Anthony Mackie, like many Marvel fans, was excited to hear that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the Marvel franchise as Dr. Doom. However, Mackie was less thrilled about when and where this announcement was made.
The news broke during Marvel’s big Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con in late July. This event also featured new footage from Captain America: Brave New World, in which Mackie stars. The footage included the first look at Harrison Ford as Red Hulk. Mackie was feeling great about the presentation—until the Downey news overshadowed his moment.
In a recent interview at the D23 Expo with Entertainment Tonight, Mackie shared his feelings about Comic-Con. He joked, “You know what makes me mad? When you think you’re doing something, and then someone shows you that you’re not doing anything.” He continued, “‘Cause I thought I was good! I came out and everybody was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s the best trailer ever!’”
Mackie was proud of having Harrison Ford in the film, saying, “I got Harrison Ford! Ahhhh! Take that, I got Harrison Ford!” But the excitement backstage when Downey’s return was announced felt overwhelming to Mackie. “It was like LeBron James had just won the Super Bowl at tight end,” Mackie said, laughing. This news did slightly dampen his mood.
He was especially disappointed because he and Downey have worked together on several Marvel films. Mackie even joked about a goat dinner Downey’s chef prepared for him and their co-stars, saying it felt like Downey shouldn’t have overshadowed his moment.
Mackie suggested that Downey’s return could have been revealed at Marvel’s D23 presentation, which also teased upcoming series like Agatha All Along and Daredevil: Born Again. He humorously wished Downey had “let me have Comic-Con.”
When asked what he hopes to see in future Avengers films with Downey’s return, Mackie joked, “I hope I get to punch Robert Downey Jr. in the face for feeding me goat and then stealing my day!” before laughing.
