Anthony Mackie's First Day in the MCU Was Jam-Packed With Action That Had the Actor Pretty Fearful

Anthony Mackie is best known for playing the role of Falcon in the MCU. He portrayed the character also known as Sam Wilson across many films, and then when Captain America retired in Avengers: Endgame, Wilson was handed the shield, and we saw him take on the mantle of Captain America in the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. But before he began his character’s arc, Mackie actually auditioned to be a bad guy for Marvel.

In an interview with Men’s Health, Mackie explained that he first tried to come aboard the MCU by way of auditioning for the villainous role of Mandarin in Iron Man 3. That ultimately went to Ben Kingsley, but his screen test led to a lunch with the company’s creative brokers, including Joe Russo and producer Nate Moore, about starring in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as Falcon.

The actor was thrilled to take the part, but he didn’t realize that he would be thrown into the deep end on his first day. The report explains:

He found this out the hard way in early 2013 while standing atop a towering platform on the set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. A cushion was far below him, and elaborate wires had been strapped to his body for his first day as Falcon, jumping and shooting and dodging imaginary aircraft. “I’m like, ‘Can’t we just start with a walking-and-talking scene?’ ” He spent the next several days crashing to the ground, concerned that he was letting down codirectors Joe and Anthony Russo. “I think they were worried,” he says. “Because they saw how bad I was, and how much fear was on my face.”

What he thought was fear, was actually being conveyed as “charisma,” and “the ability to convey integrity in a way that very few actors can,” according to Joe Russo. It sounds like a crazy situation to be in, but Mackie rose to the occasion, and the rest is history.

Mackie’s Sam Wilson will next be seen in Captain America: New World Order, set to hit theaters in 2024.