Here we go again—another Hollywood actor stepping into a role built on American patriotism, only to turn around and try to erase the very thing that defines it. This time, it’s Captain America himself—or at least, the new version played by Anthony Mackie—who has found himself in hot water after downplaying the role of America in, well, Captain America.
Mackie, while promoting Captain America: Brave New World in Rome, made the baffling statement that “I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations” of the character. Instead, he said Captain America should stand for “honor, dignity, and integrity.”
Now, no one is arguing that those qualities aren’t important. But to suggest that Captain America—a character literally wrapped in red, white, and blue—shouldn’t represent America? That’s Hollywood for you. They’ll take an iconic, patriotic symbol, strip it of its meaning, and then act surprised when people don’t like it.
Unsurprisingly, Mackie’s comments sparked outrage. People are tired of seeing their culture and heroes rewritten to fit whatever globalist, sanitized version of history Hollywood prefers.
Country star John Rich made it clear he won’t be supporting this latest Marvel installment, writing, “I guess I won’t be taking my kids to watch Captain Anti-America. These idiots will never learn.”
Ben Shapiro called out Disney’s continued inability to manage its own brand, saying, “These studios at some point will have to stop giving their stars a platform to utterly destroy their product.”
Clay Travis of Outkick wasn’t shy either, wondering aloud, “Are there any actors and actresses employed by Marvel who aren’t complete and total morons?”
And Dan Bongino summed up what many Americans are thinking: “Another s** movie I won’t be seeing.”*
The response was swift, and Mackie clearly realized he needed to do some damage control.
After facing a wave of criticism, Mackie tried to clean up his remarks with an Instagram post that declared, “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 added that he has “the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country.”
That’s nice, but it doesn’t erase what he originally said. It’s one thing to appreciate the opportunity of playing Captain America, but it’s another to actually embrace what the character represents. Mackie’s attempt to soften his comments doesn’t undo the fact that he fundamentally redefined Captain America as some vague, globalist figure who just happens to wear the stars and stripes.
This isn’t an isolated incident. For years now, Hollywood has been chipping away at traditional American heroes, diluting them into politically correct versions of their former selves. Whether it’s rewriting history, downplaying patriotism, or turning every story into a “global” one, the pattern is clear.
And guess what? People are getting sick of it. Marvel’s box office numbers have been plummeting, Disney is bleeding money, and audiences are tuning out. Why? Because they don’t want their heroes rewritten. They want Captain America to stand for America.
If Mackie and Marvel had any sense, they’d recognize that people don’t want a neutered, identity-stripped version of Captain America. They want the unapologetic, flag-waving, patriotic superhero who has always represented the best of this country.