Anthony Mackie has played Falcon seven times in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with 2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”. In an interview for VarietyActors on the Actors topic, Mackie spoke to Daveed Diggs about the need for more diversity in Disney’s Marvel movies.
The conversation started with both actors talking about their latest projects on television. Diggs is the star of the TNT drama “Snowpiercer”. Mackie has appeared on two Netflix TV shows in the past year: the second season of the sci-fi series “Altered Carbon” and in a separate episode of “Black Mirror” called “Striking Vipers.”
“What are the ways that you find yourself interacting with the moment?” Diggs asked Mackie about Black Lives Matter. “I find that many of my interactions are just trying to improve things at the concerts in front of me, how can I affect different types of representation? What do you feel compelled to do? What is your participation at this time?
Mackie responded by mentioning the new Marvel TV series for Disney Plus in which she is starring. “When ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ comes out, I’m the lead,” said Mackie. “When ‘Snowpiercer’ came out, you are the leader. We have the power and the ability to ask those questions. It really bothered me that I’ve made seven Marvel movies where every producer, every director, every specialist, every costume designer, every personal assistant, every person has been white. “
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“We have had a black producer; His name was Nate Moore, “continued Mackie. “He produced ‘Black Panther’. But then when you do ‘Black Panther’, you have a black director, black producer, black costume designer, black choreographer. And I say, that’s more racist than anything else. Because if You can only hire blacks for the black movie, are you saying they aren’t good enough when you have a mostly white cast?
Mackie spoke about the changes she would like to see in hiring practices. “My big drive with Marvel is to hire the best person for the job,” said Mackie. “Even if that means we are going to get the best two women, we are going to get the best two men. Penalty fee. I agree with those numbers for the next 10 years. Because you are starting to build a new generation of people who can put something on your resume to get other jobs. If we have to distribute as a percentage, distribute it. And that is something like leading men that we can go in and lobby for. ”
For more information on Variety’s conversation with Mackie and Diggs, read our full story here.
