Anthony Mackie has made the case for a full Captain America trilogy, and the math behind it is wonderfully creative. Sam Wilson has carried the shield for only one solo film so far, Captain America: Brave New World, which Mackie clearly considers a rookie number. The actor sat down for a live chat in New York alongside Jamie Dornan. Somewhere between the jokes, a very serious spreadsheet appeared.

While most actors count scripts, Mackie counted Spider-Men on a live stage, and the final tally made a surprisingly convincing argument.

Anthony Mackie believes Captain America deserves a full trilogy, and Spider-Man provided the evidence. The comment came during a live taping of the Happy Sad Confused podcast at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Host Josh Horowitz had asked about his hopes for Sam Wilson’s future after Captain America: Brave New World. Mackie first argued that every character deserves a second film, then started counting.

“17 Spider-Mans. All of them had three movies. That’s about 51,” Mackie said.

He then added, “I would enjoy partaking in the idea of two more films just to see that character complete his arc.”

The remark arrived during a lively session of the Happy Sad Confused podcast that also featured Jamie Dornan, recorded after a special screening of the first episode of their Apple TV series 12 12 12. Horowitz wanted to know what Mackie would tell the powers that be at Marvel Studios about Sam Wilson’s next chapter. Mackie answered with franchise arithmetic instead of a polite shrug. Dornan, for the record, stayed far away from the Spider-Man accounting.

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As Mackie lobbies for more solo films, his next big Marvel outing is closer on the calendar than fans might expect, and Sam Wilson has barely unpacked.

Anthony Mackie has revealed that Avengers: Doomsday picks up literally months after Sam Wilson becomes Captain America. He shared the detail with SYFY Wire over Zoom while promoting Exoplanet, the Andy Weir-produced project. According to Mackie, Sam arrives in the new story heading into an expedition and getting the Avengers back together. Captain America: Brave New World wrapped up only a few months earlier in story time, so the costume still has that fresh-from-the-box crispness.

That compressed timeline leaves Wilson with very little recovery time. His debut involved presidential conspiracies, an assassination attempt, an adamantium crisis, and a bruising meeting with Thaddeus Ross in Red Hulk form. It also puts Bucky Barnes in a tricky spot, since Wilson took up the shield while Bucky ran with the Thunderbolts. There is no multi-year gap for off-screen reconciliation. Given that schedule, Sam Wilson does not need a sequel so much as a nap, though Mackie would happily take the trilogy first.

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What are your thoughts on Anthony Mackie wanting a Captain America trilogy? Let us know in the comments.