Anthony Mackie Explains Why Sam Wilson Was the Right Choice for Captain America: 'Not Having the Serum Makes Him...'

Captain America: Brave New World's lead Anthony Mackie explains why Chris Evans' Steve Rogers picked Sam Wilson to be the new Captain America. Read on to know the details.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Feb 15, 2025 | 05:03 PM IST | 15.9K

Youtube / Marvel Entertainment

Anthony Mackie believes Chris Evans' Steve Rogers made the best choice passing his shield on to Sam Wilson, who became the new Captain America.

When Chris Evans' Steve Rogers transferred the vibranium shield to Sam Wilson in Avengers: Endgame (2019), it introduced a new era for the legendary Marvel superhero. Mackie now becomes the lead of his first big-screen outing as the protagonist in Captain America: Brave New World.

The 8 Mile actor has commented on taking on the role, noting that Rogers had particular reasons for appointing Wilson as his replacement. Speaking to Hollywood Outbreak, he said, "With Steve giving the shield to Sam, he saw something very unique but also he saw a lot of himself in Sam and vice versa."

He continued, "Sam not having the serum makes him more of a human—a compassionate superhero—because when we first saw him, he was a counselor."

Mackie lauded war veteran Sam's nature and his previous job as a counselor, saying that he can put all of his troubles aside to focus on someone else and help them. He defined his character as a 'caretaker' and a 'humanitarian.'

The Brother to Brother actor added that Sam's human qualities are what make him so different from Steve, as he concluded, "He can't use brute force to solve his problems. He has to listen and care and react to the person in front of him as opposed to going through the person."

At the end of Endgame, Chris Evans' aged Captain America picked his trusted companion, Sam or the Falcon, to carry on his legacy and responsibilities. Mackie's take on Captain America was then originally introduced in the Disney+ show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), also starring Oscar-nominated actor Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes.

Julius Onah-helmed Captain America: Brave New World follows Sam Wilson's journey as he learns how to deal with his new duties and tackles an international crisis. Starring Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Harrison Ford, and more, the movie is now playing in theaters worldwide.