If you've spent any time online lately, chances are that you've seen Anthony Mackie's face — and not just his face, but the face he often makes.

It's that barely there, pursed-mouth smirk that looks like he just overheard something he shouldn't have, and he's deciding what to do about it.

It's become one of the internet's favorite new reaction images, and once you notice it, you start seeing Mackie making that face all the time.

So what's the deal with the new Captain America's signature expression, and why does it feel so personal? Here's a brief internet history of Anthony Mackie's signature smirk and how it became a meme.

Where Did Jokes About Anthony Mackie Doing 'The Face' Come From?

The meme's origin dates back to March 15th, 2021, when Facebook user Jason Hyman uploaded a photo collage of Mackie with the caption: "Bruh Anthony Mackie always look like he know something about you." The post gained over 4,000 likes, planting the seed for the most enduring meme featuring the actor.

Three days later, Reddit picked it up. A post on the subreddit /r/marvelmemes earned over 16,000 upvotes in 24 hours, and another on /r/thefalconandthews gained more than 2,000 in a similar timeframe.

But the real breakout moment came when the Facebook page Marvellous Realm reposted the collage on March 18th, racking up over 130,000 reactions. Suddenly, everyone was in agreement: Mackie was doing "The Face," and he knew your secrets.

How Did Memes About Anthony Mackie’s Smirk Spread?

Once the internet had a name for it ("The Face") people found it in every Mackie photo.

On April 16th, 2021, iFunny user amongthefallen posted their own version of the meme, stating, "Anthony Mackie always look like he bout to say, ‘Guess what?'" earning over 38,000 smiles.

People then began attaching the phrase to other Mackie selfies with the same pursed-lip expression, with X user @J_Nova_Kane tweeted, "Anthony Mackie always look like he knows something about you that you had no idea he knew," on May 17th, 2021, gathering over 25,000 likes.

By 2025, people began seeing the smirk even when they couldn't see the smirk.

On February 19th, X user @rodimusprime tweeted a promo image of Mackie in full superhero gear, captioning it: "He doing the face under there!!!" Only his crinkled eyes were visible, but he was clearly doing his signature pursed lip smile under the helmet.

How Did Anthony Mackie React to the Memes About Him?

Also on February 19th, 2025, during an interview with the Instagram page @dadsaysjokes, Mackie finally confronted the meme.

When asked what he thought about jokes about his smile, Mackie said, "I've seen this before and I still don’t get it. I wanna get it… Do you get it?" he asked Ramirez, who laughed and responded, "Don’t look at me like that. You don’t know anything about me."

What Are Some More Memes About Anthony Mackie's Smile?

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For the full history of Anthony Mackie's Smirk, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.