Anthony Mackie explains why he has more creative freedom on his Peacock series Twisted Metal than he does in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as Captain America standing aghast, his wings spread

Captain America: Brave New World star Anthony Mackie recently opened up about the creative challenges that come with starring in a Marvel Cinematic Universe project.

Speaking with RadioTimes.com, the actor, who portrays Sam Wilson/Falcon/Captain America in the MCU, explained how his Peacock series, Twisted Metal, offers more creative freedom than any Marvel project he has been part of in the past. “I would say the Marvel thing is completely different, just because it’s such a space of controlled entertainment. Like, there’s only so much you can do,” Mackie said. “There’s only so much creativity you can bring to the table, because Stan Lee gave us so much content.”

Sam Wilson struggles to pull Captain America's shield out of a tree

Whereas Twisted Metal allowed Mackie and his fellow producers the freedom to introduce characters or unexpectedly kill people, Marvel doesn’t work that way, with the actor explaining how “that’s the hard thing about the Marvel universe. It’s like, you can’t really go outside of the lines of those comic books.” He continued, “You know, when we introduced the Falcon, and the growth of the Falcon to Captain America, all of that had to coincide with what Stan had already gave us. So it’s an interesting juggle to be a part of that world. And [Twisted Metal] was more like, ‘Let’s just have fun and figure it out as we go.'”

Sam Wilson Returns in Brave New World

Brave New World will mark Anthony Mackie’s first time leading a Captain America movie as the Star-Spangled Man, with Sam Wilson taking over the mantle in the 2021 Disney+ limited series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. While MCU fans are excited to see more of Sam Wilson as Captain America, they still have a bit of waiting ahead of them as Brave New World was recently pushed back to 2025 as a result of the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Additional photography on the Captain America sequel is expected to take place this spring and summer, with Moon Knight scribe Matthew Orton having penned new scenes.

Twisted Metal Renewed for Season 2

Based on the classic PlayStation video game series, Twisted Metal focuses on Mackie’s John Doe, “a milkman with amnesia who is given a chance at a better life but only if he can accomplish the mission of successfully delivering a peculiar parcel across a post-apocalyptic wasteland.” The first season was released on Peacock in July 2023, where it became the streamer’s “most-binged” comedy premiere to date. A second season, ordered in December 2023, is currently in early development, with the writers’ room hard at work breaking the story for the next batch of episodes.

Twisted Metal is streaming on Peacock, while Mackie’s MCU projects are available on Disney+.