Captain America: Anthony Mackie on playing a relatable superhero

Dubai: Hollywood actor Anthony Mackie is embracing his new role as Captain America, calling it a full-circle moment in his career.

Speaking at the Captain America: Brave New World global press conference, the actor described the experience as deeply personal and rewarding.

“The biggest thing for me was to enjoy it,” Mackie said.

“On our first day on set, everyone I’d known for over a decade came up and said congratulations. It felt like a family moment—seeing this character grow and finally have his moment to shine.”

Unlike his predecessor, Steve Rogers, Mackie’s Sam Wilson steps into the role without the super-soldier serum, making him a more relatable hero. “This film establishes Sam as his own being, his own incarnation of Captain America ... He’s every man’s Cap, and I think that’s something unique and rare that people will gravitate toward. They can see themselves in him.”

Mackie also acknowledged the massive expectations following Avengers: Endgame, recalling a conversation with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.

“Kevin told me, ‘It’s going to take time for people to get over Endgame—for both the audience and us.’ That was such a crescendo of emotion,” he said. “But Brave New World, just like Captain America: The First Avenger, is that foundation, that building block for the next big moment in the MCU. I’m proud we’re at the beginning of this journey.”

Beyond the film’s action sequences, Mackie emphasised that Sam Wilson’s leadership style sets him apart from Steve Rogers.

“Steve chose Sam for a reason—his integrity and humanity,” he said. “But Sam has a level of compassion and understanding that comes from his past. When we met him, he was a veteran and a counselor. He’s someone who listens, who truly cares. That’s something Julius [Onah, the director] and I talked about from the start—how do we bring that emotional depth into an action movie of this scale?”

Mackie also spoke about his effortless chemistry with co-star Danny Ramirez, who plays Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon.

“From the moment I met him, he just felt like a friend,” he said. “It was never something we had to work on—it was there from day one.”

As Captain America: Brave New World premieres in the UAE cinemas today, Mackie is confident that the film lays the groundwork for the MCU’s future. “Looking at everything Marvel has done before and now seeing this film, I’m really proud of it,” he said.