Actor Anthony Mackie will play the role of Abraham Lincoln’s sidekick in the new film Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter opening in this Friday.

Mackie plays a onetime slave Will Johnson, based on a real individual who was once freed and employed by the president, who spends his evenings along with President Lincoln chasing down bloodsucking villains and saving lives of slaves.

“There’s so many movies about dudes like Spider-Man and Superman and these guys,” Mackie said. “Why don’t we use some real people?”

The movie was directed by Timur Bekmambetov and also features actor Curtis Harris II playing a young Will.

Follow Marquise Francis on Twitter @mKfly