Anthony Mackie had said, “Captain America represents a lot of different things” but he doesn’t think “America” should be one of them.
Anthony Mackie is set to make his big-screen debut as Captain America in Captain America: Brave New World, but a recent comment made by the actor has rubbed some fans the wrong way.
While promoting Captain America: Brave New World in Italy, Mackie said, “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, dignity and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable.” From the clips, it’s not clear what question Mackie was answering, but the actor felt like he had to clarify his statements.
“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. “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 has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for over a decade. He made his debut as Sam Wilson/Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and appeared in several more MCU movies before inheriting the shield from Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame. He became the new Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and will finally get to lead his own movie with Brave New World, which he described as a dream come true.
“All of us as actors want to get back to that day before someone told you ‘no,’” Mackie said. “When you look out your door, and you see a five-year-old kid with a stick, and he’s slaying dragons to save the princess in the tower, the kid really believes there are dragons out there, that stick is really a sword, and he’s really trying to save that princess. And then one day, someone told him, ‘No, there are no dragons, that’s not a sword, and that princess is not there.’ And all of his little dreams were dashed, so as an actor I feel like our job is to get back to that day where we see that dragon, and we slay that dragon to save that princess and that’s kind of what that this movie was for me.“
Captain America: Brave New World will debut on February 14th.
