Falcon and the Winter Soldier star Anthony Mackie has expressed his feeling that his character, Sam “Falcon” Wilson and his close superhero Bucky “Winter Soldier” Barnes (played by Sebastian Stan) could be gay. In short, Mackie gave a very awkward response, in which he seemed to blame audiences for wanting to see gay characters on screen.
First of all: we don’t think Anthony Mackie is a homophobe. That said, in a new interview with Variety, Mackie shared his thoughts on “shippers” hoping for a Sam / Bucky romance.
“So many things are twisted and convoluted. There is so much that people hold onto 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 that guys could be friends, we could hang out together, and that was cool. You always met your friends at the bar, you know. You can’t do it anymore, because something as pure and beautiful as homosexuality has been exploited by people who are trying to rationalize themselves.
“So something that has always been very important to me is showing a sensitive male figure. There is nothing more masculine than being a superhero and stealing and beating people. But there is nothing more sensitive than having emotional conversations and a similar spirit friendship with someone you love and love.
“Sam and Steve had a relationship where they admired, appreciated and loved each other. Bucky and Sam have a relationship where they learn to accept, appreciate and love each other. You would call it a bromance. , but it’s literally just two guys supporting each other.
Props to Mackie for pointing out that homosexuality is beautiful and that straight men have the right to show affection and emotions towards each other. On the other hand, we are not quite sure what he means by “exploitation of homosexuality” in this context. Many movies and shows have used queerbaiting as a way to build audiences, but that doesn’t really seem to be the case with Sam and Bucky.
Related: Just In Time For Pride, Marvel Announces Gay Captain America
More importantly, blame the problem on “the people who are trying to rationalize?” It almost sounds like Mackie is blaming gays in the audience for wanting to be portrayed onscreen.
Fans have long shouted to see LGBTQ superheroes join the MCU, and the franchise’s movies and TV shows have long sparked fan speculation about queer characters and relationships. Fans were thirsty for Chris Evans’ Captain America relationship with Bucky Barnes, prompting cries of “expedition.” Others have hoped to see Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel come out as a lesbian.
Ironically, in the same interview, Mackie addresses his own childhood desire to see black superheroes on screen and what it means to make that dream come true. Doesn’t he realize that homosexuals feel the same way?
We also find it odd that Mackie displays hostility towards members of the public reading his character as gay. Other actors involved in debates about “the expedition” – Xena’s Lucy Lawless, Star Wars’ John Boyega and Oscar Isaac, even Mackie’s co-stars Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan – have all embraced the public’s theories on the sexuality of their characters.
Again, we don’t think Anthony Mackie is a homophobe. Besides his remarks extolling the beauty and purity of homosexuality, he played queer characters in the film Brother to Brother and more recently in an episode of Black Mirror. But to be clear, the audience that wants to see Sam and Bucky or any other close character as gay has nothing to do with perversion. It is simply a question of representation, or lack of representation.
Further, we must challenge Mackie’s claim that there is “nothing more masculine” than being a superhero. We share Nico Tortorella’s assertion: there is nothing more masculine than bottoming.
