Five years after taking the shield, Anthony Mackie says he's "excited as hell" to finally be starring in a Captain America movie: "I've been biding my time waiting for this moment"

In Captain America: Brave New World, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson is taking center stage as Captain America. It's been a long time coming, with Sam first handed the shield by Steve Rogers back in 2019's Endgame. Then, in 2021's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, we were introduced to Danny Ramirez's Joaquin Torres, as Sam grappled with the idea of taking on the Cap mantle.

Now, we'll finally see both Mackie and Ramirez suited up as the new Cap and Falcon when Brave New World hits theaters. So, how are they feeling?

"Excited as hell," Mackie tells us when we meet with both actors to talk about the Marvel Phase 5 movie. "You have to think about how much work and how much time went into this. They told me I was gonna be Captain America five years ago. So I've just been biding my time waiting for this moment. But the excitement of it comes with the idea of, Marvel gave me the best cast, they gave me the best script, they gave me the best crew, they gave me the best director to make the best movie we could make. And I'm just really proud of it. I'm proud of the fact that it turned out the way it did, and it's entertaining, and it's heartfelt, and it's fun, and it's everything a Marvel movie is supposed to be."

Ramirez is also excited to be stepping up. "I saw it 10 days ago for the first time," he says. "And I was floored. It's one of those things that obviously the process is so long, and as you said, you were told this five years ago. They told me when I was born. Kevin [Feige] went up to me and said, 'You're gonna one day don the wings.' So I've been waiting a lot longer," he jokes.

"But having gone through the process from training to prep to then actually shooting the film, and then finally seeing it – I think it might have been 11 days now, I'm counting every single day since I've seen it – but I was blown away that it all came together in the way it did," Ramirez continues. "Because obviously the thing I've grown to love about Marvel and everyone part of it, they just get to bring the best department heads and creatives that they want. You realize, when you have a group of that powerful creatives, from the cast – and obviously Anthony leading us – you create magic. And it was one of those moments, having seen the process from inception to where it's at now, that I'm like, 'Oh, that's how it's done.'"

Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters this February 14. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else the MCU has in store, or prepare for a marathon with our guide to watching the Marvel movies in order.