In case you missed it, fledgling Disney plans to trot out yet another installment in the once-beloved Marvel movie franchise.
Now, thanks to lead actor Anthony Mackie, “Captain America: Brave New World” will debut on Feb. 14 amid self-inflicted controversy.
In a clip posted Monday to the social media platform X, Mackie inexplicably told an interviewer that the movie’s title character should not represent “America,” prompting calls for a boycott from X users, as well as derisive references to Mackie and the film itself as “Captain Woke.”
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“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.
According to the entertainment news website Bounding Into Comics, Mackie made those comments while speaking at a media event in Rome, Italy, on Monday.
“It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity, and integrity, someone who is trustworthy and dependable,” the actor added.
That would make sense if the movie’s iconic hero called himself “Captain Dignity” or “Captain Dependable.”
Comic book and movie audiences, however, fell in love with “Captain America.” And they did so for a reason.
Of course, one would have loved to hear Mackie’s explanation of why Captain America should not represent America. Alas, the actor spent nearly a minute searching for words and then babbling about dreams, dragons and princesses.
Framed properly, those dragon- and princess-related comments would have had some promise as an avenue toward timeless truth. From Mackie, however, they came across as irrelevant to the anti-“America” statement that preceded them.
Anthony Mackie explains what Captain America represents for him:
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 28, 2025
“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.”
(Source:… pic.twitter.com/d5bvqIbreF
As one might expect, X users had very little good to say about Mackie’s remarks. Some called for boycotts, while others referred to both the actor and the upcoming movie as “Captain Woke.”
Really??
— LC (@McintoshEl97841) January 28, 2025
But you don’t mind making millions of us Americans.
I am boycotting the film Captain America. https://t.co/MAnMFRqa1L
Woke actor Anthony Mackie says Captain America should not represent America:
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 28, 2025
“He represents a lot of different things & I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations.”
Time to boycott the new Captain America movie.
pic.twitter.com/aqQimCMGIZ
Mackie, of course, created a poorly-timed public-relations nightmare for Disney.
In truth, however, the Marvel franchise began building that nightmare years ago when it embraced wokeness in the first place.
This article originally appeared on The Western Journal, and is reposted with permission.
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