Anthony Mackie has addressed the controversy surrounding a remark he made on a recent promotional trip for Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World.”
On Tuesday, the actor and longtime Marvel Cinematic Universe star wrote in his Instagram Stories, “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. 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.”
Mackie’s social media post came in response to the wave of backlash he received following an appearance in Rome. While promoting “Brave New World,” the actor commented, “To me, Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations. It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor and dignity and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable.”
Many online took issue with his comment and perceived it as both an expression of anti-American sentiment and a failure on Mackie’s part to pay respect to the military and World War II origins of the Captain America character. It is, however, worth noting that at the same event in Rome, Mackie equated playing the lead role in “Captain America: Brave New World” to a “dream coming true.”
The new film is the second MCU project Mackie’s Sam Wilson has led since taking over the Captain America title from Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) at the end of 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” the 2021 series that also featured Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) as its co-lead, caught up with Wilson in the wake of his superhero promotion and explored the challenging complexity of a Black man like him choosing to don the symbol of a country with as troubling a racial history as America.
“Captain America: Brave New World” looks set to further interrogate its hero’s relationship with his country as it pits him against the MCU’s newly elected president, Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford).
“Captain America: Brave New World” hits theaters Feb. 14.
