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What's it like to play Captain America in the MCU? Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie talk about the "weight" of the role in Marvel's movies
One has finished playing Captain America. The other is just starting. Both know how important the role is in the MCU and to those who watch it.
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The mantle of Captain America isn’t just a heavy one in Marvel comics. Actors who portray the hero in the MCU have a lot to live up to. Anthony Mackie spent a decade playing Sam Wilson before Captain America: Brave New World gave him the chance to carry the shield on the big screen. That weight was first carried by Chris Evans and it, as both actors explain, has both positives and negatives to it.
“It’s a two-way street – there is a responsibility that comes with it but also a lot of pride,” Chris Evans said of his time as the MCU’s original Captain America, Steve Rogers. “It feels like a lot. But then that pressure morphed into an honor.” Evans has been pretty open about how much anxiety he had about taking on such a big role – and the pressure that comes with it – so this feels especially true for the actor.
Anthony Mackie, who is set to play Captain America for the first time when Brave New World hits cinemas in February, is still grasping at how he plans to carry that weight. “It’s a heavy weight to realize people look up to you,” he explains in the same interview. “Because how much of yourself do you allow those people to see? You’re not allowed to be human. That’s the one thing I can’t wrap my brain around.”
Mackie might be an old hat in the MCU, with more than a decade playing Sam Wilson/The Falcon in Marvel movies, but his new role of Captain America comes with a lot more limelight – and much higher expectations.
Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:
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