Anthony Mackie says Captain America: Brave New World is a building block to the next Avengers: Endgame-style "massive moment" in the MCU
Brave New World is the "foundation" for "that next [emotional] crescendo"
Captain America star Anthony Mackie has compared the upcoming Brave New World to The First Avenger in terms of how each builds towards a "massive moment" in the MCU.
During the Captain America: Brave New World press conference attended by GamesRadar+ and other outlets, Mackie recalled speaking to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige on the set of Avengers: Endgame and how it would "take time" for fans and cast alike to get over the "emotional crescendo" of the movie that brought the curtain down on the Infinity Saga after over a decade of movies.
But that journey started years prior with the likes of Chris Evans in Captain America: The First Avenger.
On the 2011 movie which featured the origins and debut of Chris Evans' Avenger, Mackie remarked, "It was a foundation. It was a building block that the MCU built and built and built to Steve Rogers standing on that peak and looking out to Thanos' army… The movie was called Endgame for a reason."
Mackie, though, feels as if his new Marvel Phase 5 outing can mirror the importance of Steve Rogers' first tentative steps. He said, "I feel like this movie Brave New World, just like Captain America: The First Avenger, is that foundation, the building block to that next crescendo [and] massive moment in the MCU. I'm just proud that we're here at the beginning."
Captain America: Brave New World, starring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America, Danny Ramirez as Falcon, and Harrison Ford as President Ross/Red Hulk, flies into cinemas on February 14, 2025.
For more, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies. Then catch up on the story so far with the Marvel timeline and an in-depth look at how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
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I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.