Anthony Mackie has opened up about a memorable moment with Chris Evans that gave him an early look at the pivotal Avengers: Endgame storyline that would eventually see Sam Wilson take up the mantle of Captain America.
Mackie recalled that Evans, who played Steve Rogers/Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, received script pages ahead of other cast members because of his central role in the franchise.
According to Mackie, the two actors were at Evans’ home when Evans asked whether he had read a new scene from the upcoming film. When Mackie said he had not, Evans took him to the script and allowed him to read it.
The scene revealed the emotional direction of Steve Rogers’ story and the passing of the Captain America mantle to Sam Wilson.
Mackie described the experience as particularly meaningful because Evans chose to share the moment with him personally.
“Chris Evans is somebody who I hold near and dear. We’re at Chris’ house, and because he’s Captain America, he gets the [script] pages first. So he’s like, ‘Yo, did you read the new scene?’ I’m like, ‘Nah, what’s up?’ So, he takes me down…and he gave me the script and let me read it,” Mackie recalled.
He said discovering the development directly from Evans made the moment even more emotional because of their friendship.
“And it was really great and really emotional to learn it from a friend…I don’t know a lot of actors who would have appreciated or celebrated that moment with a fellow actor in that way because I was taking his job for all intents and purposes,” he added.
The moment carried extra weight because Avengers: Endgame marked the conclusion of Evans’ major run as Steve Rogers in the MCU. At the end of the film, an older Steve returns after travelling through time and hands his shield to Sam Wilson, signaling Sam’s succession as Captain America.
Mackie had already been part of the MCU for several years at that point, having debuted as Sam Wilson, also known as Falcon, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. His character gradually became one of Steve Rogers’ closest allies before ultimately being chosen to carry on the Captain America legacy.
Mackie later officially stepped into the title role in Captain America: Brave New World, continuing a transition that began with the emotional exchange between the two actors years earlier.
For Mackie, however, the significance of the moment appears to have gone beyond the Marvel storyline. Evans allowing him to read the scene privately was also a gesture of friendship and recognition at a point when the franchise was effectively preparing to pass one of its most iconic roles from one actor to another.
