Anthony Mackie Clarifies Controversial Captain America Comments

Anthony Mackie has issued a clarification regarding his recent comments about Captain America that recently caused a firestorm online.

Through an Instagram Stories post, Mackie emphasized he takes pride in being an American and called wielding Captain America's shield "the honor of a lifetime," while expressing deep respect for military service members.

"Let me be clear about this," he wrote. "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."

This update from Mackie came after a one-minute clip from a promotional event in Rome for Captain America: Brave New World circulated online.

In the original footage, Mackie suggested that "America" shouldn't be one of Captain America's primary representations, instead emphasizing universal values like honor, dignity, integrity, and trustworthiness.

Notably, Marvel's Italian social media accounts shared an edited version of the interview that omitted the comment about America, keeping only the references to the character's fundamental qualities.

This discussion follows Mackie's assumption of the Captain America role after Chris Evans' Steve Rogers passed the shield to his character, Sam Wilson, in Avengers: Endgame (2019).

The transition was explored in depth in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), which examined the implications of a Black man taking on the mantle of Captain America.

Mackie also spoke on that recently and talked about representation and its importance in the MCU.

He declared: "I feel like it's just as important for Black kids to see a Black Captain America as it is for white kids to see a Black Captain America."

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Anthony Mackie, Marvel Cinematic Universe