Falcon Takes Flight In Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Falcon, Anthony Mackie in Captain America, The Winter Soldier

I have been sharing all of the awesome interviews that I got to do for Captain America: the Winter Soldier. We’ve heard from Captain America’s Chris Evans, Black Widow’s Scarlett Johansson, and Producer Kevin Feige, and it’s time to hear from the newest addition the the Marvel series: The Falcon, Anthony Mackie!

Anthony Mackie, Captain America, The Winter Soldier

This is Mackie’s first Marvel film, he expressed his gratitude to be able to take on such a big role in a great franchise. In addition to acting, he should also double as a comedian, he had our group in tears the whole interview. This guy is hilarious without even trying, no kidding! Between the laughter, Mackie discussed his feelings towards his role as the Falcon, his costume and stunts, his relationship on set with Chris Evans, and what it feels like to be the first black Marvel superhero on the big screen.

Interview with Anthony Mackie, Captain America’s Falcon

Playing The Falcon in Captain America was like a dream come true for Mackie. “When I first started acting I was like, there are two things I want to do. I want to be a superhero. And I want to do a Western, preferably with Clint Eastwood. And, uh, then Morgan Freeman took my role in UNFORGIVEN.” Now he’s got the superhero dream taken care of, and he’s humbled by it. “I feel like a lot of people are famous for different reasons. Uh, some people are famous because they’re handsome. Some people are famous because they’re British. I’m very happy that I’m famous because I can act. And I feel like this is a job I got because I deserved it.”

Mackie didn’t want any intervention with his first Marvel film, the other lead actors had been in many of the previous installments and he wanted to get a feel for his role on his own. “I did not want to mess up my experience. I completely wanted to come into this naïve, ignorant and like my virginal eyes not knowing anything.” Mackie thought it was neat that they treated him like royalty, they shut down the streets in Cleveland to film, so he said that he felt exclusive, like “Denzel“.

Mackie enjoyed working with Chris Evans. “Chris and I have a very good relationship. And literally got to the point where we would show up on set. And we were like seven-year- olds. I mean, we had that first day where it’s like, deal with 35-year old men in costumes. We’re losers.” They started making fun of each other and it became routine, and that made it fun to go to work knowing you’re making a quality product. “Once we got over our suits, we had a good time.”

Mackie loved his Falcon costume, everything about it. He also loved doing stunts and the fact that his stunt man did a whole lot of the painful ones. ” I have the best stuntman in the business. We’ve done like five movies together.” He said their relationship was like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, where Bugs would put Daffy in front of a missile or some TNT to take his place. Mackie’s stunt man took the brunt of the rough hits. The first day on set, Mackie had to get right into the action. He climbed up onto a tall, 60 foot platform, here’s what they told him to do: “All right, stand on the edge of the platform, there’s a jet coming at you. We want you to stand up, turn around, shoot your guns and jump back backwards head first, into this mat.” It was exhausting, not your typical first day on a movie set!

To prepare for the Falcon role, Mackie’s diet and exercise routine was super strict. He’d wake up at 6am, do cardio at the gym for about an hour, and come home and rest, eating every 3 hours. Later that evening, you’d go back to the gym and lift weight for about a hour and a half. You go home and go to sleep, and wake up the next day to do it all again. For three months. “You know fitness is a lifestyle, you have to eat a certain way. You have to do a certain thing, you have to live a certain way. So you know, me and my homeboy Jack Daniels stopped talkin’. Me and my girlfriend Haagen Dazs broke up. She French, it was crazy.” LOL

Mackie plays the first African America superhero of Marvel’s big screen films. He thinks it’s an honor, because as a kid, he didn’t have a superhero that he could look up to that was like him. “I mean, when I first got this role I just cried like a baby because I was like, “Wow, next Halloween, I’m gonna open the door and there’s gonna be a little kid dressed as the Falcon.” You know, and that’s the thing that always gets me. It’s always, so I feel like everybody deserves that. I feel like there should be a Latino super hero, there should be, you know, I feel like Scarlett does great representation for all the other girls.”

Captain America, The Winter Soldier Shield Movie Poster

Among so much great information and many inappropriate jokes, this was probably one of the best interviews I have ever done! Catch Anthony Mackie as The Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, out in theaters NOW!