Anthony Mackie ('Captain America'): Success Isn't Just About Hard Work—Luck Plays a Key Role

Many parents often tell their kids that they can accomplish anything with dedication and effort. However, this overlooks the significant role of luck, a key element acknowledged by numerous high achievers as crucial to their success stories. This observation was made by Anthony Mackie, who stars in the upcoming film "Captain America: Brave New World" set for release in 2025.

"Mackie, aged 46, stated, 'We are deceiving our children,'" he said. In a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast We inform them… that if they perform well, achieve good grades, and participate in various programs, they will attain success. The belief that ‘if you put in sufficient effort, your efforts will be rewarded’ is incorrect.

In numerous instances, 'success is granted rather than achieved,' Mackie went on.

Before securing what many view as his breakthrough role as Sam Wilson in 2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Mackie had spent more than ten years honing his craft. Upon completing his education at the esteemed Juilliard School back in 2001, he took part in various stage performances across Broadway and Off-Broadway venues, along with critically acclaimed movies such as the Oscar-winning film “The Hurt Locker” from 2008. Despite these achievements, this Louisiana-born artist found it challenging to make significant strides within Hollywood’s fiercely contested environment.

Mackie calculates that he dedicated approximately 10,750 hours to his training before securing that transformative position. Additionally, he took initiative by sending letters to executives at Disney’s Marvel Studios more than ten years ago with the aim of obtaining a part in one of the studio's well-known superhero movies, as he mentioned. The Hollywood Reporter in 2023.

Although the letters did not lead to immediate acting opportunities, Mackie ultimately secured a meeting with directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. These filmmakers proposed he join their forthcoming movie but could provide limited information about it: "They told me, ‘We cannot disclose which role you will play or who else might appear in the project. Are you interested?’" Mackie recalled.

The actor agreed because he liked the directors and believed joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe was an opportunity he couldn't pass up, he said. Fortunately for Mackie, the role of Sam Wilson proved popular enough to grow from a small character into a headliner.

Work matters, but so do 'luck' and 'timing'

Mackie is not the sole achiever to acknowledge the impact of luck. Even if you're the brightest and most worthy individual in the gathering, the billionaire and vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, your success could still heavily rely on fortunate circumstances. Charlie Munger told students At the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in 2018, however, success is not guaranteed: "Luck plays a role in all of this as well."

He stated, "My aim wasn’t to become wealthy. What I desired was independence. It seems I went beyond my goals."

Similarly, in 2023, Mark Cuban told GQ that any billionaire who says they could definitely start over from scratch is "lying their a-- off." That's because a person also needs "luck" and good "timing" to run a highly lucrative company, particularly in the fast-moving tech industry.

If he'd been born three years earlier, he likely wouldn't have the status that he has today, Cuban added.

Put simply, being in the right place at the right time, and having connections, can be as important as having the skills and experience.

How to benefit from luck

People who benefit from luck the most have several characteristics in shared According to Richard Wiseman, who wrote "The Luck Factor" and is a psychology professor at the University of Hertfordshire.

1. They're optimistic. Even when faced with difficult situations, "fortunate" individuals acknowledge that things "might have turned out much worse." Wiseman wrote For GudangMovies21, create it in 2022.
2. They readily embrace new chances. According to Wiseman, fortunate individuals exhibit an openness and flexibility that enables them to engage in networking and form new relationships.
3. They listen to their intuition. Too much time spent pondering can lead to "indecision," he added, writing that lucky people tend to "make quick decisions …. By trusting their gut, they're more likely to take action and expose themselves to new opportunities."
4. They bounce back swiftly from obstacles. This allows lucky people to remain positive when things don't go how they'd hoped and "increases the likelihood of them continuing to live a lucky life," according to Wiseman.

Embodying these four traits can help put you in a better position to make your goals a reality, he added.

The second and third traits in particular helped Mackie, who, in 2025, became a new face of the "Captain America" franchise, once led by former co-star Chris Evans.

"When you're given a huge opportunity like that, you have to take into consideration that you might fail," Mackie said. At first he was afraid, but he didn't let that stop him. He had a network of mentors and supporters who could help, he realized: "I had to lean on those teachers and the people around me who got me to that point."

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