, the Disney-owned juggernaut will branch out into the world of television via the newly launched Disney+ streaming service. A number of shows have already been confirmed, including Loki and WandaVision. Unlike previous Marvel TV efforts, the new shows will fully intersect with the movies. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is set to be the first one released. With Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan reprising their roles of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, respectively, the show will see them once again come up against Daniel Brühl’s Baron Zemo, in full comics accurate mask. It’ll also mark the first appearance of the titular characters since an elderly and retired Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) passed the shield and Captain America moniker to Sam Wilson.

Mackie recently spoke with Deadline regarding the monumental importance of taking over the Captain America mantle. Mackie was promoting his new movie, Seberg - a film inspired by true events within which he plays civil rights activist Hakim Jamal opposite Kristen Stewart’s Jean Seberg. Regardless, the outlet inevitably brought the subject around to The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Asking what it has been like to walk around with the iconic shield, Mackie revealed that the cultural significance wasn’t lost on him and had some especially poignant things to say. Check out his full response below:

Mackie went on to relay that his taking over the mantle of Captain America has allowed an important conversation with his children. Equating the situation to “winning a lifetime achievement award”, Mackie explained that he’d been able to discuss with his sons the idea that he could grow up to be Captain America and the extent of what that means. All of which only added to the emotional aspect of Mackie’s career in the last few months. That kind of cultural diversity has become a driving force within Marvel Studios over the last few years - with the success of Black Panther spurring them on to produce more female-led adventures and even greenlight the first Asian-led superhero film in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

“You know what, to be honest, it’s very emotional. I’ve been in the business for 20 years and I’ve been fortunate to do some amazing stuff and work with amazing people. For me, to be a Black man in 2019 and be given the helm of Captain America with the history of Black men in this country is a monumental step, not only in entertainment but also in my life. It’s been extremely emotional. Look, my grandfather was a sharecropper, you know what I mean? There’s a lot of history and pain and triumph and joy that comes along with me being Captain America.”

Mackie himself is set to also take over another mantle - with the body-swapping elements allowing him to take over from Joel Kinnaman and play Takeshi Kovacs in Altered Carbon season 2. Though it will be comprised of eight episodes, Altered Carbon season 2 has yet to receive an official release date. It will no doubt be the inaugural MCU Disney+ outing, however, that has fans most excited. With filming on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier already underway, photos and details from the set have begun to emerge. The latest photos of which featured Stan’s Bucky Barnes sporting a new look in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. If recent reports pan out, the political significance of Sam Wilson taking over the mantle will also be portrayed on-screen - with the titular duo facing pushback from a government wanting to decide who takes over the mantle and iconic shield for themselves.

More: Everything We Know About The Falcon & The Winter Soldier TV Series

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is expected to release sometime in fall 2020.

Source: Deadline

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