'He can't punch his way through every problem': Anthony Mackie discusses how his Captain America differs from Steve Rogers'

Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson shows that you don't need superhuman abilities to step up to the mantle of Captain America.

The upcoming Captain America: Brave New World is the American actor's first big screen outing as the hero since Steve Rogers' (Chris Evans) retirement in Avengers: Endgame (2019), with Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) taking Sam's previous position as Falcon.

In an interview shared with AsiaOne, Anthony said about his character: "Sam differs from Steve in the way that Steve was a superhero and had a body that couldn't break and a system that couldn't break down."

However, Sam is a "regular guy trying to save the day", he added, so he has to use "his wits, charm and charisma but also his humanity and his dignity".

"He can't just punch his way through every problem," the 46-year-old said. "He really has to use his background with psychology and knowing people to talk his way out of problems and situations."

The film follows the election of Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), who transforms into the Red Hulk, as the US President. Sam must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the whole world sees red.

But being more steeped in reality, Anthony said that the threats in Captain America: Brave New World are more "man-to-man".

"It's more ideology as opposed to trying to take over and destroy the world," he added.

"We find ourselves at the beginning of the movie being faced with a formidable foe that we had never come across before, so it's trying to understand that and go against that, but in a way of a regular guy as opposed to blowing everything up."

Anthony reiterated that Captain America storylines tend to be "more grounded, more realistic and more steeped in reality", and this one is in the same vein.

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"Sam and Joaquin are three-dimensional, everyday guys. They are just two guys without the super serum or super powers," he added. "So they really have to go after it 100 per cent as a normal guy as opposed to having something to protect them.

"They have to protect themselves."

Though he may not be superhuman, Sam as Captain America still carries Steve's shield and has a new vibranium suit gifted to him by the country of Wakanda.

Anthony shared during the Disney APAC Content Showcase in November 2024 that it will allow him to "kick harder, fly faster and give the ability to be more agile in [his] skills, taking [things] to a completely different level".

"I am most excited for y'all to see me kicking a**. I kicked a lot of a**," he added.

Captain America: Brave New World releases in Singapore theatres on Feb 13.

drimac@asiaone.com

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