More than 20 years after 8 Mile hit theaters, one of Eminem’s co-stars – who is now a beloved Marvel superhero – is opening up about the film.

8 Mile hit theaters in 2002, marking the rapper’s feature film debut, with the story loosely based on his early days rapping in his hometown of Detroit.

Another actor made his feature-film debut in 8 Mile, who would go on to star in some of Marvel’s biggest films. 

8 Mile became a critical and commercial hit, earning $242.8 million worldwide from just a $41 million budget, with Eminem taking home the Oscar for Best Original Song for the hit Lose Yourself.

While the film is still beloved over two decades later, Eminem’s co-star revealed the rapper ‘tricked’ him during one of the rap battle scenes.

Who is the co-star who was tricked? It was none other than Anthony Mackie, who played Papa Doc in the film, and opened up about it on The Pivot Podcast, which comes after he made some controversial Captain America comments.

More than 20 years after 8 Mile hit theaters, one of Eminem ‘s co-stars – who is now a beloved Marvel superhero – is opening up about the film

Another actor made his feature-film debut in 8 Mile, who would go on to star in some of Marvel’s biggest films

Who is the co-star who was tricked? It was none other than Anthony Mackie , who played Papa Doc in the film, and opened up about it on The Pivot Podcast 

Clarence a.k.a. Papa Doc was the leader of a Detroit rap crew known as Leaders of the Free World, who was the primary rival of Eminem’s Rabbit.

He revealed on the podcast how the rapper – who Mackie called, ‘a brilliant dude’ used his own life story against him in the film.

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‘We’re on set one day and he’s like, “Yo, it don’t make sense that we’re beefing. I need something like on you,’ Mackie said.

He added that they were talking for about two hours and he left, but the next day when they were shooting the battle scene, when he realized things had changed.

‘I’m standing there like, “You’re talking about me! You’re not talking about Clarence,”‘ Mackie said with a laugh.

He joked, ‘This has nothing to do with the character! You’re an a**hole, Eminem!’

Mackie also joked, ‘I’m like, I wanna fight this motherf***er!’ after the rapper-turned-actor tricked him.

Mackie grew up in suburban New Orleans and attended a private school, which Eminem’s Rabbit rapped about in the battle. 

Clarence a.k.a. Papa Doc was the leader of a Detroit rap crew known as Leaders of the Free World, who was the primary rival of Eminem’s Rabbit

‘We’re on set one day and he’s like, “Yo, it don’t make sense that we’re beefing. I need something like on you,’ Mackie said

‘I’m standing there like, “You’re talking about me! You’re not talking about Clarence,”‘ Mackie said with a laugh

He joked, ‘This has nothing to do with the character! You’re an a**hole, Eminem!’

The actor parlayed that role into roles in films like The Manchurian Candidate, She Hate Me, Million Dollar Baby, Half Nelson, We Are Marshall and The Hurt Locker.

He would also go on to play Tupac Shakur in The Notorious B.I.G. film Notorious, along with Real Steel and The Adjustment Bureau before stepping into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Sam Wilson in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Mackie appeared in five more Marvel movies as Sam Wilson, before turning to the small screen with Disney Plus’ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

That limited series helped set up this year’s Captain America: Brave New World, and he’ll return in Avengers: Doomsday next year.