Anthony Mackie has some words to say about the Marvel Cinematic Universe! The Captain America star recently spoke out about why working with Marvel is so different than any other property.
Being Captain America has made Anthony Mackie a certified action star. His role in the MCU has not only been one of the most iconic given the character’s transformation throughout the years, but has also given the actor the opportunity to spread his wings outside of the world of comic books thanks to his success as Sam Wilson.
This includes a leading role in the Twisted Metal series for Peacock. In contrast to the military man Sam Wilson seen in the Captain America franchise, Anthony Mackie plays a childish vagabond named John Doe, who serves as a courier for packages across the universe.
It’s a role that’s a far cry from how Anthony Mackie is usually seen in the MCU. When speaking about his Twisted Metal role to Radio Times, Mackie revealed that one of the biggest differences between the two worlds is that Marvel is such a controlled environment. While John Doe gets to ride free, Sam Wilson’s evolution as Captain America has to stick to the comics.
“I would say the Marvel thing is completely different, just because it’s such a space of controlled entertainment.” Mackie explained. “Like, there’s only so much you can do. There’s only so much creativity you can bring to the table, because Stan Lee gave us so much content.”
“Whereas with this [Twisted Metal], it was like, ‘There’s a guy and a girl… go!’ So we were really able to build the world around it.” He stated before continuing, “Exactly. And that’s the hard thing about the Marvel universe. It’s like, you can’t really go outside of the lines of those comic books.”
“You know, when we introduced the Falcon, and the growth of the Falcon to Captain America, all of that had to coincide with what Stan had already gave us. So it’s an interesting juggle to be a part of that world. And this was more like, ‘Let’s just have fun and figure it out as we go.'”
Anthony Mackie certainly makes an interesting contrast between Twisted Metal and the MCU. The idea of figuring things out as they go is especially true for the Peacock show as John Doe is a character created entirely for the series, whereas Sam Wilson has been in Captain America comics spanning back decades.
The MCU’s Complicated History With Marvel Comics
Anthony Mackie seems to have unknowingly struck a cord pertaining to one of the most interesting parts of being a Marvel fan. How closely the MCU can and should stick to the comics they’re based on is a hotly contested debate stemming back to the beginning of the fandom.
The MCU has been infamous for straying far away from the comics. Projects like Captain America: Civil War and Secret Invasion only share the namesake of their written counterparts, with very little connective tissue in their actual stories. This isn’t to mention the original stories Marvel projects make up like Werewolf By Night and Thor: Ragnarok.
Some fans love that the MCU has the creative liberty to go outside of the realms presented by the comics. Others wish Marvel would stop messing with an already good thing, critiquing changes like making Ms. Marvel a mutant or characters like Harley Keener existing.
While it’s a complicated tightrope to walk, it seems Marvel has found its groove when it comes to Anthony Mackie’s time as Captain America. With his new film coming up the pipeline, here’s to hoping Marvel keeps innovating on the stories from the page when adapting them to the silver screen!
Captain America: Brave New World is currently slated to hit theaters on February 14, 2025. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
