Anthony Mackie Faces Backlash Over Controversial Remarks About America

Anthony Mackie is shaking up the image of Captain America, and his bold take on the iconic superhero is dividing fans online.

During a promotional event in Rome for "Captain America: Brave New World," Anthony Mackie shared his perspective on the character, emphasizing morals over patriotism—an interpretation that’s ruffled some feathers.

In the clip, Mackie explained that Captain America isn’t necessarily about representing the United States, despite the star-spangled moniker. Instead, he believes the character embodies universal values like dignity, integrity, and keeping one’s word, qualities that transcend borders and go beyond the red, white, and blue.

“For me, Captain America represents a lot of different things, and I don’t think the term, you know, ‘America,’ should be one of those representations," he said. Instead, he highlighted qualities such as honor, integrity, and dependability, emphasizing the hero’s moral strength over national symbolism.

Conservative voices online have criticized Mackie’s comments, labeling them as more "woke Hollywood" rhetoric. Some detractors have even called for boycotts of the upcoming film, swearing off the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe entirely.

"And this is why the movie will do poorly," one user wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

"Bring back Steve, this guy is a moron and never watched the first movie," another said. "Captain America is a veteran. What a stupid take."

"Haha what the actual f-ck," a third expressed. "No, thanks."

Shifting gears during the interview, Mackie reflected on the personal significance of his role, likening it to fulfilling a childhood dream.

“All of us as actors, I believe, want to get back to that day before someone told you ‘No,’” he shared. “When you look out your door and see a five-year-old kid with a stick slaying dragons to save the princess in the tower, that kid really believes there are dragons out there. That stick is really a sword, and he’s really trying to save that princess.”

For Mackie, embodying Captain America represents a return to that fearless imagination. “As an actor, our job is to get back to the day where we see the dragon, to slay the dragon, to save the princess, and that’s kind of what that movie was to me,” he concluded.

This isn’t the first time Mackie has addressed the complexities of taking on the mantle of Captain America. In a 2021 interview with Variety, he candidly reflected on the challenges of representing a country that has not always represented him.

“I’ve worked so long in this business and I’ve done so many things that I felt were not appreciated, or overlooked or things that were not considered to be worthy of promotion — and this is like my first promotion," he said at the time. “The idea of being Captain America was something that I never fathom, or because it was so so so far fetched. I wanted to be in comic book movies so I could be the guy in ‘Spider-Man’ that goes, ‘It’s Spider Man!’. That was as far as my ambition could take me in that universe.”

Mackie continued:

“The fear of representing a country who doesn’t represent you, you know, was something that’s not only unfathomable but hard to overcome. My dad always used to say greatness is as far as you can see it… There are limitations that we place on ourselves because of our surroundings. And, you know, I did that to myself, and that’s definitely what Sam Wilson goes through.”

The actor also shared how his personal journey mirrors Sam Wilson’s struggles in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." “There are limitations that we place on ourselves because of our surroundings,” he explained. “I did that to myself, and that’s definitely what Sam Wilson goes through.”

"Captain America: Brave New World," set to hit theaters on February 14, 2025, will give audiences a chance to see if Mackie’s vision for the character resonates on-screen or if the controversy overshadows the action.