Marvel has a reputation, when it comes to secrecy. That secrecy goes so far, that even actors involved with key role changes don’t even know sometimes until the films are in theaters. This secrecy applies most to happenings with their all-star team, the Avengers. This was the case with Anthony Mackie, who plays the Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and in the upcoming Marvel film Captain America: Civil War. He didn’t know he was an Avenger until he was sitting in a theater watching the film.
This secrecy seems to stretch into cameo appearances that characters have in other Marvel films. According to Anthony Mackie in an interview with IGN, he didn’t even know that the Falcon was an Avenger, until he was sitting in the theater watching the end credits scene during Avengers: Age of Ultron. This is a crazy thought to me that he couldn’t even be contacted and notified about the promotion.
On set, Mackie told IGN about how the big reveal went down:
It’s weird. You never know. They never send you the whole script. Like when they asked me to do [Age of Ultron], they sent me two scenes. There are two hours and seven minutes around those two scenes, but I never got to read it.
When we were at the premiere I was like “Cool.” I’m with my son and he gets to see his daddy in two scenes in The Avengers. By the end of the movie I turn around and they’re like “Avengers Assemble!” I’m like, “Holy shit! I’m an Avenger!!” So I turn around to everybody with me and they were like, “Dude! You’re a fuckin’ Avenger!” “This is fuckin’ amazing.” So, that’s the story of my Marvel life.
Mackie goes on to say:
I had no idea. I flew in, Chris and Scarlett are up top and the rest of us are standing there. It was like “Cut. Anthony fly in. Action. Hm-hm-hm. Cut. Alright, thanks!” That was pretty much it. Six months later you go to a premiere and you shit yourself.
Everybody was like “Why are you so excited?” I’m like, “Arrhhhahhh… I just found out I’m an Avenger!” That’s pretty much how it happened over and over. That’s how Cap 2 happened, over and over and over again. So, I’m used to it. I’m interested to see what’s going to happen with this movie.
It is funny that Mackie stars in Captain America: Civil War and even he admits that he doesn’t know how the finished film will go. Interesting how Marvel sends snippets of script to each actor. It just shows you how easy leaks are in Hollywood.
Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6.
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Obviously the secrecy is to protect the story line from getting leaked. But, I think it’d be a little tough for the actor to know what direction to go with if he was in the dark.