Captain America: Brave New World star Anthony Mackie caught backlash for a comment he made about the Marvel superhero while promoting the film in Italy.
The actor has now taken to social media to clear up his remarks about the beloved character.
“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,” Mackie said in a post shared on Instagram Stories. “I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country.”
He continued, “CAP has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to.”
While promoting the superhero film in Rome, Mackie said that “America” was not a term that Captain America represented.
“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 said in a clip that went viral on social media. “It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable.”
Anthony Mackie responds on Instagram Stories
Instagram / anthonymackie
Captain America: Brave New World, which premieres in theaters on February 14, is the first Captain America film since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, where Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers passed the shield onto Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Mackie also starred in the 2021 Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
While promoting 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Mackie discussed the importance of having Black superheroes.
“I think we live in a day in age now where little black kids feel like they can’t connect to a character who doesn’t look like them. Or little girls feel like they can’t connect to a character who’s a guy, because they’re just different,” Mackie said in an interview with EW. “You know, everybody’s so personal nowadays, it’s not so much about connecting to an emotion or an idea. It’s more so connecting about someone who looks like you, you know?”