There are always certain degrees of separation between fans and the stars they love. One thing a fan would go absolutely gaga over might just be another day at the office for the celebrity they admire. But then, sometimes, the stars themselves get to share that same giddy excitement experienced by dedicated viewers, and it's invariably a magical moment. That seems to be what happened when Anthony Mackie reacted to his Captain America being added to Disneyland.
As some may know, Disneyland just opened its new Marvel-centric section of their California Adventure park known as Avengers Campus. Naturally, it was a whole big event, complete with special guests like the new Captain America himself, Mackie. As if to find yet another way to prove he's always been the perfect choice for the role, Mackie subsequently took to Twitter with an excited response to the whole thing.
"It was a dream come true, really," he tweeted. "Disneyland, my character, the Disney family. Did you know Disney World was almost in New Orleans?! Now, New Orleans is in Disneyland to stay! We did it 7th ward!!!" Mackie's love for his hometown shined bright and proud as he expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Disney company for his inclusion, and his words ring true regarding the theme park's history. Walt Disney did, in fact, almost choose New Orleans as the location for Disney World. But plans changed when Orlando, Florida turned out to be far more welcoming to the idea, particularly in a financial sense.
Mackie's inclusion comes as little surprise after his character's already considerable popularity skyrocketed during the run of Disney Plus's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The show took a particular focus on many of the hardships faced by Black people in the U.S. (at least as much as a Disney show could be expected to focus on these issues) by framing it with Sam's ultimate acceptance of the Captain America title. The portrayal struck a chord with many viewers, leading to the character receiving almost universal praise.
With instances like Mackie's Captain America and upcoming films like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Disney appears to have been making a conscious effort to increase the diversity of its shows and films, finally breaking a decade-long trend of stories fronted by white male heroes. So the inclusion of Mackie's character is just the latest instance of a promising trend. Of course, it might feel like it cheapens his performance to praise the diversity more than his actual acting talent, and that's a valid point. Mackie is an extremely talented performer from any perspective.
But it's always worth praising efforts in favor of diversity. A Black man as Captain America is a big deal, both in and out of the actual Marvel Cinematic Universe. With so much prejudice and so many hate crimes still happening in the country, more representation for marginalized groups outside of the straight, white, male archetype is more than just a step in the right direction. It's an act of defiance against hate, which the world definitely needs more of right now.
Captain America 4 is currently in development at Marvel Studios.
Source: Anthony Mackie/Twitter