Anthony Mackie Says These Two Actors Send the ‘Smartest’ Memes and Texts in the ‘Lively’ “Avengers” Group Chat (Exclusive)

Mackie stars in the upcoming 'Captain America: Brave New World'

The Avengers haven’t assembled on screen in a while, but Anthony Mackie tells PEOPLE their group text is very much active.

“We still have our chat. We still go back, and forth, and make fun of each other,” says Mackie, who stars in the new Marvel movie Captain America: Brave New World. “We’re an active, lively bunch, I'll just put it that way.”

Stars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which launched with the 2008 movie Iron Man, include Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner, among others. 

So who sends the most memes and GIFs in the group? “I will say who sends the smartest ones,” says Mackie. “It's a toss up between Ruffalo and Cheadle. The two of them are probably the smartest, like beyond smart. They're so smart that they make you smart when you talk to them.”

Related: Captain America: Brave New World Trailer: Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford Team Up for Marvel's Latest

Johansson told The New York Times last year that she wants their messages to remain private. 

“Hopefully, nobody will ever read it. Everything goes on in there. I mean, really. If somebody’s gotten terrible reviews, that could be something that comes up,” she said.

“The Avengers, we’re like a family. We’ve been through an incredible experience over a decade plus of time. It was life-changing for all of us. If you text the chain, you can guarantee that within a few minutes, most people will respond, which is great,” she continued.

Mackie first joined the MCU with 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier as Sam Wilson, a former Air Force rescue squadron member and one of the Avengers known as Falcon. 

The former Captain America, Steve Rogers (Evans), passed Cap’s shield to Wilson at the end of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

Related: Anthony Mackie Was Surprised How 'Normal' Harrison Ford Is: He'd 'Chill with Us Like a Regular Person'

Captain America: Brave New World marks Mackie’s first film as the titular superhero. The movie costars Harrison Ford as U.S. president Thaddeus Ross (aka Red Hulk), taking over for the late William Hurt, and Liv Tyler, reprising her role as scientist Betty Ross from 2008's The Incredible Hulk.

Asked if any of the original Avengers may make any cameos here, Mackie plays coy.  “I hope so. I don't know. I don't know. I hope so. I love them OGs,” he says.

Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters on Friday, Feb. 14.

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