Marvel Star Disappointed by Next Project, “I Don’t Have My Friends Anymore”

Anthony Mackie has opened up about his upcoming solo film Captain America: Brave New World (2025).

Having played Sam Wilson (AKA Falcon) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2014, Mackie’s solo film has been a long time coming – especially since he took on the mantle of Captain America following Chris Evans’ departure from the franchise in Avengers: Endgame (2019).

However, now that the time has come, it seems that Mackie isn’t entirely pleased with how things are playing out – namely, because it’s much more solo than anything he’s done in the MCU in the past.

“When they decided to go back to the movies, it is what it is,” Mackie told Radio Times, “but I don’t have my friends anymore, so it kind of dampens it a little bit.”

The “friends” mentioned by Mackie are Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes) and Daniel Brühl (Helmut Zemo), with whom he co-starred in the Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Stan, in particular, is a frequent collaborator for Mackie in the MCU, with the pair’s characters undergoing an enemies-to-frenemies-to-friends arc since Captain America: Civil War (2016).

Mackie revealed that he had hoped to star in a second series of the show but that it appears it will remain a one-off as Marvel Studios reshifts its priorities back to film following a rough few years both critically and financially.

“The Falcon and [the] Winter Soldier, I really enjoyed doing that show,” he told Radio Times. “I was actually excited to do a second season, just so me and Sebastian [Stan] can get paid to hang out. Because it’s like me, him and Daniel Brühl. It’s kind of like the perfect storm of happiness.”

Mackie’s comments made it pretty clear that neither Stan nor Brühl will appear in Captain America: Brave New World. Fans will next see Stan in Thunderbolts (2025), where he’ll star alongside Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr/Ghost), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), and Wyatt Russell (John Walker).

However, Mackie made it pretty clear that he’s keen to star in additional Marvel projects with his former co-stars in the future. “Anything I can do to hang out with Daniel, a dancing Daniel Brühl, makes me very happy,” he said.

Would you like to see Anthony Mackie reunite with Sebastian Stan and Daniel Brühl in a future Marvel project? Let us know in the comments!