Anthony Mackie responds to the online reactions to hisCaptain America: Brave New Worldcomments regarding the titularMCUhero’s values and patriotism.Anthony Mackie’s veteran Avenger Sam Wilsonproudly holds the Captain America mantle inCaptain America: Brave New World, where he will amend relations with the US government under President Ross' mandate, but will also question Ross' decisions and take it upon himself to fight the villains who threaten both the United States and the whole world:Seth Voelker a.k.a. Sidewinder, Samuel Sterns a.k.a. The Leader, and President Ross himself.
On June 21, 2025, Anthony Mackie explained his perspective on Captain America’s values, saying,“Captain America represents a lot of different things & I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations. It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity and integrity”(via @redheadsdiaries /Instagram). Two days later,Anthony Mackietook to Instagram to clarify his comments in reponse to the backlash they received.Mackie expressed his"utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country"and highlighted Captain America’s"universal characteristics". Read Mackie’s full response below:
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. 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.
What Anthony Mackie’s Captain America Comments And Backlash Mean
Anthony Mackie Isn’t The First Actor To Question Captain America’s Patriotism
Anthony Mackie’s comments received backlash due to his questioning of Captain America’s loyalty to one single country. However, this is precisely a recurring theme in Captain America stories, both in the movies and in the source material, and both starring Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson.In the MCU alone, Chris Evans' Steve Rogers disagreed with the US military inCaptain America: The First Avenger, rebelled against SHIELD inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, and opposed the US government inCaptain America: Civil War.What’s more, Chris Evans himself once discussed a very similar topic. In a 2011 interview withCBR, Chris Evans said:
Ha, well, 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 war time, 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.
Back then, Chris Evans' Captain America comments received little to no backlash, andCaptain America: The First Avengerreflected Evans' observations quite clearly. Years later, the unfounded criticism of Anthony Mackie’s attainment of the Captain America mantle fuels the backlash against Mackie’s comments. Even though Sam Wilson takes a similar approach to crime-fighting as Steve Rogers, disapproval is stronger, both inside and outside the screen.
Our Take On Anthony Mackie’s Captain America Comments And Backlash
Anthony Mackie’s Captain America Comment Backlash Is Unwarranted
Like Chris Evans,Anthony Mackie understands why Captain America isn’t an unconditionally patriotic hero, being the main star of his solo movie. And just likeSteve Rogers' MCU Captain America trilogy,Captain America: Brave New World’s plot tackles this topic head-on. Any reasonable reactions to Anthony Mackie’s comments would take the Phase 5 movie’s full plot and its on-screen execution into account before settling on any conclusive judgment.
