Anthony Mackie wants it to be known that he’s not wearing any kind of muscle suit under his new Captain America costume. Mackie officially took up the Captain America mantle in the finale episode of Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, complete with a new costume, courtesy of the Wakandans. The new Captain America suit is a comics-accurate combo of Sam Wilson’s Falcon suit in a new-age Cap suit, and it certainly made a big impression on fans. However, before Mackie put the suit on he made an equally big impression on fans during a training montage that showed off his chiseled physique. No wonder he wants fans to know it’s all him under the costume!
Anthony Mackie appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week, and Colbert had to ask the new Captain America about those Marvel muscles. When asked just how much he had to actually train to make those Sam Wilson Captain America training montages look good on screen, Mackie had the following to say:
“Well I will say: There’s no muscle suit under my suit. That’s my pride. Seven movies in, I’m like ‘I don’t want a muscle suit under my suit. So I had to work out every day, all day.”
Colbert took it a step further, gesturing in the cherished “V” shape that men hope to scuplpt – a level of physique that Mackie refers to as “The Dorito”:
“I had to get the ‘Dorito’ man! That’s what it’s called: A Dorito. Shoulders to waist!”
Following The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale, Marvel Studios announced that Captain America 4 – Mackie’s movie debut as the new Captain America – is already in development. Colbert points out that the Captain America MCU movies have a long and proud tradition of featuring some shapely male physique – in fact, it’s become a selling point. Mackie admits as much, noting that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier being on Disney+ is what saved him from having to get too gratuitous… yet.
“When it’s in the movie theaters it’s different,” Mackie says. “But this is a show for Disney+ – you can’t be walking around in your boxer briefs drinking coffee on Disney+.”
The week-to-week social media reactions to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier clearly showed that fans overwhelmingly approve of Anthony Mackie‘s body. It’s been a trending topic several times and has spawned its own wing of Marvel memes. Not bad a bad debut, indeed.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney+. Captain America 4 is in development.