Anthony Mackieis making bold statements about his upcoming Captain America movie debut, claiming the film to be “way better” than the films of Spider-Man starTom Holland. While the internet is furiously bashing out opinions onthe CGI-look of Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk, Mackie is citing the veteran actor as one of the reasons whyCaptain America: Brave New Worldis a better movie than anything Holland has done - which would seem to include his hugely popular Spider-Man outings.
Mackie became the latest star to appear onThe Official Marvel Podcast, and shared his thoughts on what fans can expect from the first family-friendly Marvel Studios release since 2023’sCaptain Marvelsequel,The Marvels. While discussing the upcoming release, Mackie took a playful shot at Holland while hyping up his first lead appearance with the famous shield. Addressing why fans should be excited for the movie, Mackie said:
“Well, he’s Cap. Finally. Now we see him running missions on his own and trying to figure out where he fits into the whole world. This is way better than any of Tom Holland’s movies. And, I have Harrison Ford!”
Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titledNew World Order)marks Sam Wilson’s first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers' successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk’s former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
For those worried that Mackie might be being a little cruel about Holland, there is a history between the two actors that has existed ever since their first MCU appearance togetherin Captain America: Civil War. Mackie roasted Holland for his “diva” ways during the filming of that pivotal Infinity Saga movie, while Holland returned the favor when laterpointing out that there was a distinct lack of Falcon moviesout there (Mackie’s former role in the MCU). It seems that, just like Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, Mackie and Holland have a longstanding, if light-hearted, beef with each other that is still simmering.
Captain America: Brave New World is a Big Test for the MCU
Although 2024 has proven that Marvel Studios can still produce profitable and crowd-pleasing movies, the success ofDeadpool & Wolverineis not the best indicator of how future MCU movies will perform. This summer’s juggernaut blockbuster has many factors that have contributed to its phenomenal performance. From the chemistry of its leads – both on and off screen – to the amount of hype the film generated thanks to relentless marketing by Reynolds and Jackman, and just a smattering of the return of big ol’ Wolverine and several other major cameo appearances, the film has not become a success for simply being another Marvel movie.
Captain America: Brave New Worldis now the gatekeeper to the future of the MCU, and how it fares at the box office will be a strong indicator of whether 2024’s sabbatical for the MCU’s main continuity has worked. The Captain America franchise has not always been the biggest in terms of box office, and withCivil Warbeing like a mini-Avengers movie, it is tough to really count it in the tally. 2011’sCaptain America: The First Avengerdelivered a box office of $370 million, which was not great considering its reported budget could have been over $200 million. However, by the timeCaptain America: The Winter Soldierrolled out, the MCU had become more established and the film did a very solid $714 million. This was then followed byCaptain America: Civil Warand its huge returns of over $1.15 billion.
The Captain America franchise has grossed $2.238 billion over three movies. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy grossed a staggering $4 billion.
Captain America 4 Star ‘Begged’ For The Leader’s Appearance to Avoid One Thing
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Now Anthony Mackie has the task of bringing the Captain America franchise into a new era. The last movie to open for Marvel Studios in the early part of the year wasAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniain 2023, and we all know how that ended. On February 14, the world will discover whether Marvel Studios is really back…andseveral Hulk-shaped rumorscould help that happen.
