Captain America: Brave New World comes out on Valentine’s Day. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson takes over Captain America’s shield for the first time in a film, and it will be an interesting test case to see if Marvel fans can avoid being openly racist. Or are Marvel fans just committed to being sexist? We’ll certainly see! I guess it’s an interesting moment in America for a Black American actor to play an iconic comic book character like Captain America. While Anthony Mackie promoted the film in Germany, he apparently suggested that Captain America was not… America-specific? He later backtracked.
Anthony Mackie has clarified earlier remarks about the ethos of Captain America that some on the Internet took issue with.
“Let me be clear about this, I’m a proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like CAP is the honor of a lifetime,” Mackie wrote on Instagram stories Tuesday. “I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country. CAP has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to.”
The statement comes after earlier comments trended online on Monday and Tuesday.
“To me Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations,” Mackie said while onstage in Rome to promote Disney’s upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. The one-minute clip of the interview was filmed and posted by several attendees online.
“It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity and integrity,” Mackie continued. “Someone who is trustworthy and dependable.”
Clips of Mackie’s comments online didn’t reveal the exact question the actor was answering, and The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Marvel and Mackie for further clarification. Marvel’s Italian social media account posted clips of the actor’s interview, but cut the sentence about the superhero not representing America. The edited version reads: “For me Captain America represents a lot of different things, someone who is trustworthy and dependable.”
The thing is, I totally understand what Mackie meant in his original comment – that “Captain America” represents universal qualities like dignity and integrity, qualities which are not America-specific or America-exclusive. And let’s face it, people would struggle to associate America with honor, dignity and integrity right now, which I think Mackie might have been insinuating too, although I think it’s mostly the first thing. But I’m sure Marvel executives panicked and they screamed “FIX THIS!”
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- Rome Photocall Of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ At The Hotel De La Ville Featuring: Anthony Mackie Where: Rome, Italy When: 27 Jan 2025 Credit: IPA/INSTARimages **UK, USA AND AUSTRALIA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Rome Photocall Of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ At The Hotel De La Ville Featuring: Anthony Mackie Where: Rome, Italy When: 27 Jan 2025 Credit: IPA/INSTARimages **UK, USA AND AUSTRALIA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Rome Photocall Of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ At The Hotel De La Ville Featuring: Anthony Mackie Where: Rome, Italy When: 27 Jan 2025 Credit: IPA/INSTARimages **UK, USA AND AUSTRALIA RIGHTS ONLY**
He’s on a foreign press tour, promoting the movie to non-American audiences. There is bound to be some linguistic awkwardness as he tries to sell a movie called “Captain America” while relating it to his audience.
“But I’m sure Marvel executives panicked and they screamed “FIX THIS!””
This more than anything. Especially after Bob Iger decided to support Felon47’s maladministration by donating to the Inauguration fund and settle that ABC lawsuit.
Disney/Marvel want as many people as possible to pay to see the new Cap.
Hopefully the audience scores won’t be too skewed by racism, the way all female-led movies are always downvoted.
Captain America represents what America should be and what some idiots have the gall to think it actually is (Hahahahaha!!!). He’s aspirational, but an aspiration that America has massively failed to live up to.
The screeching babies should leave him be. He needs to sell an expensive movie to a world that is side-eyeing the f**k out of America. I thought they loved capitalism? 🙄
Hard passing.
Can’t wait to see this movie.
It really is disgusting how racists try to crush everything that does not center them.
…which is how we got to this place/ the beginning of the holocaust.
I think he’s trying to do pre-emptive damage control. With Trump’s sabre-rattling, we’re seeing a lot of ‘don’t buy American products.’ A movie celebrating ‘The American Way’ is unlikely to appeal to countries being threatened by America.
Anything with “America” in the title is a tough sell right now.
I understood what Mackie meant and applaud him for attempting to make universal the principals of integrity and honor. They are in no way exemplified by this nation during this dark era.