Actor Anthony Mackie On Diversity On Marvel Film Sets

Marvel actor, Anthony Mackie, who stars as the superhero Falcon in the Disney television mini-series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” says that the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” needs to work on improving their diversity on staff behind the camera. 

In Variety’s latest Actors on Actors issue, the 41-year-old spoke about his observations on lack of diversity dating back to his stint on the 2014 “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” 

“We have the power and the ability to ask those questions. It really bothered me that I’ve done seven Marvel movies now where every producer, every director, every stunt person, every costume designer, every PA, every single person has been white,” said Mackie.

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Giving credit to one Black producer, Nate Moore,  that he has noticed behind the lens, Mackie says that there needs to be more representation when it comes to hiring.

“He produced ‘Black Panther,'” said Mackie. “But then when you do ‘Black Panther,’ you have a Black director, Black producer, a Black costume designer, a Black stunt choreographer. And I’m like, that’s more racist than anything else. Because if you only can hire the Black people for the Black movie, are you saying they’re not good enough when you have a mostly white cast?”

Urging for change, Mackie asks for Marvel to push the needle in the realm of diversity. 

“My big push with Marvel, with everybody, is hire the best person for the job,” the award-winning actor said. 

“Even if it means we’re going to get the best two women, we’re going to get the best two men. Fine. I’m cool with those numbers for the next 10 years. Because it starts to build a new generation of people who can put something on their résumé to get them other jobs. If we’ve got to divvy out as a percentage, divvy it out. And that’s something, as leading men, that we can go in and push for and push the envelope.”