Falcon, friend and ally to Captain America, has firmly established his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the course of three films. Former paratrooper Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) first met and assisted Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) against HYDRA in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. By the end of his battle exploits in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Falcon had earned an upgraded set of mechanical wings and become a full-fledged Avenger himself.
Falcon’s journey continued when he battled the title character in Ant-Man, and a post-credits sequence saw him reunited with Captain America and a trapped Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). We’ll see even more from the character in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War, including some lingering animosity for the tiny Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) that was able to completely knock him out of commission.
While Falcon has had a pivotal but supporting role in some of the MCU films, he hasn’t yet had a chance to spread his wings in a solo project. According to a recent interview with IGN, however, actor Mackie isn’t in a rush to give up the collaborative environment of an ensemble cast.
“I don’t know. I like going to work with good people … to meet these people and see the way they work and kind of delve into their process as well is really a learning experience for me. So I feel like when you go to work and it’s just you, and it’s me — ‘Look at me, haha’ — it takes away from that.”
Mackie seemed particularly upset by the idea of no Evans or Stan joining in the superhero fun. Considering all the crossovers between films, it’s not inconceivable that some fellow Avengers would also appear in his solo movie. Mackie jokingly shot down that idea as well.
“No, no. Then that week is going to be hell. Hanging out with Chris for a week and then he’s like ‘I don’t want to leave!’ And I’m like ‘Chris dude, you gotta leave.’ You know, it’s just going to be a problem.”
This isn’t the first time that the actor has insisted that he likes the MCU the way it is. There’s precedent in the Marvel comics for Falcon to take over the Captain America role sometime down the line, post-Civil War – and though Mackie has said that he’s certain that he would “be a great Cap,” he didn’t like the idea of eliminating both Evans from the project and Falcon from future stories.
Not every MCU character needs (or deserves) a solo film, but there’s enough to work with in Falcon’s case. His immense tactical, piloting, and acrobatic skill coupled with a seriously cool set of mechanical wings and telescopic/microscopic goggles makes him a formidable foe that’s fun to watch in action. Dig into the Marvel comics history for inspiration to flesh out Falcon’s history in the MCU and you’ve got an even more interesting superhero. Mackie’s skill with comedy could also provide some entertaining levity in a solo film, too.
It sounds like the actor would take some convincing if a Falcon movie were ever proposed, however. He once said he’d immediately “sign on” for a Black Panther movie as long as it was an “adult action hero” like Batman. So, while he doesn’t sound all that sure about it now, the right script could convince Mackie to fly solo as Falcon. Considering the packed Marvel schedule over the next few years, the bigger questions are: when and how would that movie would even be made?
NEXT: Unanswered Questions in the MCU
Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6, 2016, followed by Doctor Strange – November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man – July 28, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; Black Panther – February 16, 2018; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Ant-Man and the Wasp – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – March 8, 2019; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; Inhumans – July 12, 2019; and as-yet untitled Marvel movies on May 1, July 10 and November 6, 2020.
