Ahead of the release of Captain America: Brave New World, star Anthony Mackie went viral with his take on what Captain America represents. And that’s not necessarily just America. The quote was widely shared and required follow-up clarification from the actor. But it feels like Mackie is being unfairly targeted given that the last actor to have that role, Chris Evans said something nearly identical when he took the part. And so has Captain American in the actual comics.

Here’s Mackie’s original quote:

“Captain America represents a lot of different things and 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.”

Then, later he followed up with another comment on Instagram:

“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.”

If this is a “controversy,” then you have to wonder why Chris Evans didn’t get the same level of flak for his quote about playing the character. Here’s him speaking with CBM back in 2011 ahead of the first film in the series, The First Avenger:

“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. [Laughs] You know, he was created at a time when there was this undeniable evil and this guy was kind of created to fight that evil. I think that everyone could agree that Nazis were bad and he, Cap, just so happens to wear the red, white and blue.”

Going further back, this has often been portrayed significantly more pointedly by Captain America in the comics themselves. One such example from an issue:

“Listen to me, all of you out there! You were told by this man, your hero, that America is the greatest country in the world! He told you that Americans were the greatest people, that America could be refined like silver, could have the impurities hammered out of it and shine more brightly. He went on about how precious American was, how you needed to make sure it remained great. And he told you anything was justified to preserve that pearl of the great price that is America!”

“Well I say American is nothing! Without its ideals, its commitment to the freedom of all men, America is a piece of trash! A nation is nothing! A flag is a piece of cloth! I fought Adolph Hitler not because America was great, because it was fragile! I k new that liberty could be easily snuffed out here as in Nazi Germany! As a people we were no different than them! When I returned, I saw that you nearly did turn America into nothing!”

Imagine if Anthony Mackie said that. All Mackie is doing is reiterating a common sentiment about the character, and if the takeaway from people’s perception of Captain America is that he’s a mindless soldier fighting for the US to spread freedom everywhere, you don’t know the characters very well (maybe go watch The Winter Soldier again, for starters?). Mackie has many challenges ahead taking up this mantle, but this fake controversy should not be one of them.

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.