The Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie, was given a casting without even auditioning for it. Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios President, revealed that he did not have trouble in choosing who would be playing the role of The Falcon/ Sam Wilson as he already had an actor in mind before the casting even started.
It is unusual, but it happens. Directors and the whole production team usually undergo a tedious process in choosing who would be playing the roles of the characters in the films, especially for those which belong in multi-billion-dollar franchises, and yes, casting is hard as various actors audition for the role and the production team will decide whoever fits the bill.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is, no surprise, a multi-billion-dollar franchise of various films connected to each other. This means that every actor they cast would have to sign contracts that would last for years and for various films. This is why the case of Anthony Mackie is rare – he did not audition for the role; it was offered to him.
Kevin Feige recalls his first memories with Anthony Mackie and he said, "The first experience was him being the unanimous first choice to play the character. We just offered him the role, in my memory; he did not audition. That's only happened a handful of times at Marvel. Mr. Mackie was one of those times. I thought he would be great as this character. As we often do, when we're casting, you cast for the immediate role at hand — which was Sam Wilson in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but if it all goes well, that can grow and evolve into numerous things. You want an actor who can do it all, which of course, Anthony can."
It appears that before the role even came out, Mackie has been the number one candidate to play the role of The Falcon/ Sam Wilson. He need not audition because he's the unanimous choice. Feige recognized the talent of Anthony Mackie and his flexibility as an actor which gives him the potential to become better as the films and series go by.
It's a luxury of Anthony Mackie to just say yes to the offer without even auditioning. It's not something others experienced. For example, Chris Pratt, he's known for playing the role of Star-Lord/Peter Quill in the Guardians of The Galaxy films, but that character was not the first choice of Pratt. It Was revealed that Pratt auditioned for the role of Captain America and lost to another Chris, Chris Evans. Pratt is an amazing actor and Peter Quill just fits him better.
Anyway, Anthony Mackie sure does justice to the role he was offered with. Form Captain America: The Winter Soldier, he has been nailing every scene he is in, and we are, in agreement with Kevin Feige, Mackie is perfect for the role.
Anthony Mackie reprises his role as The Falcon/ Sam Wilson in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, the series will premiere on March 19, 2021, via Disney+.
Related: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Fan Theories Could be Bigger than WandaVision's Says Actor
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