Brave New World, which opened in theaters Friday, features Mackie as the titular superhero, marking his first starring film in the role. Mackie originally played Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Anthony Mackie picks up the shield at a potentially awkward time. But there’s one way Disney can do right by him and the next generation of Marvel stars.

While the latest Marvel movie, Captain America: Brave New World, hasn't impressed everyone, Anthony Mackie caught the attention of the legendary Stephen A. Smith. He took to X, formerly Twitter, to share his review of the new movie. Smith specifically gave a shoutout to Mackie, who stars as Sam Wilson/Captain America.