Falcon and The Winter Soldier might bein the rearward - view mirrorfor Marvel and Disney as the companyturns its center to Loki , but the sermon around the show returned to the forefront of fandom last night in the Wake Island of a new interviewwith Captain America himself , Anthony Mackie . But the furor around Mackie ’s answers to a pointed interrogative aim its defeat in the wrong focussing .
As part ofVariety ’s Awards Circuit podcast serial publication , Mackie talk over the timeliness of his ascension to the Captain America mantle in Falcon and The Winter Soldier ’s last , but was also asked about the series ’ depiction of the relationship between Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan ’s Bucky Barnes , and why the show had not present the duo ’s relationship as more than just friendly .
“ So many things are distorted and convoluted . There ’s so many things that masses latch on to with their own devices to make themselves relevant and noetic , ” Mackie say when ask about playing their relationship as male friends , rather than as potentially wild-eyed . “ The musical theme of two guys being friends and love each other in 2021 is a trouble because of the exploitation of homosexuality . It used to be guys can be ally , we can hang out , and it was cool . You would always meet your friends at the Browning automatic rifle , you roll in the hay . You ca n’t do that any longer , because something as pure and beautiful as queerness has been exploited by masses who are trying to apologise themselves . ”
Two guys, being dudes, hanging out and throwing shields.Image: Marvel Studios
“ So something that ’s always been very important to me is showing a sensible masculine anatomy . There ’s nothing more masculine than being a superhero and vaporize around and flap people up , ” Mackie continue . “ But there ’s nothing more tender than having excited conversation and a kindred intent friendly relationship with someone that you care about and love . ”
" It used to be guys can be friends , we can advert out , and it was nerveless … You ca n’t do that any longer , because something as saturated and beautiful as homosexuality has been exploited by people who are trying to justify themselves , ” the#Marvelstar says.https://t.co/nLLKDXuZLlpic.twitter.com/fZjHfIlizD
— Variety ( @Variety)June 17 , 2021
Image: Marvel Studios
hearing looking for more odd representation from Marvel ’s cinematic and televisual output signal have more than a right hand to be annoyed at Mackie ’s reply , given the studio apartment ’s lackluster approachto including prominent LGBTQIA characters in over a X of output so far . And , even read at its most diplomatical , Mackie ’s reply is perhaps inapt at near , and dismissive of genuine business concern and disappointment from audience at bad . But at the same time , it ’s light that the thespian is uncomfortable respond to questions about fandom reading of his persona — “ I try on to delay away from buff hooey , ” Mackie says in the run up to the query about the show ’s lack of queerness in the podcast , “ the fandom is a very serious place , so I just permit it be what it is and move on . ”
Whether or not his answer should be ill-chosen is a different question . The pushfor larger conversation around various representationin tentpole franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars and other unnumbered Hollywood megahit has been an on-going cognitive process for age at this compass point . It ’s a point where , perhaps , actors — or more specifically their public relations agents — should be aware that critics and journalists are pass to want them to treat questions about theatrical , queer or otherwise , so they should be prepared formulate a reply to those inquiries . Even if that answer is as simple as “ it ’s not something I get a say on , but there should be more and better agency in our media to reflect the society we survive in ” , it ’d good than the sort of hot water Mackie get hold himself landing in as a trend topic on Twitter last Nox .
Speaking of Star Wars , event in full point : John Boyega and Oscar Isaac ’s chronicle of discussing the potential for their subsequence trilogy characters Finn and Poe Dameron to be in a relationship together . Both weresupportive of the push , but non - committal about the actuality of their part being queer until someone who did have control about that variety of creative decision could number along and answer ( in their case climb of Skywalker conductor J.J. Abrams , who close down the possibilityin the run - up to the film ’s release , to much disappointment ) .
Yet despite Mackie ’s unpreparedness to field the review article — a valid critique of both Falcon and Marvel ’s wider output — the resulting fandom ire at him experience like corrupt anger , especially debate the manner Variety framed Mackie ’s reply on social channel , a determination that end up in maximum defeat at the doer himself . The tangible question is not whether we should hold these massive shows and motion picture to job for their occasional platitudes about diverse representation , fairy or otherwise , but to aim those questions at the multitude who actually insure the output of these studio apartment : writer , film director , and manufacturer . In special at an foundation like Marvel Studios , where high echelons of management have a very public face in the form of Kevin Feige , the persona of producers as forward - face designer of these films and shows is an idea the public is already familiar with .
After all , they ’re not just the people who get to make creative decision like whether or not to portray a antecedently equivocally square character as queer , or draw up a present moment between two characters with homoromantic undertones . In Falcon ’s grammatical case in particular , they ’re the people who have a history of teasing the show ’s opportunity of singular representation in the first place , and therefore are the masses who should be held to task when that comb-out turn out to be nothing more than just that . Malcolm Spellman , one of the show ’s Pb author ’s and now aco - writer on the Mackie - star Captain America 4 , told press and buff alikethat they should “ just keep watching … ”when ask about theories that Bucky Barnes could be portrayed in Falcon and the Winter Soldier as bisexual in an interview withNME — only for that viewership to be rewarded with nothing at all . The aforementioned Kevin Feige , who also has producer credits on Falcon as he does most on Marvel Studios yield , has a history of offering lacklustre answers to “ wait and see ” incidents of Marvel ’s want of diverse character — like in the run up to Avengers : Endgame when he said that fans hada correctly to see themselves in Marvel ’s movies , only to back track and say that hedidn’t think it would be such a big dealthat fan would be outraged that Endgame gave the MCU its first explicitly queer fictitious character in the form ofa minor cameo by director Joe Russo .
It ’s cleared that , in spite of what finger like years of promises that change is come on this front ( the firston - CRT screen queer family relationship and kiss in a Marvel movieis ready to arrive in Chloé Zhao ’s The Eternals later this year , and Tessa Thompson ’s Valkyriewill be depict as a bisexual womanin Taika Waititi ’s Thor : Love and Thunder next year ) , a lack of queer representation is still an ongoing trouble in Marvel Studios ’ films and shows . sports fan have every right to be frustrated by that yield as long as it continues to run , and reporters should retain masses at the studio accountable to answer why their material fumbles when it does .
But the people who do need to be held accountable on this outcome , and others like it , are not necessarily people like Mackie — actor who can at most lend support to those frustrations and Leslie Townes Hope for positive variety . Instead these business necessitate to be addressed by people who really can change them . We ’re utter about the architects of a system that has fail up to now in bringing queer characters to prominence , at studios like Disney , such as Spellman and Feige . Perhaps especially so at a studio apartment like Disney , which hasa long history of strugglingto present LGBTQIA+ character at the cutting edge of its narration .
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