sam wilson with the shield bending down
(Eli Adé/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

This is your reminder: Sam Wilson is Captain America

The worst guys on the internet are back yelling about Anthony Mackie. Mainly because he tried to point out that Captain America is a symbol bigger than just a “patriotic” icon for Americans.

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Mackie originally said at a Q&A this week, via That Hashtag Show, that Cap represents a lot of different things. “Captain America represents a lot of different things,” Mackie said. “I don’t think the term America should be one of those representations. It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity and integrity.”

He then had to clarify that he meant that Captain America is bigger than just what the shield represents to Americans. He wrote on his Instagram story “Let me be clear about this, I’m a proud American & taking on the shield of a hero like [Captain America] is the honor of a lifetime. I have the utmost respect for those who serve & have served our country. Cap has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to.”

Personally, there was no need for clarification on Mackie’s part. He’s right. Cap is bigger than just the patriotic belief that Americans must live and die by our country. Captain America represents more than that. But Mackie’s words have found their way to the racists who refuse to acknowledge that Sam Wilson is Captain America and I’m here to shut that down. Sam Wilson is Cap and he’s going to be a damn good one at that.

It’s the same tired nonsense from racists

Men like Nerdrotic, who refuse to use brain cells when interacting with media, took Mackie’s words and tried to put some spin on them. He wrote on X “This is what happens when you don’t have Captain America in the Captain America sequel.” Captain America: Brave New World does have Captain America in it. That Captain America is Sam Wilson and he’s going to be great.

The title is not specific to only Steve Rogers. Many have taken the shield since Steve in the comics, famously one of them being Sam Wilson. In fact, the true first Captain America was Isaiah Bradley before Steve Rogers in the comics before Steve got the super soldier serum that made him the Cap that toured around the world. But men like Nerdrotic don’t actually care about that. They think they know who Cap is and will be loudly incorrect and racist just because.

As Noah Reed pointed out on X, the kind of men like Nerdrotic use things like Mackie’s quote as their own dog whistle to just….woefully misunderstand the point being made. “The way there’s a very specific type of person that REFUSES to use any type of critical thinking or comprehension skill. Furthermore, there are decades of comics and movies. Y’all don’t deserve Anthony Mackie or Captain America.”

Reed is right! Men like Nerdrotic do not deserve Captain America. He is a symbol of hope and strength and all of Cap’s core principals are the opposite of men like that who think they “know” anything about Captain America.

Sam Wilson IS Captain America and he’s a damn good one at that.


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