Captain America Brave New World's Anthony Mackie Talks Getting Into Character As Sam Wilson, Reveals Song That Inspired Him

For Captain America: Brave New World actor Anthony Mackie, getting into character is serious business. The star, who portrays Sam Wilson/Captain America, follows a process for every role that he plays. For Mackie, the process of developing Sam’s character began over a decade ago with Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014. He underwent a further evolution when Sam transitioned from the Falcon to Captain America.

In an interview with Fandango, Mackie explained how he finds inspiration for his roles. The actor revealed his key factors for how he approaches playing Sam: “When I play a character, I do three specific things. I pick a piece of art that kind of encompᴀsses the genre and the story and the richness and background of the character that I want to compose. I pick a song that emotionally vibes with what… I’m trying to capture, and then my biggest thing is I pick a food because everybody eats, you know.”

Interestingly, the Russo Brothers played a part in Mackie choosing a song to represent Sam. According to Mackie, “when [he] first got cast in this role, the Russos were like ‘Trouble Man.’ That’s it.” After Joe Russo asked Mackie to make a list of songs, they decided on “Trouble Man” by Marvin Gaye. The actor explained that “every day before coming to work, [he] would, on my drive to work, listen to” the song. Notably, Sam also recommends that Steve Rogers listen to the song in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Additionally, Mackie shared which artwork and food inspired his take on Captain America. As for the art, he bought a piece by Romare Bearden because it “defined and exemplified what Sam Wilson had become with Captain America.” Mackie said, however, that “food was the hardest part,” sharing how he landed on the food that represented Sam best:

“So I went to my local grocery store, and there’s this old dude who had been there forever. He makes the best boudin in the City of New Orleans… I was like ‘bro… I need a special Captain America boudin,’ and he made me some boudin sausage.

Mackie concluded that these three aspects add up to his portrayal of Captain America. He stated: “Now I have Captain America boudin, I have my Bearden, and I listen to ‘Trouble Man.‘

What Anthony Mackie’s Comments About Playing Captain America Mean

Anthony Mackie's Captain America stands in a room

Mackie’s comments provide fascinating insight into how actors craft their characters. In selecting food, art, and music to represent someone, you develop a deep understanding of their personality. Sam’s food, boudin, is a staple of Cajun food, which ties into both Sam’s Louisiana roots and those of Mackie himself. Additionally, Bearden’s art often depicted urban life and the jazz scene, as the artist came of age in Harlem and would have been a young man during the Harlem Renaissance.

As for the song, “Trouble Man” was written by Marvin Gaye for the 1972 film of the same name. The core message of the song is summarized by the following line: “There’s only three things, that’s for sure, taxes, death, and trouble.” This lyric, which paraphrases a Benjamin Franklin quote, indicates the singer’s worldview, and thus, the mentality Mackie is channeling for Sam. Another key lyric that exemplifies Sam, especially as he became Captain America, is: “I come up hard, baby, I had to fight. Took care of my business with all my might.”

Our Take On Anthony Mackie’s Comments About Playing Captain America

Anthony Mackie As Captain America In Costume With Red Hulk Grabbing The Shield In The Background — Custom Image By Yailin Chacon

Mackie’s dedication to his role shines through the selections he made in order to characterize Sam. The music, art, and food chosen render his Captain America as a fully-fleshed out person, which only makes his upcoming film more exciting. Given Mackie’s efforts in developing Sam further, his appearance in Captain America: Brave New World is sure to be memorable.