Anthony Mackie can’t wait to fight Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘.
The 46-year-old actor – who plays Sam Wilson, aka Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – is due to face off against Downey Jr.’s villain in the upcoming team-up blockbuster, and now Mackie has teased he is raring to do battle with Doctor Doom. The character of Doctor Doom is considered one of Marvel’s most iconic villains, appearing in over 1,000 comic book issues since his debut in 1962.
“Robert Downey Jr. has had his a**-kick coming for a long time, and I’m very proud to say he [is] going to get it!” Mackie said during an interview with Nerdbunker. The anticipation for this showdown has already generated massive social media buzz, with fan theories trending worldwide.
Downey Jr. will be making his return to the MCU in the 2026 blockbuster after having first starred in the franchise as Iron Man from the 2008 eponymous flick until ‘Avengers: Endgame’ five years ago. His previous MCU appearances have collectively grossed over $22 billion worldwide.
Before Mackie’s Star-Spangled Man can come to blows with Doctor Doom, the actor will get his first cinematic outing as the superhero in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ after Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) passed the mantle and the shield to Wilson in ‘Avengers: Endgame’. The symbolic passing of the shield represented a historic moment in superhero cinema.
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ – which is slated to hit theatres on 14 February 2025 – follows the newly-christened hero (Mackie) and his sidekick Falcon (Danny Ramirez) as they try to stop a nefarious global plot, all while President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) hides a sinister secret. The film’s production involved over 1,500 crew members across multiple international locations.
The ‘8 Mile’ star explained the film would differ from previous ‘Captain America’ movies through its “approach” to characters and story, but insisted the picture would maintain the “grounded cinematic experience” the sub-series has become known for. The franchise has consistently received critical acclaim for its realistic portrayal of superhero narratives.
“Well, the Captain America storyline has always been grounded in reality, so this is a very grounded cinematic experience just like those were,” Mackie said. “That’s the greatest similarity. But it’s very different in the way that we approach the characters and the way the story is told. I feel like we [himself and Ramirez] as a duo have a very different energy to a Bucky [Barnes] and a Steve [Rogers]. So it’s a completely different volume.”
After Wilson vacated the mantle of Falcon, ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ will introduce Joaquin Torres as the new iteration of the hero, and Ramirez – who has already taken to the skies in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ – said it was a big moment for him to fly again considering he had an accident where he “jumped” as a youngster. The film’s aerial sequences required six months of specialized training for the actors.
“To me, I think somehow thematically in my life the skies – which I was afraid of because I had an accident as a kid … but then from that, I became afraid of flying and airplanes and everything,” he said. “So, to do [Top Gun: Maverick] and the [‘Captain America: Brave New World’] right after … just like thematically somehow means that me and the skies are connected.”
As well as Thaddeus Ross, Captain America will have to content with The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson) and Serpent Society – which is headed up by Giancarlo Esposito’s Seth Voelker – and Mackie teased the terrorist group would make up “a big overall web that has a stronghold over this movie”. The Serpent Society’s inclusion marks their first live-action appearance after decades of comic book history.
The film’s release strategy includes simultaneous premieres in 45 countries, making it one of Marvel’s largest global launches to date.
