The Tom Holland And Anthony Mackie Feud Timeline Explained
Throughout the many press conferences and interviews that the cast of the wildly famous Marvel Studios movies have given, fans have gotten to enjoy many endearing moments between the stars. From Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston's long friendship, to the iconic pairing of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, the Marvel cast has given us hours of hilarious and touching moments to revisit on YouTube.
One of the most amusing relationships of all, though, is the one between Tom Holland and Anthony Mackie, who have had an ongoing feud for years. Though their quips to each other may seem mean, they're truly a testament to the acting chops of both stars — each of whom have assured fans that they are good friends in real life, which is why they're able to poke fun at each other so often.
But for those who aren't as familiar with their good-natured rivalry, let's take a look back and see where it all began.
The feud started back in 2016
Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Anthony Mackie's Falcon first crossed paths in the 2016 movie "Captain America: Civil War." When the cast started their press junket for the film, Mackie (often joined by Stan) began poking fun at Holland, joking that he was a diva. He'd often say that Holland needed frequent juice breaks, as well as "handlers" and babysitters to keep an eye on him on set. After that initial press run, it seemed that Mackie would joke about Holland in almost every interview.
When asked where Mackie's "hatred" of him began, Holland explained an incident on set (via ABC News) that he thinks may have started the feud. According to Holland, Mackie has a tendency to say "cut the check" whenever he feels he's nailed a scene. In an effort to fit in with (or, perhaps, impress) the veteran actor, Holland once used Mackie's phrase when the two were in a scene together. And while the crew was laughing at Holland's well-timed use of the phrase, Mackie couldn't get his own joke in — which Holland now seems to believe started the friendly rivalry.
Jokes come from both sides
Though Anthony Mackie has joked about Tom Holland several times over the years, Holland has also made digs at his co-star. During a Comic-Con interview in 2018, Mackie said he had never seen Holland's movie "Spider-Man: Homecoming," to which Holland slyly replied "I haven't seen the Falcon one — oh no wait, there isn't one! I'm sorry." Fans in the audience loved the clever comeback, since at the time, Mackie didn't yet have his own character-centered project (which has since changed with the successful release of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" which is now leading to "Captain America 4"). Mackie was also visibly impressed with Holland's quick thinking as he reached out for a handshake while laughing: "Well-played."
While the jokes are all good-natured, there is a bit of real-life rivalry going on between Mackie and Holland. When discussing the success of "Falcon and the Winter Soldier" with SiriusXM, Mackie asserted that a Falcon movie would out-perform Holland's Spider-Man movie. "There is competition," he said. "I just want to see somebody do an algorithm or figure out if we were in a movie theater how much money we would have made. Because I know it would've been more than Tom Holland as Spider-Man!"
The two are good friends in real life
Aside from the playful bickering and tongue-in-cheek comments, Mackie and Holland have made it clear that it's all in jest, and they're actually great friends. In an interview for "Spider-Man: Far From Home," Holland insisted "No, Mackie and I are really good friends. I would argue that Mackie and I are maybe the, like he's maybe who I'm closest to in the Avengers when everyone is on set." Mackie has mirrored that sentiment several times, including a Wired interview when he was asked if he likes Holland. "You know what? I actually do," he answered. "Tom Holland is my friend. That's why I make fun of him. I love the kid. He's a great, great kid. He's the best Spider-Man we've had — but he's an arrogant little s****. And I stress: little."
Knowing that the two have such a close relationship, to the point where they're able to constantly poke fun at each other, makes it a little less guilt-inducing to laugh along. We're just glad to know that two of the biggest players in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are on each other's good sides.