Falcon and Winter Soldier actor Anthony Mackie on Chris Evans' potential MCU return: "I’ll be very happy with that"

Anthony Mackie in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
(Image credit: Disney/Marvel)

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier actor Anthony Mackie has said he would be “very happy” if Chris Evans returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, and reported by Comic Book, Mackie said: “You know, I've heard that, like I've seen that, and, look, Chris is my boy, so if they're getting the band back together, I'll be very happy with that.”

After the news that Evans might be returning to the MCU broke, the actor sort-of-denied the rumour on Twitter, posting: “News to me” with a shrugging emoji.

If Evans did come back, though, it most likely wouldn’t be as an active superhero – after all, the events of Avengers: Endgame left his character Steve Rogers seriously aged after he went back in time to live a whole life with Peggy Carter. The initial Deadline report indicated that there probably wouldn't be another Captain America film starring Evans, and he'd instead have a role more like Robert Downey Jr. post-Iron Man 3. This would leave Mackie’s Falcon free to take up (and keep) the Cap mantle.

However, Mackie has said that we don’t know for sure that his character will be the new Captain America. It seems very, very likely, but there’s always a chance Sam will keep his Falcon identity and just use the shield, or that he could end up handing the mantle over to his friends and allies Bucky Barnes or Sharon Carter. It’s even possible that newcomer US Agent will end up hanging on to the title...

Whatever happens, it’s good to know that Mackie would be happy to see Evans again, since the internet’s reaction to the rumour breaking was overwhelmingly positive. Could we be seeing Steve back in a potential second season of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? Fingers crossed.

Until the Disney Plus series arrives this March 19 2021, check out everything we know about Marvel Phase 4, and find out how to watch Marvel movies in order for a catch-up marathon.

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English. 

Latest in Marvel TV Shows
Daredevil: Born Again
When does Daredevil: Born Again take place on the Marvel timeline?
Daredevil: Born Again
Who is BB Urich in Daredevil: Born Again?
Michael Gandolfini in the Daredevil: Born Again trailer
Who does Michael Gandolfini play in Daredevil: Born Again? Daniel Blake explained
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again season 1 review: "There have been far worse Marvel projects, but few as disappointing as this"
Daredevil: Born Again
Who is Wednesday star Hunter Doohan playing in Daredevil: Born Again?
Finn Jones in Iron Fist
Ahead of Daredevil: Born Again's premiere, Marvel fans are discussing how Iron Fist could be introduced to the MCU
Latest in News
Dragon Age Inquisition
Dragon Age actor says the last time he played Inquisition, he upheld the RPG tradition led by Baldur's Gate 3 actors and romanced his own character: "Which is the best — the best"
Monster Hunter Wilds
Capcom promises "this is just the start for the next generation of Monster Hunter" as Wilds shatters sales milestones: "The Guild authorizes this celebration!"
Lester sitting at a computer in some artwork for GTA Online
Some GTA 5 players can't bring their characters to the new PC upgrade, and the open-world game's mixed Steam reviews are hammering FPS caps and a lack of text chat
Kamala Khan holds Jean Grey's body in an homage to the cover of Uncanny X-Men #136
45 years after the original Dark Phoenix Saga, Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan will travel back in time to save X-Men history
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Assassin's Creed Shadows is the first game in the series with "a fully customizable sandbox" as your base, which is where Yasuke and Naoe hang out and pet baby animals
Monster Hunter Wilds screenshot of spider boss Nerscylla
Monster Hunter Wilds takes an infamously rare and annoying material from the old games and absolutely buries you in it – and also buries you in tiny spiders