Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Amazon Spring Sale
  • New Games for 2026
  • Submit your game clips
  • GDC
Don't miss these
Netflix's The Defenders
Marvel TV Shows Daredevil: Born Again season 2 producer says it's not up to him whether Luke Cage and Iron Fist will return in the MCU
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina in Thunderbolts
Marvel TV Shows Daredevil: Born Again season 2 connects Valentina and Kingpin, with possible ramifications for the Thunderbolts
James Marsden as Cyclops in Avengers Doomsday
Marvel Movies Avengers: Doomsday star James Marsden says he was "very proud" to wear comics-accurate Cyclops costume
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
Superhero Shows Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World
Marvel Movies Marvel fans discuss their wishlists for Captain America 5, and the top choice is “competent writing and dialogue
Invincible season 4
Superhero Shows Invincible season 4 has Iron Man in its sights as it pokes fun at MCU's superhero costume "problem"
Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny in The X-Files
Sci-Fi Shows Gillian Anderson urges X-Files fans to "have an open mind" over Ryan Coogler's "f***ing cool" reboot
Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary
Sci-Fi Movies Project Hail Mary has convinced me to start getting excited for Star Wars: Starfighter
Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman)
Marvel Movies Cyclops star James Marsden says that Hugh Jackman "was missed" on the set of Avengers: Doomsday
Wilson Bethel as Bullseye in Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel TV Shows Daredevil: Born Again season 2 showrunner and EP say Bullseye is "the hero in his own mind"
Invincible season 4
Superhero Shows Invincible creator Robert Kirkman says MCU-style superhero storytelling isn't "novel" anymore
Yahya Abdul Mateen II in Wonder Man (2025)
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man reviews, cast, plot, and everything there is to know about the Marvel show
Simon Williams screaming as a building crumbles around him in the Wonder Man trailer
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man: Simon Williams' superpowers explained
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man ending explained: Simon's fate and how does it affect the wider MCU?
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again season 2
Marvel TV Shows Daredevil: Born Again showrunners took "what worked and didn't work" from season 1 to build season 2
  1. Entertainment
  2. TV
  3. Action Shows

Exclusive: Anthony Mackie on why he was hesitant about Falcon and the Winter Soldier

News
By Tara Bennet published 24 February 2021

SFX Magazine speaks with Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Mackie about why he initially didn't want the series to happen

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Falcon and The Winter Soldier
(Image credit: Disney/Marvel Studios)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Falcon and the Winter Soldier is about to soar onto screens, but Anthony Mackie wasn't always convinced that a Marvel series about his character and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes would be a good idea. In fact, the actor took some convincing to reprise his role of Sam Wilson for the Disney Plus spin-off.

"To be honest, I’ve had trepidation from the beginning. I was really afraid of the idea," the actor tells GamesRadar+’s sister publication SFX Magazine in the new issue. " Working on so many Marvel projects, and seeing the end result and the effect that they have on people, I was afraid that the quality of the production would be taken down for television. I was afraid that you can’t do things on television that you can do in theatres.

"Seeing people’s reactions to Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame in the theatres, and hearing the connection that the audience members have with these characters... that’s every actor’s dream, to affect an audience and expose them to a different way of looking at culture and the world around us. I was really afraid that I wouldn’t have that opportunity to step out on that ledge like the actors before me had. 

You may like
  • Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams wearing a red suit and sunglasses in Wonder Man Marvel supported Wonder Man despite bad test screenings, but it "almost didn’t survive" the big MCU strategy shift
  • Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man. Wonder Man showrunner says the Marvel show "could have been a tax write-off," but producers fought to save it
  • Hawkeye Wonder Man showrunner reveals Hawkeye went through massive changes weeks before filming

"But once we talked, and once they brought on [showrunner] Malcolm [Spellman] and [director] Kari [Skogland], I knew it was going to be something different. Kari is a phenomenal leader, and Malcolm is an amazing writer. And [Marvel Studios boss] Kevin [Feige] promised me that it wasn’t going to be different. He’s not going to tarnish the Marvel brand by trying to just blow out as much content as he could. And I trusted him on that. They haven’t let me down yet, so I just went along for the ride on faith of their past work. And I was really pleasantly surprised by how great everything turned out."

