Anthony Mackie took to Instagram Tuesday to clarify his viral comment about what Captain America represents.
“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,” Mackie wrote on his Instagram Story. “I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country. [Captain America] has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to.”
Over the past 24 hours, Mackie drew criticism for comments made during an onstage interview in Rome. While promoting his new film “Captain America: Brave New World,” Mackie said that Cap “represents a lot of different things,” but “the term ‘America’” is not one of them.
“For me, Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations,” Mackie said “It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable.”
“Brave New World,” which hits theaters Feb. 14, is the first Captain America film since Mackie took over for Chris Evans as the star-spangled superhero. In 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” Steve Rogers, the original first Avenger, rapidly ages himself out of crime-fighting shape and passes the shield to Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Sam Wilson, formally known as The Falcon, first appeared in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and went on to fight alongside Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barns in the Dinsey+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
Other “Brave New World” cast members include Harrison Ford, Rosa Salazar, Liv Tyler, Giancarlo Esposito, Danny Ramirez and Shira Haas. Julius Onah directs the film with a script from Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson.
