With their captivating storylines, bold and heroic characters, exceptional action sequences, and the age-old but still enjoyable conflict of good vs. evil, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has garnered such a vastly humongous audience across the globe that a few controversial events every now and then, are bound to happen.
While the superhero franchise never fails to captivate fans with its films and shows, things go a bit awry when these fans delve deeper than they ought to. Although most of these are completely harmless, they often have the ability to leave a bitter taste in your mouth and alienate you from your favorite actors and the characters that they play on screen.
We will discuss one such Marvel Universe-related controversy in great length today. It all began when actor Anthony Mackie recently made a statement about a beloved Marvel ship, and fans have not really received his comments well.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier actor managed to incite an unanticipated controversy while talking about the friendship between his character Sam Wilson, or “The Falcon,” and Sebastian Stan‘s “Bucky Barnes,” which the viewers think is a little more than just friendship. Since the premiere of the Disney+ Marvel series, some fans have “shipped” the idea that Wilson and Barnes’ apparent bromance is actually more romantic in nature, but Mackie doesn’t seem to agree with this assumption in the slightest.
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Anthony’s reaction to the situation
Anthony Mackie appears to have offended everyone while attempting to be open-minded about the entire ordeal. The scenario gets worse when you look at the fact that he utilizes a phrase to describe his viewpoint that the LGBT community considers particularly demeaning.
“So many things are twisted and convoluted. There are so many things that people latch on to with their own devices to make themselves relevant and rational. The idea of two guys being friends and loving each other in 2021 is a problem because of the exploitation of homosexuality.
It used to be guys could be friends, we could hang out, and it was cool. You would always meet your friends at the bar, you know. You can’t do that anymore because something as pure and beautiful as homosexuality has been exploited by people who are trying to rationalize themselves.”
It’s hard to make out exactly what Mackie is getting at, but it’s important to note that going to the local pub with your male pals is still something you can do without people making assumptions about you or being judged. Perhaps, the Marvel actor is attempting to convey the idea that male friends can have loving connections without those interactions being interpreted as gay relationships.
He makes it loud and clear that he thinks fans shouldn’t be shipping Wilson and Barnes as a gay duo because it isn’t particularly original, and he sees this kind of interpretation as exploitation. Additionally, Mackie also declares that being gay is “pure and beautiful.”
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By providing an example, Mackie cited a Black Mirror episode in which he and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II played best friends who participated in an immersive virtual reality game that received similar critiques. Although they are not a couple, they play the role of a man and a woman portraying a sexual relationship.
“There’s nothing more masculine than being a superhero and flying around and beating people up,” he stated. “But there’s nothing more sensitive than having emotional conversations and a kindred spirit friendship with someone that you care about and love.”
The actor went on to defend his standpoint on the situation by making the argument for a “sensitive masculine figure,” claiming that his Falcon and the Winter Soldier character fits that idea because he was involved in moments including counseling, tender dialogues, and other types of scenes in addition to lots of action, which might be considered not as traditionally masculine.
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Mackie concluded his remarks about Sam and Bucky by connecting the situation to his character’s relationship with Chris Evans‘ Steve Rogers/Captain America.
“Sam and Steve had a relationship where they admired, appreciated, and loved each other,” Mackie concluded. “Bucky and Sam have a relationship where they learn how to accept, appreciate, and love each other. You’d call it a bromance, but it’s literally just two guys who have each other’s backs.”
What do the fans think about his statements?
The internet hasn’t really received his remarks kindly, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community. Fans immediately criticized Mackie for rejecting their idea of a romantic relationship between him and Sebastian Stan’s character. One Twitter user commented, “Anthony Mackie should’ve just said the ship was cute and called it a day. I understand where he’s coming from, and he just needed to word it better.”
Another user was quick to point out, “I get the point Anthony Mackie was trying to make, but he definitely should’ve worded it better. It is totally not wrong for gay people to wish to see representation on the big screen in the world’s biggest franchise. Also, I don’t know why he compared being a Superhero to being masculine?”
He might’ve made some noteworthy points in his arguments, but he could have been a little more open and accepting of everyone’s opinions. Ultimately, it does not really seem to matter how certain fans choose to view the relationship between the two main characters in the end. None of that will alter what Mackie seems to think or what other people think about their friendship.
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