Anthony Mackie reveals he met fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe star Chadwick Boseman in the late '90s. Mackie and Boseman appeared together in Captain America: Civil War, though Mackie's Sam Wilson/Falcon made his MCU debut a couple movies earlier. Falcon and Boseman's T'Challa/Black Panther stood on opposite sides in the debate over regulation, as Falcon fought with his friend Captain America and Black Panther with new ally Iron Man. Mackie and Boseman went on to co-star in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, with their characters on much friendlier terms.

Sadly, Endgame serves as Boseman's final appearance in the MCU. The beloved actor passed away in August after living with colon cancer for several years. As Boseman largely kept his illness a secret, most of his Marvel colleagues were shocked by the news. Those he worked with on Black Panther, including director Ryan Coogler and stars Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan, Letitia Wright, and Lupita Nyong'o, shared tributes honoring Boseman. Disneyland, ABC, and Marvel Comics also remembered the star with a mural, TV special, and commemorative art, respectively.

Related: Chadwick Boseman: Why The Black Panther Actor Was A Real-Life Hero

In a recent interview with ET, Mackie spoke fondly about Boseman, recalling the first time they met. Unlike many of Boseman's other MCU co-stars, Mackie met the actor well before either of them were famous:

I have a lot of memories of Chadwick. I cared about him dearly as a friend. The first time I met him was in 1998. I went down to Howard, and he was directing a play there. My girlfriend at the time brought me into the theater to check out the Elizabeth Catlett collection. He was in the black box in an office chair spinning around the room. And she was like "Hey Chad, I want you to meet my classmate at Julliard, Anthony." And he goes, "Wait I'm concentrating, don't break my vibe," and he just spins around the room. I was like, "It's nice to meet you, man."... Once everything kind of took off for him, I was like, "Remember the first time we met?" He was like, "Yeah, I don't want to talk about it. I was going through a lot in my young age."

Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa in Black Panther

Though Mackie's memory of first meeting Boseman is light-hearted, it's clear from the actor's comments Boseman made an impression on him. It's also a neat twist of fate that both went on to star in the MCU after interacting so many years before. It likely gave them a point of connection while filming Captain America: Civil War, as well as the final two Avengers movies. Considering the number of tributes that have come out from those who worked with Boseman across the industry, it's clear the actor was well-respected and will be incredibly missed.

The MCU hasn't yet experienced a loss of this magnitude, and Boseman's Marvel colleagues are still reeling from the news, understandably. Wright, who plays T'Challa's sister, Shuri, addressed this earlier this week, explaining Black Panther 2 isn't on her mind at the moment. However, she acknowledged the idea of making the movie without Boseman is "kinda strange." Right now, the stars of the MCU, including Mackie, are clearly focused on continuing to share memories of Boseman. This is far more important than worrying about what the franchise looks like without him, especially for the time being.

More: Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie, Ranked Worst To Best (Including Far From Home)

Source: ET

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