Anthony Mackie Recalls Freaking Out Over Patrick Stewart on Avengers: Doomsday Set

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Patrick Stewart died on Oct. 28, making his performance as Professor Charles Xavier in Avengers: Doomsday the last of his long career.

Stewart first played the telepathic mutant in Bryan Singer’s X-Men in 2000, leading the superhero team against Ian McKellen’s Magneto. The actors had met decades earlier at the Royal Shakespeare Company, but became close friends after working together on the X-Men films.

Stewart and McKellen reunited for Avengers: Doomsday. Anthony Mackie said he and his The Falcon and the Winter Soldier co-star Sebastian Stan were so excited to see them that they embarrassed themselves.

“The day before [Stewart] passed, I was talking to Sebastian for some reason – I talk to Sebastian Stan a lot – and we were laughing about when we were on set,” Mackie told Polygon during a video interview. “Sir Patrick and Sir Ian come on set, and they hug, and they just stand there and talk in full costume. We start to freak out, like, ‘Oh shit! Yo, this is amazing, right?’ They look at us. They give us this quizzical look like, ‘What’s wrong with you two?’ and they walk off.”

Despite the awkward first impression, Mackie said Stewart was great to work with.

“He was so kind, and he was just so easy to be around,” Mackie said. “He was very personable. At that level, at that stage in his career, I just didn’t know what to expect. I was very happy and very honored that we had the opportunity to work with him.”

Ian McKellen didn’t know who Anthony Mackie was

Anthony Mackie as Captain America, with his suit in the colors of the American flag, in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Mackie has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2014, playing Sam Wilson as a partner to Chris Evans’ Captain America. Wilson took on the mantle after Avengers: Endgame, officially donning the Captain America suit in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

McKellen played one of Marvel’s most iconic villains, but Mackie discovered on set that he doesn’t keep up with the franchise.

“I go to Ian McKellen, he goes, ‘Hello, son.’ I’m like, ‘Ian McKellen, sir. You’re amazing. It’s amazing to work with you,’” Mackie told IMDb. “He goes, ‘So what are you doing in the film?’ and I’m like, ‘I’m Captain America.’ And he goes, ‘Wonderful… and you deserve that.’”

Avengers: Doomsday comes to movie theaters on Dec. 18.