Sebastian Stan Says Anthony Mackie Deserves a Lot of Credit For Success of ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ — ‘He Had To Pull Me Back’

After dazzling Marvel fans for the last month and a half, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has finally come to its conclusion. Series stars Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, who reprise their respective roles of the Winter Soldier and the Falcon, were both major components of the show’s massive appeal.

Stan and Mackie are renowned for their natural chemistry and ability to play off of each other. Both actors have their own strengths and weaknesses, and after nearly 10 years of working together on other Marvel films, the two know each other well. 

However, even though both actors pulled their weight on the set, Stan personally feels like Mackie deserves a ton of credit for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s success. 

Sebastian Stan thinks Anthony Mackie deserves credit for the success of ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ success

Stan spoke highly of Mackie during a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly.

“Look, I think Anthony deserves a lot of credit here because one of the things that I think makes—one of the things I love about him, that I feel makes him a really great leader is he can read a room very well,” Stan said. “And he can read people very well. And I think he had a much better hand on the temperature of the show than I did.”

Anthony Mackie helped calm down Sebastian Stan when he felt scared 

Stan, who is known for having a more reserved personality, often relied on Mackie to keep him centered while they were going through production. Mackie would remind Stan that making the show was supposed to be fun, not stressful. 

“Because there were times when I was so scared, and like, really trying to find the truth of everything,” Stan said. “And he had to pull me back and be like, ‘Yo, just remember we’re going to have some fun too. This is a ride, this is a thing. Yes, let’s find the dramatic moment, but just remember that it’s supposed to be fun too.’ And I think that’s a very important thing that you need. Especially, I think, going into Marvel, but also, just that this show needed.” 

Anthony Mackie says there were no egos on the set of ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’

Mackie’s altruistic attitude toward his castmates was pivotal to the success of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. In the same interview, Mackie noted that nobody on set came to work with an ego, which made everything easier. 

“I think at this point in our careers, usually there’s a certain tinge of ego or competition involved,” Mackie said. “And the great thing about my entire ride in the Marvel career is … I’ve never experienced any ego or machismo or anybody pushing to say, ‘This is mine, and I’m going to do this.’”