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We often assume that actors all find out about their characters’ journeys at the same time, but the truth is more complicated. Scripts go out to different people at different times (and often in different states of completeness) so news reaches cast members separately. Anthony Mackie didn’t find out from Kevin Feige or the Russo Brothers that he was being set up to be the MCU’s next Captain America – he inadvertently found out from Chris Evans himself.

Even as the cast was filming Avengers: Endgame, Mackie hadn’t seen his final scene with Evans. You know the one – where an elderly Steve Rogers hands over the Captain America shield to Sam Wilson, dubbing him as his chosen successor. Chris Evans explained how that happened in a recent interview. “I inadvertently was the one who got to tell him that he was going to be Captain America. I didn’t know he didn’t know.” At a gathering at Chris Evans’ house during the filming of Endgame, Anthony Mackie was the first to show up. “I said, ‘Man, isn’t that scene so beautiful? I love it so much and I’m so happy for you.’”

The problem? Anthony Mackie had no idea with his co-star was on about. So, Evans ran upstairs, grabbed the Endgame script, and handed it to him. “I got to sit there and watch him read it, and he was just so happy.”

There is something really touching about the pair sharing such an important moment in their lives and careers, which might have been why the scene feels so personal when you watch it. For all their grand adventures together, both Captain Americas, at that moment, were just friends passing the torch from one to the other.

Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

• How to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe in release or chronological order
• The best Marvel Comics stories of all time
• All the MCU movies ranked from best to worst
• Our weekly Marvel insider's column, Marvel Matters