Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Anthony Mackie has shown time and time again his wonderful acting chops through his numerous widely acclaimed on-screen performances. Among all of those brilliant portrayals lies his best-ever performance to date: that of the Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His portrayal of Sam Wilson aka Falcon was so epic that no one else could have played the character better than him, and that’s a fact.
Yet, while fans have grown fond of watching him as the winged superhero, Mackie’s first audition for a role in the MCU wasn’t for Falcon, but rather, for one of the most hated characters in Robert Downey Jr.’sIron Manfranchise: The Mandarin!
Also Read:“It will be the definitive end of actors don’t matter argument”: Captain America 4 Reshoots Divides Fans, Claim Anthony Mackie Can’t Carry a Movie Like Chris Evans
Anthony Mackie Initially Auditioned For The Mandarin
Also Read:Chris Evans’ Absence Hits Captain America: Brave New World Hard – Abysmal Test Scores Lead to 6 More Months of Reshoot, Delayed till 2025
Everyone is aware of howBen Kingsleyended up bagging the role of the Mandarin inIron Man 3, so that’s that. But picture Anthony Mackie in that role. It’s quite unimaginable, no?
It’s understandable how surprising it is considering the entirely different personalities in every manner conceivable Kingsley and Mackie are. But it’s only true that the Falcon star initially auditioned for Kingsley’s villain-ish role inRobert Downey Jr.‘s film to make his debut in the MCU.
Sharing how and why theShutter Islandactor ended up bagging the role instead of him during an interview withMen’s Health,The Hurt Lockerstar said:
“If you’re making a movie about whoever, if you can get Ben Kingsley or Anthony Mackie, you get Ben Kingsley,”he said.“If you’re doing a damn biopic of Michael Jordan, and you can get Ben Kingsley, you get Ben Kingsley.”
Continuing, he further pointed out the inevitably strong influence that Kingsley has on the entertainment industry.
“It’s one of those things where you’re just auditioning people, and you audition every make and model that you’re able to possibly go with while you’re waiting for Ben Kingsley to say yes or no.”
But regardless of whatever reason that Ben Kingsley might have been chosen overAnthony Mackiefor the role, it was only for the best, for if that hadn’t happened, fans just might never have gotten the chance to see Mackie’s spectacular performance as the Falcon!
Also Read:“The guy with the wings?”: Marvel Initially Hated the Idea of Casting a Major Superhero Who Would End Up Fighting Thanos Along With the Avengers
How Anthony Mackie Snubbed The Role Of Falcon
During another interview withMen’s Health, Anthony Mackie shared how he started lobbying Marvel after a year’s break from acting. Claiming he always wanted to play a superhero, he and his team approached the studio in the following manner via email:
“Yo, I’m the black dude from The Hurt Locker.I would love to work with you guys.”
Considering his immaculate job inThe Hurt Locker, Marvel was willing to work hard to get Mackie on board. While the audition for the Mandarin was his first one for the studio and while he didn’t get selected for it, hedidget the chance to have lunch with the company’s creative brokers, which led to his appearance inThe Winter SoldierasChris Evans‘ Captain America’s wingman Falcon.
Sharing his take on his character, Mackie said:
“Growing up, I’d always loved Falcon, because he was a comic-book hero who was black who didn’t have ‘Black’ in the title,” he says. “He stood on his morals. He stood on who he was.”
Turns out, not only did Anthony Mackie bag the role of the character he loved since childhood, but he also performed as stunningly as ever to later on become one of the most major characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
