Anthony Mackie recently drew criticism from some fans while promoting his upcoming Marvel film, Captain America: Brave New World. The Hollywood actor was attending a press conference in Rome, where he shared his thoughts on what 'Captain America' - the mantle his character, Sam Wilson, took over from Chris Evans' Steve Rogers - represents. Nick Fury in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Post-Credit Scene? Samuel L Jackson to Cameo in Anthony Mackie’s Upcoming Marvel Movie, Details Leaked – Reports.
In a now-viral video, Mackie was heard saying, "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 honour, dignity, and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable."
However, his perspective didn’t sit well with some fans, who accused the actor of not being 'patriotic' enough and claimed he didn’t fully understand the character.
Watch the Viral Video of Anthony Mackie:
First, Anthony Mackie says Captain America shouldn’t represent America. Then he says race doesn’t matter and kids should look up to heroes for character, but also that black kids need a black Captain America.
This isn’t just bad media training. He has completely lost the plot. pic.twitter.com/2zH92duc2n
— MasteroftheTDS (@MasteroftheTDS) January 28, 2025
To clarify his stance, Mackie posted an Instagram story, writing, "Let me be clear about this: I'm a proud American, and taking on the shield of a hero like Captain America is the honor of a lifetime. I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country. Captain America embodies universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to." (sic) ‘Captain America: Brave New World’: From Amadeus Cho Casting to a Marvel Cameo, 5 Biggest Rumours About Anthony Mackie’s Upcoming MCU Movie Leaked on Internet.
Anthony Mackie's IG Story
![](https://cms.letsly.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-29-121143.jpg)
Interestingly, Chris Evans expressed a similar sentiment while promoting his first appearance as Captain America in Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011.
When asked in an interview with CBR what it meant for his character to be draped in the American flag, Evans said, "To me, I'm not trying to get too lost in the American side of it. This isn't a flag-waving movie. It is red, white, and blue, but it just so happens that the character was created in America during wartime, when there was a common enemy, even though it is Captain America. I've said before in interviews, it feels more like he should just be called Captain Good. You know, he was created at a time when there was this undeniable evil, and this guy was kind of created to fight that evil. I think everyone could agree that Nazis were bad, and he, Cap, just so happens to wear the red, white, and blue."
Even within the Marvel movies, Captain America has been portrayed as grappling with the idea of being hailed as an 'American' hero. He often resisted being portrayed as a government stooge. This struggle became more prominent in films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier - which marked Anthony Mackie’s debut in the MCU as Sam Wilson - and Captain America: Civil War, where Cap rebelled against the notion of being a government yes-man.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 29, 2025 12:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).