Why Did Anthony Mackie Apologize?

Clearly, someone over at Disney/Marvel told Anthony Mackie to apologize for his recent comments about Captain America. But why?

Is what Mackie said wrong? Have his words been twisted up to the point where right-leaning outlets are now calling for a total boycott of “Captain America: Brave New World.”

First off, here’s what Mackie stated on Monday:

“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.”

It should be noted that Mackie said this in Italy, and that’s an important part of the context here. As far as I gathered, he was trying to say that Captain America’s values should not just belong to Americans, but the entire world.

Regardless, Mackie is now walking back on his comments, and actually apologizing. He was no doubt heavily nudged by Disney/Marvel to post the following on social media — total damage control:

Mackie’s apology didn’t seem to be enough to weather the storm. There are still conservative calls to boycott the film, all over the internet. Facebook groups have been created. Petitions to oust Mackie from the role are circulating. It’s become yet another culture war sh*tshow for Disney who have been trying to distance themselves from politics in the Bob Iger era.

Last week, projections had “Captain America: Brave New World,” which opens on February 12, potentially nabbing a respectable $90M 3-day weekend. Will the Mackie controversy hurt those numbers? I don’t particularly think so. Instead, what could make ‘Brave New World’ underperform is if it’s met with negative reviews — and that’s still a real possibility.