  • Not a subscriber to SFX? Then head on over here to get the latest issues sent directly to your home/device

Falcon and the Winter Soldier proved itself to be a way of further exploring the Sam Wilson character, with showrunner Spellman getting Mackie's input on scripts. After all, he's been Falcon for seven years – no-one else knows the character like him.

You can check out the full interview with the team behind Falcon and the Winter Soldier in the current issue of SFX Magazine, which features the Marvel show on the cover. The show will stream weekly on Disney Plus from March 19. For more from SFX, make sure to sign up to the newsletter, sending all the latest exclusives straight to your inbox.

Today's best Disney Plus deals
Disney+
Disney+ Monthly with Ads
$11.99
/mth
View
Disney
Disney+, Hulu Bundle - Monthly (With
$12.99
/mth
View
Disney+
Disney+ Monthly Premium
$18.99
/mth
View
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
Disney Plus Streaming Services
Tara Bennet
Read more
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams wearing a red suit and sunglasses in Wonder Man
Marvel TV Shows Marvel supported Wonder Man despite bad test screenings, but it "almost didn’t survive" the big MCU strategy shift
 
 
Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man showrunner says the Marvel show "could have been a tax write-off," but producers fought to save it
 
 
Hawkeye
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man showrunner reveals Hawkeye went through massive changes weeks before filming
 
 
Wonder Man
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man creators had "free rein" to develop Simon Williams, and answer whether he's an MCU mutant in hiding
 
 
Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man is so good, it's convinced me that Marvel should only do Spotlight shows from now on
 
 
Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World
Marvel Movies Marvel fans discuss their wishlists for Captain America 5, and the top choice is “competent writing and dialogue
 
 
Latest in Action Shows
Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk AKA Kingpin in Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel TV Shows We finally know where Daredevil: Born Again season 2 fits on the MCU timeline, and it makes Val's cameo interesting
 
 
Charlie Cox as Daredevil in Daredevil: Born Again season 2
Marvel TV Shows Daredevil: Born Again fans can't get enough of one hilarious moment in season 2 episode 1
 
 
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil in Daredevil: Born Again season 2.
Marvel TV Shows Daredevil star Charlie Cox says that Born Again season 3 "sheds the skin of the Mayor Fisk era"
 
 
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again season 2
Marvel TV Shows Charlie Cox says the ending of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 1 will have big ramifications
 
 
Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man season 2 release date speculation, cast, plot, and everything there is to know
 
 
Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen in James Gunn's Superman
DC TV Shows Jimmy Olsen's mystery comedy show features that haven't "been seen in the superhero genre" before
 
 
Latest in News
A Crimson Desert character goes fishing in a river
RPGs Crimson Desert replaces some AI-generated assets left in the game by accident "as part of ongoing visual improvements"
 
 
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
RPGs Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Maelle actor recorded her audition at 2am while in bed because "she forgot to do it"
 
 
Young Kratos
God of War God of War's Kratos is covered in ash because dev saw unfinished art on white paper and thought it was "really cool"
 
 
Boro and Alta sit on a bench together in Wanderstop
Simulation Games The Stanley Parable creator and Minecraft composer's indie studio is shutting down: "It's a particularly tough time"
 
 
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 character Henry wounded
RPGs Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 dev says he was "fired" and replaced with AI: "I feel incredibly betrayed"
 
 
Final Fantasy 9
Final Fantasy Long-rumored Final Fantasy 9 remake is apparently on ice with "no new movement", according to reliable insider
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
    1
    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Maelle actor recorded her audition at 2am while in bed because "she forgot to do it"
  2. 2
    Crimson Desert replaces AI-generated assets left in the game by accident "as part of ongoing visual improvements," alongside improvements to loading and controls
  3. 3
    God of War's pale hero Kratos is covered in ash because a lead dev saw unfinished concept art on white paper and thought it was "really cool"
  4. 4
    Steam made him "radioactive," but the creator of banned horror game Horses wants his next project to be just as disturbing: "I need to stay loyal to the vision"
  5. 5
    Nintendo 64 gets a Skyrim-sized open-world game as dev busts the infamous fog that's defined the console for 30 years

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...