Anthony Mackie injured his back during Captain America flying scenes

Actor Anthony Mackie suffered a pinched nerve in his back after crashing down to earth and tumbling into a van during his first attempt at flying for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The Hurt Locker star portrays Falcon in the superhero sequel, but he had no idea how hard it would be to control his landing the first time he was placed in a harness and hoisted up 70 feet (21.3 metres) into the air to shoot the stunt beside co-star Chris Evans.

He tells the New York Daily News, "I was supposed to land next to Chris Evans and take three steps before I ran into a parked van.

"I'm coming in (swinging to the ground) and I'm looking at Chris and he's looking at me like, 'Dude, you're going to die.' The fear in his eyes made me freak out... I couldn't stop. I knocked Chris over and just smashed into this van."