Anthony Mackie thinks he should have won an Oscar
Anthony Mackie believes that he has put in acting performances that are worthy of Oscars recognition, although considers the chance to play Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as his reward.
Anthony Mackie believes he should have won an Academy Award.
The 46-year-old actor believes that he has been put in several performances that have been deserving of awards but described his role as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as " [his] Oscar".
In an interview with Esquire, the ‘8 Mile’ star said: "It’s always apropos for me when awards season comes up, because I know I’ve done at least four performances that could have been nominated — if not for a Golden Globe, then an Oscar or an Emmy.
"Captain America is my Oscar, because I’ve been overlooked so many times in my career."
Mackie - who starred in Spike Lee’s ‘Sucker Free City’ and ‘She Hate Me’ - joked he was the actor to have led the director’s only two films that "nobody saw".
He quipped: "I always tell people I hold the title of being the lead of the two Spike Lee movies nobody saw."
Instead of chasing awards, the ‘Twisted Metal’ star is focusing on his role as Sam Wilson - who took over the Captain America mantle from Chris Evans’ Steve Rodgers after he retired from the role in 2019’s ‘Avengers: Endgame’.
Even so, Mackie admitted playing the superhero icon wasn't easy as he detailed the "mental jousting" he has to do in the high-profile part.
Reflecting on playing the new Star-Spangled Man, he said: "The expectations of what comes along with this role is something that nobody talks about.
"Nobody really acknowledges the mental jousting that takes place. When I walk out of this hotel, I don’t walk out of this hotel as Anthony Mackie. I walk out of this hotel as Captain America."
He added: "It’s a heavy weight to realise people look up to you because how much of yourself do you allow those people to see? You’re not allowed to be human. That’s one thing I can’t wrap my brain around. What is that line?"
Mackie will next be seen in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’, where his hero teams up with the new Falcon (Danny Ramirez) to stop a nefarious global plot, only for President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) to reveal himself as the dreaded Red Hulk.
The actor teased that while ‘Brave New World’ toes the line of what is expected from an MCU film and the ‘Captain America’ sub-series, the blockbuster would exceed fan expectations.
He said: "It’s literally the best movie it can be. It stays in the lines of Marvel.
"It stays in the lines of Captain America, and it’s fun and it’s big."
Looking to the future, Mackie - who debuted in the MCU in 2014’s ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ - predicted he would be a part of the franchise for at least another decade, with his next outings as the Star-Spangled Man slated to be in 2026's ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ in 2027.
He said: "I give it a solid ten years.
"You have the two 'Avengers' movies, you have hopefully another 'Captain America', and then random plug-and-plays: Oh, 'Spider-Man'! Oh, 'Fantastic Four'! What are you doing here? But you never know. I mean, I don’t want to be a sixty-year-old Captain America."
