Thoughts on Anthony Mackie Variety interview.
Just to be clear and so you know who’s behind the keyboard I’m the internet’s worst nightmare: a white woman (North African but transparent af). And I have NOT seen the show (I’m behind, I’m so behind), but I actually believe that it’s irrelevant.
I’m not gonna quote the entire interview (but please do read it because the first half is actually really insightful on the importance of being Captain America for Mackie and what it represents) because it would simply be to long, however I will use a bit more context than what’s usually cited.
The other half of Sam’s journey on the show is the transformation of his relationship with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) from simmering resentment to a lasting and profound friendship. That translated into several scenes of emotional and physical familiarity between Sam and Bucky that some fans interpreted as a budding romance — similar to how some Marvel fans desired Bucky and the first Captain America, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, to be a couple.
So this paragraph starts the second half of the interview and informs us of the quality of the characters friendship and its evolution. The familiarity (the heck is that supposed to mean) is important, as it breaks a standard in how “men” are supposed to act: crying, hugging, being open about their emotions… We know that it “breaks a standard” as it was easily interpreted as being more than a simple friendship. It therefore implies that some people refute that idea of intimate (or normal) friendship.
Mackie points out that he’s played in these kinds of waters before, in an episode of “Black Mirror” in which he and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II star as best friends who play an immersive, virtual reality video game that allows them to simulate being a man and woman in a sexual relationship. But he resists an interpretation that Sam and Bucky are sexually or romantically attracted to each other.
We now know that Mackie is not against playing roles that are “ambiguous”. I have not seen that episode of Black Mirror so my deduction might be the most obvious of the century but the relationship between his character and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s does have romantic homosexual undertones, they seem to act in a way that kicks that door wide open. For Sam and Bucky, it must remain close (according to Mackie (but spoiler: I agree))
“So many things are twisted and convoluted. There’s so many things that people latch on to with their own devices to make themselves relevant and rational,” he says. “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 can be friends, we can 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. So something that’s always been very important to me is showing a sensitive masculine figure. There’s nothing more masculine than being a superhero and flying around and beating people up. But there’s nothing more sensitive than having emotional conversations and a kindred spirit friendship with someone that you care about and love.”
Now, the choice of word is more than questionable but the link between the previous paragraph and this one makes it clear that what is “twisted” and “convoluted” is the interpretation of the nature of Sam and Bucky’s relationship. He is not talking about homosexuality here (it would make no sense given the way the sentence is phrased). My best guess would be that it’s the scenes and moments shared between Sam and Bucky (the moments of familiarity) that are used to build a narrative which takes away from the nature of their friendship. In our quest to normalize and give representation to the LGBTQIA+, we denormalize other behaviors, such as a normal healthy friendship between two males (be it Sam and Bucky or Bucky and Steve). I do believe that for Mackie it was important to highlight Sam and Bucky’s friendship, and that seeing people turn it into a possible Stucky 2.0 “scared” him, in a way.
“Sam and Steve had a relationship where they admired, appreciated and loved each other,” Mackie continues. “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’s important for him is how their friendship evolved, how the two characters grew closer. While on the one hand we had Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Holland embrace their real-life closeness and joke about it saying “it’s not a bromance, it’s a romance”, here Mackie calls it for what it is: a friendship.
We all try to see ourselves in the characters we love and for this reason I think that it would’ve been better had Anthony not adressed the shippers at all. It’s not like it’s going to change anything, shippers will keep shipping.
However, he is still allowed to express his opinion, even if you don’t agree with him. I believe (correct me if I’m wrong) that Sebastian is perfectly fine with shippers, and that’s his right. Mackie has the right to disagree (respectfully, which he did.)
It is clear to me that Sam and Bucky’s friendship is important and means a lot to Anthony. And I’m probably missing a whole other side of this debate since I’m, again, transparent af. I haven’t been in Mackie’s shoes so I can’t truly appreciate just how important being Captain America is to him and that may, also, influence his opinion on, and reaction to this whole debate.
Anyway this is way longer that I wanted it to be and than most people will care. I just hope I made sense.
EDIT: Also, in case I didn’t make it clear enough: if you want to ship, ship away, it’s your right too.
EDIT2: I may add a keep reading thingy tomorrow ‘cause this is long af. But I’m too lazy to get out of bed to do it now so, my bad!
Just remember to be respectful and to love one another.
