Anthony Mackie sparked backlash for his comments about Captain America. Here’s a breakdown of the controversy.

Anthony Mackie faced backlash for comments he made about Captain America.
Mackie suggested Captain America should not solely represent America, sparking controversy.
He’s not the first actor who played the role to downplay the “America” aspect of the character.

Anthony Mackie’s Captain America will be on the big screen for the first time in Marvel’s new movie “Captain America: Brave New World” after taking the iconic shield in the Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” in 2021.

But Mackie’s moment in the spotlight has already been marred by controversy ahead of the movie’s February 14 opening when comments he made about his character landed him in hot water.

“To me, Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations,” Mackie told a live audience in Rome on Monday on the film’s press tour.

“It’s about a man who keeps his word,” he continued. “Who has honor, dignity, and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable.”

Mackie also called the opportunity to play the character “a dream coming true.”

While the comments could be interpreted as Mackie’s attempt to cater to an international audience, the footage went viral and some Americans weren’t happy.

The backlash was immediate, but Mackie isn’t the first to downplay the ‘America’ aspect of the character

Chris Evans played Captain America before Anthony Mackie took over the shield.

Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP / Marvel

The response to Mackie’s comments was swift.

Users on X had responses that ranged from, “Well, his name is Captain America. He represents American values. Get used to it,” to “Strange take.”

Others deemed the movie anti-American and called for a boycott of “Brave New World.”

Mackie is not the first Captain America to downplay the “America” in the character’s name.

Chris Evans, who bowed out of playing the role for nearly a decade following 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” told CBM in 2011 that he was trying not to “get too lost in the American side” of the character.

“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,” he said.

“I’ve said before in interviews that 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 that everyone could agree that Nazis were bad, and he, Cap, just so happens to wear the red, white, and blue.”

Evans didn’t receive any backlash from these comments.

Mackie has since clarified his remarks

Anthony Mackie on the set of “Captain America: Brave New World.”

Eli Adé/Marvel

In a statement on his Instagram Stories, Mackie responded to the backlash Tuesday.

“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,” he wrote. “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.”