Why becoming Captain America is so important to Anthony Mackie

The end of Avengers: Endgame was highly emotional for a number of reasons. Not only did audiences have to mourn the passing of Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man, but they also had to bid farewell to Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, too.

However, in the concluding moments of Endgame, we got to see the birth of a new Captain America, as Rogers passed the titanium shield onto Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Now the Falcon will wield the weapon in the upcoming Disney+ series The Falcon and Winter Soldier.

During a recent interview with Deadline, Mackie opened up about the opportunity to become Captain America, admitting that it has been a “very emotional” couple of months.

“I’ve been in the business for 20 years and I’ve been fortunate to do some amazing stuff and work with amazing people,” Mackie declared.

“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.”

But while Mackie is obviously looking at the past and how becoming Captain America marks such a significant step, he is also looking at the future and the impact that having such a role can have on his own children.

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“In the past, it was always the conversation as Black fathers that we had with our kids about how to be safe when they left home, about how not to entice police officers, about how not to walk through certain neighbourhoods.

“But now we can have the conversation with our sons about what it means for him to grow up and possibly be Captain America. It’s been a very emotional few months.”