Anthony Mackie Makes the Case for a Full ‘Captain America’ Trilogy, and He Brought Math

Few Marvel heroes have waited as long for the spotlight as Sam Wilson, and the push for a full ‘Captain America’ trilogy is now coming from the man holding the shield. Mackie has been a team player in the franchise for over a decade, mostly standing next to bigger names. With a six-episode Disney+ series and his own movie behind him, his superhero has a well-established place in the MCU.

That solo outing, ‘Captain America: Brave New World,‘ earned $415 million globally and landed a 46% on Rotten Tomatoes, one of only 3 rotten MCU titles. The result looked even tougher next to the billion-dollar hit ‘Captain America: Civil War.’ Marvel boss Kevin Feige reportedly blamed the low box office on it being the first film without Chris Evans.

Now Mackie says he is ready for more. He appeared on ‘Happy Sad Confused’ alongside Jamie Dornan, and speaking on ‘Happy Sad Confused’, the actor argued that “every character deserves three movies.” He said he would love to make 2 more films following ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ so Sam can take a complete journey.

The comment came during a live taping at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, recorded after a special screening of the first episode of their Apple TV series ’12 12 12.’ Mackie was asked about his ambitions for Sam Wilson beyond ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ and whether he wanted another standalone movie or was content to leave the character’s future in Marvel’s hands.

He backed his pitch with some creative arithmetic. Thor is the only MCU character who has received 4 solo films, and Mackie then pointed to Spider-Man, joking that 17 versions with 3 movies each adds up to about 51. His logic was simple: if everyone else gets a trilogy, Cap should too.

This isn’t the first time Mackie has mapped out his future in the role. He told Esquire he gives it a solid 10 years, with the 2 ‘Avengers’ movies, hopefully another ‘Captain America’ film, and then random crossovers. Marvel Studios hasn’t said anything official about that front.

For now, Mackie’s comments are a hope rather than a confirmation. It remains to be seen whether he gets those 2 additional solo films, and next up is ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’ Mackie told SYFY Wire that the movie takes place just a few months after ‘Captain America: Brave New World.’

Online reaction hasn’t been especially warm. Fans joked that Mackie’s Captain America won’t be leaving ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ with the shield, and they did not react kindly to his comments. The jokes come from a real question about where the character stands once the next big reset arrives.

Mackie confirmed that he is returning in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars,’ which Marvel has confirmed will reset MCU continuity. It remains to be seen whether the studio sticks with Sam Wilson or recasts Captain America altogether. The question is even more pressing with Steve Rogers’ return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’

The first trailer for ‘CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD’ has been released. In theaters on February 14. https://t.co/BFhQ1WeZh3

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 12, 2024

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is scheduled for release on Dec. 18, and its box office could shape any future for Sam Wilson as the lead. Until then, Mackie’s trilogy campaign remains a wish list, not a slate.

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